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Marc Sabatella · 05-26-2011, 11:27 AM

In M mode, you do see the meter reading with manual lenses just as you do with modern lenses; but with manual K-mount lenses you need to do a DOF preview to temporarily stop down the lens. With M42 lenses, the lens is always stopped down. Nice for metering, lousy for focusing and for composition.

rawr · 05-26-2011, 04:33 PM

Another nice accessory for helping with manual focussing is the Pentax O-ME53 Magnifying Eyecup. It's especially useful when shooting MF lenses under poor light and/or when using fast lenses where DOF may be razor thin.

PENTAX Magnifier Eyecup O-ME53 - Photographic/Pentax Accessory Database - Flash, Grip, Camera Bag Reviews

Hefa · 05-27-2011, 04:09 AM

The metering does not work. The mode dial is set to M and lens is on M as well.
The little exposure graph does not move at all. So I need to take few pictures to see if im over exposing or not. Unless there is something on the menu that I havent changed?

rawr · 05-27-2011, 05:18 AM

Originally posted by Hefa

The metering does not work.

Assuming you have all the menu options set right for using manual lenses, just press down the green button to let the camera stop down the lens and set the exposure. Then shoot. No need for trial and error.

Hefa · 05-27-2011, 05:28 AM

so what should I assign green button to?

**Bill_R** · 05-27-2011, 06:31 AM

Originally posted by Hefa

so what should I assign green button to?

To just stop down you assign Green Button to Green Button and then Action in M mode to P Line.
If you want to see a preview to adjust exposure before you shoot then set green Button to Digital Preview. That just gives you the image with no info but you see the settings the camera has for speed and ISO in the LCD as usual - adjust before you try another green button press. If you want to see how far what you have chosen is "out" set the Green Button to Optical Preview. That gives you how much over or under exposed the image will be in the viewfinder. Keep holding the green button down and you can adjust the exposure and see the numbers change.
1st method is much easier - Green set to green and Action in M mode set to P-Line. Then it chooses the shutter speed for you after stepping down. Then review the image and decide if you want to change the aperture and try again. It makes it "semi-auto" but you can still learn what combination of shutter speed and aperture you need or want.

Hefa · 05-27-2011, 09:07 AM

AaAa Thanks that helped a lot

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05-26-2011, 11:27 AM	#16
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	In M mode, you do see the meter reading with manual lenses just as you do with modern lenses; but with manual K-mount lenses you need to do a DOF preview to temporarily stop down the lens. With M42 lenses, the lens is always stopped down. Nice for metering, lousy for focusing and for composition.

05-26-2011, 04:33 PM	#17
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Another nice accessory for helping with manual focussing is the Pentax O-ME53 Magnifying Eyecup. It's especially useful when shooting MF lenses under poor light and/or when using fast lenses where DOF may be razor thin. PENTAX Magnifier Eyecup O-ME53 - Photographic/Pentax Accessory Database - Flash, Grip, Camera Bag Reviews

05-27-2011, 04:09 AM	#18
Hefa New Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 10 Original Poster	The metering does not work. The mode dial is set to M and lens is on M as well. The little exposure graph does not move at all. So I need to take few pictures to see if im over exposing or not. Unless there is something on the menu that I havent changed?

05-27-2011, 05:18 AM	#19
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by Hefa The metering does not work. Assuming you have all the menu options set right for using manual lenses, just press down the green button to let the camera stop down the lens and set the exposure. Then shoot. No need for trial and error.

05-27-2011, 05:28 AM	#20
Hefa New Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 10 Original Poster	so what should I assign green button to?

05-27-2011, 06:31 AM	#21
Bill_R Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 262	Originally posted by Hefa so what should I assign green button to? To just stop down you assign Green Button to Green Button and then Action in M mode to P Line. If you want to see a preview to adjust exposure before you shoot then set green Button to Digital Preview. That just gives you the image with no info but you see the settings the camera has for speed and ISO in the LCD as usual - adjust before you try another green button press. If you want to see how far what you have chosen is "out" set the Green Button to Optical Preview. That gives you how much over or under exposed the image will be in the viewfinder. Keep holding the green button down and you can adjust the exposure and see the numbers change. 1st method is much easier - Green set to green and Action in M mode set to P-Line. Then it chooses the shutter speed for you after stepping down. Then review the image and decide if you want to change the aperture and try again. It makes it "semi-auto" but you can still learn what combination of shutter speed and aperture you need or want.

05-27-2011, 09:07 AM	#22
Hefa New Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 10 Original Poster	AaAa Thanks that helped a lot

Pentax k-x and manual lenses

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