[sqjaw]

I know read the manual and I will , I am coming from a K-10-D to the K-7 are there any tips on using this baby
that you may have found when using it: Thanks a lot

[hcc]

The K-7 is a nice camera. I have one and I love it.

- The camera is great at low ISO. Not so great above ISO 1600. So I set max ISO = 1600.

- The body is very robust. The handling is superb.

- The viewfinder is outstanding.

-Practically I set up my K-7 with
NO in-camera PP.
AF centre point.
Hi-continuous shooting.

-Since I shoot often in Hi Continuous shooting, I use a fast card: at least a Class 10 card with 8 Gb minimum.

-I shoot typically JPEG 14 Mp [**] which allows some long Hi-continuous shooting sequences (with all in-camera PP off). I also shoot Raw+.

-With the K-7, a weakness is the low light conditions, the use of fast primes is definitely recommended for low light. In my case, the FA31mm f1.8 and the VL58mm f1.4 are my favourites. The latter is the best for low light IMHO and give great results with the K-7.

Hope that the comments will help.

[calsan]

The main thing to watch is that it's better to be slightly underexposed than over exposed, because over exposed areas can't be recovered without turning into horrible grey blobs. Turn on the exposure warning blinkies and histogram in review and make sure that you avoid any large areas of overexposure.

If using auto iso, I keep it between 200-800 range. I also set the built in flash to slow speed sync by default.

In the "Memory" record mode menu, I have flash mode, drive mode and file number ticked, with all the others turned off. This means you can quickly reset white balance, exposure compensation, etc... by turning off and then back on. Means you won't stuff up your photos because you forgot to change back from incandescent WB or you had +2ev dialed in.
When post processing in Pentax DCU4 - if a photo needs more dynamic range, you can slide the 'dodge' slider across to the right and be amazed how much DR it actually captures - this helps out too if you've underexposed slightly in bright situations.

I use Av mode mostly and set the second dial to adjust ISO in custom settings - so if you're running out of shutter speed it's easy to quickly up the ISO. Also set Tv mode the same.

Actually, ISO2000 can be quite fine if shooting in good light (An example would be birds in flight - upping the iso for good shutter speed).

[Zaphodmonster]

I for one enjoy the K7 alot.

I shoot RAW+ but I still recommend setting white balance manually especially if you are only shooting jpeg.

Also you may want to update its firmware to the latest version, if not I initially had an issue with it giving corrupted files with memory cards that were either to large for it or class that was not fully compatible.

Have fun!

[Snydly]

I use center focus, Manual metering, green button for initial 'Program' metering, and the ISO button to help with the shutter speed, aperture or flash as needed. I also shoot RAW+. I've got usable photos all the way to 6400 ISO, but agree with others to keep it as low as you can. ACR NR works well with my RAW photos, and I have Topaz Denoise as a backup. I use a Metz 58 when I need extra light, but have also had good luck with the $120.00 Vivitar equivalent. I recommend a flash bender too. If you're happy with APS-C think about the DA* lenses, and pick up a 50mm and 28mm prime (K, M or A version are great if you don't mind manual focus).

I also use the Natural image setting because the others seem to enhance a little too much color for me. Auto WB is really good, but if I'm outside I just set 5600k and like the results.

I rarely use Auto ISO because it seemed to always peg to the upper limit, especially with an external flash.

I've never had a problem with my k7 except for the Auto Focus not being as good as I would like.

Great camera, have fun.

[pete-tarmigan]

I know read the manual and I will , I am coming from a K-10-D to the K-7 are there any tips on using this baby
that you may have found when using it: Thanks a lot

I found the Magic Lantern guide book to this model to be a great way to learn how to use its features.

[Just1MoreDave]

It's really easy to change the file name on the K-7 (page 268 in manual). Even if you have another technique for keeping files from both cameras separate, it's a good way to instantly know which camera was used.

Spend some time reading about live view, extremely handy upgrade from the K10D.

There's no dedicated SR switch. I hit INFO, where I have the SR icon always selected, turn the e-dial, then INFO twice more, to switch SR on or off.

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I know read the manual and I will , I am coming from a K-10-D to the K-7 are there any tips on using this baby
that you may have found when using it: Thanks a lot

There are some great features that the K-7 added over the K10D (and that I can remember now):

1) Bulb mode operation - you can now do it with two presses instead of press and hold
2) There's a level feature that tells you if the camera is level - should help avoid slanted horizons - this can be shown in the viewfinder or on the back LCD
3) The new Info button brings up a menu that shows you all camera settings - very helpful and well done - just navigate with the directional buttons and change whichever setting you want. If you press Info a second time, you'll get the nice level feature.
4) There's the in-camera HDR, but you need the camera on a tripod (JPG mode only)
5) The K-7 has extended DR settings - I usually keep them on all the time - they will bump min ISO to 200 if you set them both

The button layout changes are for the better. Once you get used to them, you'll find the K10D clumsy. The only bad change is the memory card door - it's harder to extract the card than on the K10D - just hold it by the edges and it will work - don't force anything.

Have fun - it's a well made camera and I think it is a historical Pentax model. They nailed an excellent control layout and a compact size with great handling.