[RKKS08]

If you use a split image screen, you will have to experiment and probably change habits a bit when choosing the metering mode.
It then may also depend on how big the split image circle is.

Since I changed the viewfinder screen, I don't use matrix metering anymore. It too often gets fooled by the modified distribution of light over the frame.

The K200D does not offer Tav, so as a standard I use P (with hyper program), spot metering to what I think is (exposure wise) the important part of the scenery with EV+0.3 (because of the influence of the split screen) and re-composing. As stated above, it may also be Tv or Av, depending on the situation.
For a newbee it may sound complicated, but for me that's an automized workflow - nearly no difference to how I have done it since my first Pentax (ME Super in 1981).

EDIT:
For me, Tav with a K200D (and probably the K-7, too) would not make too much sense anyway.
It would not help very much if I had to limit ISO variation to 100 / 200 (starting with ISO 400, post is ALWAYS needed).
And just setting the ISO to AutoISO with an upper limit of 200 does roughly the same (but I hate it, as the K200 with ISO100 is just too good).

And if I know beforehand that shooting without really high ISO is impossible, I will use Sv.

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Last edited by RKKS08; 09-12-2013 at 05:19 AM. Reason: Spelling, Infos added