[cpk]

I understand the process of using the green button to set the exposure when using M lenses:

1, Mode dial set to M for Manual.
2. Set f-stop on M lens.
3. Focus the lens.
4. Press the green button to set the shutter speed appropriate for the set f-stop.
5. Take the picture.

I do have a few questions, however:

1. This site and the manual both indicate that I can use the preview function of the on/off switch instead of the green button. This does not seem to be working for my K-5. The preview setting simply repeats the shutter speed last set by the green button even if the scene brightness has changed,

2. Are there any menu settings I should be concerned about, other than the one permitting the use of the aperture ring?

3. Once I have used the green button to set the shutter speed, will that shutter speed be remembered for subsequent photos while the camera is on; or must I use the green button for each following photo?

[aleonx3]

I understand the process of using the green button to set the exposure when using M lenses:

1, Mode dial set to M for Manual.
2. Set f-stop on M lens.
3. Focus the lens.
4. Press the green button to set the shutter speed appropriate for the set f-stop.
5. Take the picture.

I do have a few questions, however:

1. This site and the manual both indicate that I can use the preview function of the on/off switch instead of the green button. This does not seem to be working for my K-5. The preview setting simply repeats the shutter speed last set by the green button even if the scene brightness has changed,

2. Are there any menu settings I should be concerned about, other than the one permitting the use of the aperture ring?

3. Once I have used the green button to set the shutter speed, will that shutter speed be remembered for subsequent photos while the camera is on; or must I use the green button for each following photo?

pressing the preview button also works similar to green button...the action trips the aperture lever of the lens, and let the camera meter the scene (center-weigh or spot), thus the shutter speed is set (aperture is set with manual) and ISO is already set.

You have to press the green/preview button for every shot, unless the scene does not change (therefore, no need to meter for the next shot).

[vonBaloney]

If you use the on/off switch, that is merely an optical preview (let's you see as the lens sees stopped down so you can judge depth-of-field), and so while it does stop down the lens it does not set the shutter speed that I'm aware of. (I would find that undesirable -- why would I want the shutter speed changing just because I'm looking at a preview?) It is possible the metering system will tell you what that shutter speed would be during the preview, can't remember. And then once you use the green button to set the shutter speed (or indeed by any other method -- you can turn the dial to adjust it up or down from there afterward or without the button at all), the shutter speed (and ISO and everything else) will remain the same until you change them, that's what M mode is all about -- nothing happens until you change it manually, the green button is just a helper...

[aleonx3]

If you use the on/off switch, that is merely an optical preview (let's you see as the lens sees stopped down so you can judge depth-of-field), and so while it does stop down the lens it does not set the shutter speed that I'm aware of. (I would find that undesirable -- why would I want the shutter speed changing just because I'm looking at a preview?) It is possible the metering system will tell you what that shutter speed would be during the preview, can't remember. And then once you use the green button to set the shutter speed (or indeed by any other method -- you can turn the dial to adjust it up or down from there afterward or without the button at all), the shutter speed (and ISO and everything else) will remain the same until you change them, that's what M mode is all about -- nothing happens until you change it manually, the green button is just a helper...

The lens is wide-open unless the camera moves the aperture lever down to take the reading for exposure.... therefore, in M mode, you only set the ISO on camera, aperture on the lens, preview/green button set the shutter speed.

[Not a Number]

On the K-5
In manual mode if the following are set - Enable Use of Aperture Ring, DOF preview to optical, and the green button in TAv and M modes set to Tv shift then
-activating the DOF preview should stop down the lens and turn on the exposure bars in the viewfinder. You can then zero the exposure by turning the aperture ring or the shutter speed with the eDial. As I recall the electronic level should be disabled.

Stop down metering is not needed with "A" type lenses in "A" mode. Just half press the shutter button and the exposure bars will be active. Use the eDials to set f-stop and shutter speed.

The shutter speed set by the green button in manual mode will remain set until you either turn off the camera, press the green button again, or change the shutter speed with the eDial.

[vonBaloney]

The lens is wide-open unless the camera moves the aperture lever down to take the reading for exposure.... therefore, in M mode, you only set the ISO on camera, aperture on the lens, preview/green button set the shutter speed.

I understand that, I use it all the time. But I use the green button to set shutter speed, not the preview. Why would I want the preview to change my shutter speed? (After I let go of it.) I want to use it for previewing, not changing settings. Or are you talking about firing the shutter when the preview is engaged? I'll have to double-check and see what it actually does. It would be very stupid in my opinion to have the preview set the shutter speed, unless you can turn it off.

EDIT: Yes, just checked. The preview does not set the shutter (on the K-5). Thank goodness. I'm talking about the optical preview -- I actually forgot there was an option for a digital preview also. Never used it.

You are also supposed to have the green button set to "Tv Shift" for green-button-metering/shutter-speed-setting, which is not the default, but people have said they've never set that and it still works fine. I learned all this green button stuff back with the K10D and have just been doing the same thing ever since so if anything has been enhanced I may have missed it. They could just uncripple the mount of course...

[arkav]

1. This site and the manual both indicate that I can use the preview function of the on/off switch instead of the green button. This does not seem to be working for my K-5. The preview setting simply repeats the shutter speed last set by the green button even if the scene brightness has changed,

I believe the K5 is set up the same as the K200D in this regard. When using a manual lens, the DOF preview via the on/off switch allows you to METER the scene. It doesn't SET the exposure parameters, as the Green button does.

This can be a very useful feature. If you have spot metering enabled, you can click DOF preview, and point your camera at various parts of the scene to check how different parts of the scene will be exposed ( eg. looking for hot spots ). Then you can adjust your exposure settings if you feel it is necessary. It's a bit more 'manual' than using the green button, but in some circumstances, it may be a more reliable approach to setting exposure.

I really miss it with my K30 ( you can get DOF preview by reprogramming the FX button, but the meter is not active when you do a DOF preview - something Pentax really should fix via FW upgrade ), but I'm not using old lenses as much
as I used to ( chicken and egg? ).

[Not a Number]

but the meter is not active when you do a DOF preview - something Pentax really should fix via FW upgrade )

This feature appears to be exclusive to the high-end flagship models.

[arkav]

This feature appears to be exclusive to the high-end flagship models.

Yes, now it this seems to be the case. Unfortunately, it isn't really well known. When I spec'd out the K30, I saw that it had DOF preview, so I just assumed it would work the same way that it works on my K200D ( which was also a mid-range
model ). I figured having to use the FX button wouldn't be a big deal ( it actually turns out to be far less convenent! ), but I didn't think they would turn the meter off. It wasn't mentioned in any reviews, though to be fair, it's a somewhat obscure
function.

If I had known this in advance, it might have made me consider getting the K5 instead, though as I said, I don't use the old lenses as much as I used to.

Another way of thinking about these two features:
Using the DOF preview lever to meter is truly manual shooting - you meter the scene, and you set all exposure parameters manually.
Green button shooting is a form of Av auto-exposure. You set the aperture on the lens, you set the ISO on the camera body, and the green button gets the camera to set the shutter speed.

[Oldbayrunner]

On the K-5 In manual mode if the following are set - Enable Use of Aperture Ring, DOF preview to optical, and the green button in TAv and M modes set to Tv shift then -activating the DOF preview should stop down the lens and turn on the exposure bars in the viewfinder. You can then zero the exposure by turning the aperture ring or the shutter speed with the eDial. As I recall the electronic level should be disabled.

With my K5 lls. After enabling the Aperture ring, In TAV it doesn't matter if it is set to Pline or TVShift both work the same. The shutter speed changes dependent on the cameras metering, activating the DOF optical preview neither stops down the lens nor turns on the exposure bar, a shutter half press does regardless if it is an A lens. The Aperture ring and Edials do function as you have mentioned. The green button in this mode does nothing to change anything afaik.

In M mode here again it does not matter if it is set to TVShift or PLine it functions the same. Enacting the DOF preview does not activate the exposure bar, a shutter half press does however after it is enacted utilizing the DOF optical preview will show the lens stop down view and enacts the over/under exposure reading in the Exposure Bar changing no settings. The Green button will function to change the shutter according to the Aperture setting and metering. The Edial set for shutter will change the shutter setting and utilizing the DOF preview can be used for checking the amount over/under in the exposure bar accordingly.

On mine I don't need to do anything with the electronic level and it functions as normal in the viewfinder exposure bar.

I also utilize my Raw/FX button for digital preview which to me works really well.

In both modes the EV step button functions normally

You are also supposed to have the green button set to "Tv Shift" for green-button-metering/shutter-speed-setting, which is not the default, but people have said they've never set that and it still works fine.

Correct, it isn't necessary to change it with the K5's I believe and should work as I previously mention, here again that is how it functions with my K5 lls. With my old K50, changing M to TVshift was necessary to enable the menu for setting the manual lens focal length for SR.

[aleonx3]

I understand that, I use it all the time. But I use the green button to set shutter speed, not the preview. Why would I want the preview to change my shutter speed? (After I let go of it.) I want to use it for previewing, not changing settings. Or are you talking about firing the shutter when the preview is engaged? I'll have to double-check and see what it actually does. It would be very stupid in my opinion to have the preview set the shutter speed, unless you can turn it off.

EDIT: Yes, just checked. The preview does not set the shutter (on the K-5). Thank goodness. I'm talking about the optical preview -- I actually forgot there was an option for a digital preview also. Never used it.

You are also supposed to have the green button set to "Tv Shift" for green-button-metering/shutter-speed-setting, which is not the default, but people have said they've never set that and it still works fine. I learned all this green button stuff back with the K10D and have just been doing the same thing ever since so if anything has been enhanced I may have missed it. They could just uncripple the mount of course...

You are correct, the optical preview button does not change the shutter speed (I previously thought that it would)....only the 'green' button does that in M mode.

[cpk]

I want to thank all of you for your responses. They have been very helpful in clarifying how I will be using the green button and the DOF preview function of the on/off switch.

When using a manual lens, the DOF preview via the on/off switch allows you to METER the scene. It doesn't SET the exposure parameters, as the Green button does.

Arkav's comment above fits my situation. The green button sets my exposure depending on the ISO setting and selected f-stop; I need only click the shutter after pressing the green button. If, on the other hand, I use the DOF preview function, the lens stops down to the selected f-stop, but I have to use the front dial to set the correct shutter speed by setting the +/- value in the viewfinder to zero. This duplicates the shutter speed selected by the green button. This method of selecting the shutter speed is more cumbersome but allows me to adjust it by plus or minus an exposure value.

Arkav's suggestion for spot metering is a good one but one I personally cannot use as I have a KatzEye split image focusing screen which affects spot metering.

I haven't changed anything in the menus pertaining to the green button. I thought that something there might affect how the DOF preview function worked; that seems not to be the case.

Knowing that I don't have to use the green button for every picture is a good thing as I do a lot of street photography. Zone focusing and a preset shutter speed would be the way to go, given reasonably constant scene brightness.

[arkav]

This method of selecting the shutter speed is more cumbersome but allows me to adjust it by plus or minus an exposure value.

Precisely. You might be metering on a field of snow, or your palm, or a nighttime scene, so you might not want to set your exposure as if you are shooting a scene that you want to look like a gray card.

Or maybe you want to deliberately "expose to the right" to get the most out of your camera's dynamic range.

[Not a Number]

Arkav's comment above fits my situation. The green button sets my exposure depending on the ISO setting and selected f-stop; I need only click the shutter after pressing the green button.

After pressing the green button you can adjust the shutter speed with the front eDial of turn the aperture ring. Just count the clicks for the number of steps you adjust the exposure.

[vonBaloney]

After pressing the green button you can adjust the shutter speed with the front eDial of turn the aperture ring. Just count the clicks for the number of steps you adjust the exposure.

On the K-5 (but not on the K-01, which are two I have right now) and I'm assuming all the higher-end models you can also use the EV +/- to bake some compensation into the exposure calculation for green-button metering.