[jcphoto]

Just a post on Pentaxian users' shooting method.

When I first got my k-3 (effectively switching from film to digital) I relied heavily on the green button to meter/adjust my shots as I only had m/k series manual lenses.
After some years getting a sense of my own shooting style and feel for how I want my photos to come out, I've stopped relying on the button at all.

I have read through the guide on here about the green button, and do know about all the uses of the green button, but do you all rely on the green button to meter?

At least for me, I find just adjusting the iso/aperature/shutter speed on my own works fine (or even better sometimes).
In terms of metering, is the button itself a guide for those swtiching from film to digital with manual lenses or is it/do you use it professionally.

I am just curious how you all use it, as now I almost forget it is even there.

[Cerebum]

I tried the green butto n metering but found it unreliable, whereas metering in Av is consistent. I generally have to use exposure compensation but it is never far out. I use a wide variety of M42 lenses

[Ronald Oakes]

I use it once in a while. Shoot mainly in M or Av modes.

[Cerebum]

As a slight aside, does anyone use a traditional light meter with manual lenses? I have an old Leningrad and a light meter app, they disagree, a lot I haven't had time to test them both in the field yet. I came to photography late in life and have done no film work so this is another school day

[othar]

Druing the day I usually start with the sunny 16 rule or it's variations and adjust from there, but I still use green button metering as a starting point in unknown lighting conditions

[pschlute]

whereas metering in Av is consistent. I generally have to use exposure compensation but it is never far out. I use a wide variety of M42 lenses

That is fine for M42 lenses, but Av mode with K and M series lenses will only shoot wide open

[kypfer]

Owning and using a selection of "non-A" and M42 lenses, I often use "green button" metering on my K-5, though Av-mode is usually reliable when manually stopping down an M42 lens. However, I use it's predecessor, "AE-L button metering" in manual mode, very frequently on my earlier *istD S and *istD L2 as I've found "stop-down Av" metering to be inconsistent on the earlier bodies.


Using the "green button metering" can be very useful if, having framed the picture, you then lift your eye from the viewfinder to wait for the subject to "pose" itself . I'm thinking tripod and cable release here.

[Dartmoor Dave]

As a slight aside, does anyone use a traditional light meter with manual lenses? I have an old Leningrad and a light meter app, they disagree, a lot

If the light is straightforward I just use Sunny 16. If I've got any doubt I use my incident meter (Sekonic L-308S). But probably three quarters of the photos I take are done by Sunny 16 and not metered at all.

I wouldn't expect a light meter app on a phone to be very accurate because of the lack of an incident dome. But your old Leningrad might still be perfectly useable if you check it against a known good meter. My ancient Weston Master IV is still very accurate after calibrating it to the Sekonic.

[i_trax]

Yes, I do use green button with M or K lenses and do not use any kind of light meters.
Try to slightly under expose my photos.

[johnyates]

It's a starting point. My procedure, when shooting in "M" mode is:

green button => digital preview => view histogram => adjust shutter speed.

I very rarely have seen the green button exposure suggestion be 'correct' .

[beachgardener]

M mainly, but sometimes Av or TaV, but, for manual lenses, a hand held meter, incident and M is best.

[IgorZ]

I usually just shoot in the av mode when using k and m and M42 lenses. Often I shoot them wide open anyway (Helios 40, takumar 58mm, or Primoplan) so I don't bother with the green button.

[Ronald Oakes]

As far as a light meter....I have a Sekonic and a Minolta that go in my bag. Don't use them much anymore except when I get real anal about images.

[Skodadriver]

I use the green button in "M" mode with "K" lenses and "AV" with M42. I generally do not have any problem with the way my K-5 meters the light but I am not expecting perfectly exposed images all the time.

[Cerebum]

That is fine for M42 lenses, but Av mode with K and M series lenses will only shoot wide open

Oh lol I learn something every day here. I need to dig out my pentax-m lenses and try them out.