[Jonathan Mac]

I thought this could be an interesting topic and maybe even prompt some people to explore more of what their cameras can do.

I've been using my K-3 for about five years now but I discovered last week something new in the B&W processing option. I process quite a few images to B&W but have never been entirely happy with the B&W images from the K-3, despite playing with the different options. Well, last week I discovered that a one-notch turn of the front camera dial will magically produce an additional two sliders to modify the highlights and shadows of the image. With them I can produce B&W pictures significantly more to my liking. Writing this, I had a quick look at some of the other jpeg profiles and most of them have the same. Why they are hidden by default is completely beyond me.

I'm sure that people will say "it took you five years to realise that?!?" but I think there must be others out there who have had similar experiences with cameras, as I know this isn't the only time it's happened to me, just the latest instance.

[RICHARD L.]

Geo-referencing my pictures via GPS on my K1. I discovered this last year while traveling in the U.S. and it is possible to know exactly where the picture was taken (latitude and longitude, name of the place, etc). Amazing !

[BarryE]

That my K-1 and K-3 had a video mode;-) Can't think why anyone would want that feature.

Also, as I don't like getting caught out with these things, the first thing I do when I receive a new camera is check inside to confirm it's got a mirror. Then I'm happy. The manual is read long time later. So not know about some features? Many, I suspect.

Good thread, guess I'll learn something ...

[stevebrot]

Well, last week I discovered that a one-notch turn of the front camera dial will magically produce an additional two sliders to modify the highlights and shadows of the image.

Well! That is a new one to me as well. I have a good excuse in that I it is only in extreme rarity that I use the in-camera processing, but still, I would never have guessed.

Now...true confessions.

This last week, I participated in a thread that touched on the oft-neglected hyper-manual feature of most (post-K10D?) Pentax dSLRs. I was only vaguely familiar with the feature, but had never used it and had no idea how worked. Well, now I know and have actually tried it out. Trying it out resulted in an ah-ha moment where I realized the obvious use case for manual mode shooting. Yay!

Many reading this comment are scratching their heads and perhaps even looking in their user manuals. Sorry, hyper-manual has not been in the camera manuals for some time, but Ricoh did include a handy diagram in the special product site for the K-3.

One has to sort of try this out before the magic part is obvious. Pressing the green button sets the camera to a particular EV (combination of shutter speed and aperture for the set ISO). Pressing the AE-L button stores that EV in memory. While AE-L is active, any changes to either shutter or aperture settings will result in that EV being used to magically retain the expected exposure by changing the setting you did not change.

Real World Example:

1. I press the green button in M mode to get a metered exposure setting, forgetting I am set for the action program line.
2. Eeek! It set the camera at f/2.0 and 1/8000s (EV 15 for the current ISO).* I was hoping for something like f/8.
3. Rather than running through 12 clicks on the rear dial and another 12 clicks on the front dial, I remember hyper-manual and press the AE-L button!
4. 12 clicks on the rear dial and I am at a more acceptable f/8 and 1/500s (also EV 15) and did not even have to glance at the EV scale.

I feel so very smart. BTW...the green button step is not needed. Hyper-manual works the same without it.


Steve

* I made up this combination and don't think the camera would do anything like that, even with the action program line that I have never used.

---

Last edited by stevebrot; 05-21-2020 at 09:51 AM.

[FozzFoster]

One that I felt silly for not knowing way past when I should have is that you can modify the bottom end of auto ISO.
For the longest time I assumed that you could only modify the high end (ex: 100-400 or 100-800 or 100-1600).
I didn't know I could also set the range to be something like 400-1600 as well by using the back dial and front dial while selecting the auto ISO ranges..
This is especially helpful when shooting wildlife and you want to pump some extra shutter speed into the scene even though your camera is trying to select lower ISO cause it's bright outside.

Also, I feel like taking this opportunity to say that a lot of photographers I see don't use back-button autofocus along decoupled from the shutter button. Using this feature in addition to continuous autofocus is really great setup for quickly switching between focusing of both still and moving objects.

[bertwert]

Also, I feel like taking this opportunity to say that a lot of photographers I see don't use back-button autofocus along decoupled from the shutter button. Using this feature in addition to continuous autofocus is really great setup for quickly switching between focusing of both still and moving objects.

Yes! I can't imagine ever going back to AF with the shutter button. Shutter and focus are two different functions, and therefore should have two different buttons. This also means I can just leave my camera in AF all the time and never need to switch the dial to MF...

Unfortunately, for CiF, you need to set AF to shutter button, but I did this in a user mode dedicated to the lens using this, and set the back button to cancel AF - so I can still take photos the camera deems not in focus... It'd be nice if CiF could be setup for back button focus - press the back button enables AF so the shutter button won't fire the shutter unless it's in focus, release the back button and the shutter fires whenever the shutter is pressed.

[Wingincamera]

I am one of those who has abandoned the back-button focus on my KP. I really like using it with the K-5 & KS-2, but with the KP I continually find myself using the wrong button. I finally just reset the focus to the shutter button.

[stevebrot]

This also means I can just leave my camera in AF all the time and never need to switch the dial to MF...

Not a good ideal if the lens uses the mechanical coupling (screw drive) and lacks Quick Shift and probably not a good idea for lenses with a A/M switch on the lens (in-lens motor) either; the manual for my Sigma 17-70 C simply says no.


Steve

[bertwert]

Not a good ideal if the lens uses the mechanical coupling (screw drive) and lacks Quick Shift and probably not a good idea for lenses with a A/M switch on the lens (in-lens motor) either; the manual for my Sigma 17-70 C simply says no.

Of course - the noise of turning a non quick shift screw drive lens is like fingernails down a blackboard...
Currently, my only lens without quick shift (or solely MF) is the 40 XS - which I rarely manually focus - and when I do for a quick adjustment, I'll often use the press-the-lens-release-button trick...

[lesmore49]

Filters....the ones that can convert your pix to B+W, etc. Got my K10D in 2007, found out the filters about 2008. Read about them in Yvon Bourque's K10D manual, which I still have, still use, much referenced, highlighted and post it'd.

[Sidney Porter]

I just discovered Focus peeking. I rarely use live view but I will start to use in some instances

[Apet-Sure]

Great idea for a thread; we all have blind spots. I tend to dig into the owner's manual and Yvon Bourque's books when I get a new camera. I want to at least expose myself to the hidden gems. Remembering them is a different story though. I often go back for a refresher. A couple days ago I was in my KP manual and saw a reference to 'Peripheral Lighting Correction'. What the heck is that I thought. For backlighting conditions? Actually, it's a lens correction for a lens that tends to vignette. Totally missed it first time through the manual.

[skierd]

Similarly, I have only recently found Hyper-Program mode. I love being able to switch from AV to TV and back on the fly.

That hyper-manual mode is cool too though, I use the green button for stop down metering on pre-A lenses but never thought to try it with modern lenses in manual mode.

Well! That is a new one to me as well. I have a good excuse in that I it is only in extreme rarity that I use the in-camera processing, but still, I would never have guessed.

Now...true confessions.

This last week, I participated in a thread that touched on the oft-neglected hyper-manual feature of most (post-K10D?) Pentax dSLRs. I was only vaguely familiar with the feature, but had never used it and had no idea how worked. Well, now I know and have actually tried it out. Trying it out resulted in an ah-ha moment where I realized the obvious use case for manual mode shooting. Yay!

Many reading this comment are scratching their heads and perhaps even looking in their user manuals. Sorry, hyper-manual has not been in the camera manuals for some time, but Ricoh did include a handy diagram in the special product site for the K-3.One has to sort of try this out before the magic part is obvious. Pressing the green button sets the camera to a particular EV (combination of shutter speed and aperture for the set ISO). Pressing the AE-L button stores that EV in memory. While AE-L is active, any changes to either shutter or aperture settings will result in that EV being used to magically retain the expected exposure by changing the setting you did not change.

Real World Example:

1. I press the green button in M mode to get a metered exposure setting, forgetting I am set for the action program line.
2. Eeek! It set the camera at f/2.0 and 1/8000s (EV 15 for the current ISO).* I was hoping for something like f/8.
3. Rather than running through 12 clicks on the rear dial and another 12 clicks on the front dial, I remember hyper-manual and press the AE-L button!
4. 12 clicks on the rear dial and I am at a more acceptable f/8 and 1/500s (also EV 15) and did not even have to glance at the EV scale.

I feel so very smart. BTW...the green button step is not needed. Hyper-manual works the same without it.


Steve

* I made up this combination and don't think the camera would do anything like that, even with the action program line that I have never used.

[officiousbystander]

Was travelling with the KP and I wanted to post some photos I'd taken to Instagram. But I didn't have access to a laptop let alone a SD card reader. Just my phone. How frustrating. But did you know the KP has wireless transfer? It wasn't even a consideration when I bought it. Why would anyone want wireless transfer when transferring directly from a card is so much faster? Nevertheless the function is there, is easy to use and it works.

[niklas]

K3 and K3ii

I just recently found the sensor shift function to correct tilting lines in particular architectural photography.

Also, for when doing video - which certainly is not my strongest side - I found how to re-autofocus at the change of motives/scenes.
No continous autofocusing, just re-autofocus.