[nosliwmit]

The "tracking" focus mode in live view (K-1 II) is exceedingly cool and I only discovered it a month or two ago.

[kypfer]

I've only recently "discovered" the in-built "Digital Filters", specifically the "Extract Color", "Water Color", "Pastel" etc. that aren't replicated in the Digital Camera Utility.

Whilst the effects can be difficult to fully appreciate on the in-built camera screen, one can at least assess a composition with view to "treatment" whilst in the field, make a few appropriate exposures, then fine-tune the results in-camera with an HDMI cable to a full-size monitor once back at home.

I am aware that similar functionality might be achieved in Photoshop or similar software, but the few direct comparisons I've made suggest the in-camera algorithms to be surprisingly good!

[rpjallan]

This last week, I participated in a thread that touched on the oft-neglected hyper-manual feature of most (post-K10D?) Pentax dSLRs.

This feature was first available on the Z1. I loved that camera and took some great shots with it (I still have it). This was the first camera with hyper program also. Don't know about any other DSLR's but my *istD, K7 and K3ii also have these.

I have been using hyper manual for many years.

[StiffLegged]

How about never trying firmware updates? When my K-7 finally got updated, I found a last press of INFO yielded a much better full-screen level indicator. Much more useful than the original top display/viewfinder/corner version for tripod work.

[Jonathan Mac]

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.

For such a scenario I would just use TAv mode - set the aperture and shutter speed and let the camera adjust the ISO to suit.

[3by2]

I dunno I've read through the manual a few times, been through the menus again and again and changed the things I want and forgotten about the things I don't want or couldn't care about. I guess I use 20% of the functionality of the camera on a regular basis. I've also looked up stuff to do with getting into the maintenance mode using PKtether to alter things like sensor baseline settings, I know the camera does a lot more than I need it to. I've never used USER mode, altered the functions of any buttons, don't use P, Tav, Sv, hardly ever change the metering mode or awb, shoot in RAW or RAW+ and when I've finished shooting I stick the camera back to the same settings for the next time I pick it up but there are still enough functions and buttons for me to gorget to reset all of them. The most common is flicking between AF-S and C. I nearly always forget to reset that.

[FozzFoster]

The most common is flicking between AF-S and C.

You should look into back-button focusing and only using AF-C. No more flicking back n forth!

[skierd]

Or af-c on the shutter and catch-in-focus.

I’m weird though, I’d mostly prefer to have buttons for everything preset and adapt to the camera rather than adapt the camera to me. Maybe because there’s if I don’t like something I can blame the manufacturer instead of me for screwing up the controls? Or because if I make a change and don’t like it, I’ll have to defeat muscle memory after each change and make it take longer to get acquainted with the device.

[hjoseph7]

I'm still trying to figure out the Green Button on the back of my K5 II and I had the camera for 7 years now.

[BarryE]

I've never used USER mode, altered the functions of any buttons ...

Gulp! I had to read that again. I can't imagine not having USER modes there's never enough of them. I rarely use any other modes - not AV, TAV, what's the shutter priority one? I forget. I have 5 base USER settings that I switch to for the job in-hand and alter them as required. I then know what my starting point is - it allows me to context switch. All the other global settings are kept the same and same across all cameras too, where possible, so I have to think less and concentrate on task in-hand. Eg as I recall ...

USER1 Landscape: MUP, AV, remote, f11, ISO 100 etc.
USER2 Portrait (flash): f5.6, ISO 400 etc
USER3 Walkabout: TAV: f5.6, 1/125 etc
USER4 Real Estate (blend):
USER5 Real Estate (flash):
Grrrr No more. So for birds I work from USER 3 ( with +/- EV etc). Interiors, I work from USER 3 or 4. Products from USER1 or 2, depending. Etc. Etc. I'm sure I'd use 10 if they were available.

Until I switched to USER modes I was too often getting caught out. Now it rarely happens. Damn, shouldn't have said that ...

[35mmfilmfan]

These are all absolutely fascinating, but I think it'd be helpful if we knew to which particular model these apply, please ? I currently have K10D and K20D, but hope to upgrade to K3 in the future (I know it's outdated, but it's purely a financial choice).

[hjoseph7]

Slow Sync Flash - I never used this until recently because I thought I needed a Tripod. However you can still hand hold some pictures while using Slow Speed Sync + Flash and the pictures will get illuminated, but because there is so much Ambient light hitting the sensor, it will look as if no flash was used at all.

[kypfer]

Gulp! I had to read that again. I can't imagine not having USER modes there's never enough of them. I rarely use any other modes - not AV, TAV, what's the shutter priority one? I forget. I have 5 base USER settings ...

If you've got your camera set to remember the settings you last used, each of the "Modes", Av, Tv, TAv and M, can be configured as you want them and the camera remembers the settings for each mode individually. Not quite as useful as "User Modes", in that if you change things the camera then remembers the new settings, but might be helpful under some circumstances

[BarryE]

These are all absolutely fascinating, but I think it'd be helpful if we knew to which particular model these apply, please ? I currently have K10D and K20D, but hope to upgrade to K3 in the future (I know it's outdated, but it's purely a financial choice).

I'm not sure if it was my post you were referring to, but I believe the K3 has three USER settings and K1, five.

ps. K3 is a great camera. I don't use it for paid work, so I have a Landscape, Walkabout and Birds in Flight settings. Another thing about the USER settings are that they can be named, which make them even more powerful/useful.

---------- Post added 05-22-20 at 07:34 PM ----------

If you've got your camera set to remember the settings you last used, each of the "Modes", Av, Tv, TAv and M, can be configured as you want them and the camera remembers the settings for each mode individually. Not quite as useful as "User Modes", in that if you change things the camera then remembers the new settings, but might be helpful under some circumstances

But also a trap to fall into

[3by2]

You should look into back-button focusing and only using AF-C. No more flicking back n forth!

I shall look into that. Presumably you have it set so if you keep your finger on it it keeps focus and the shutter as just a shutter? The trouble is a lot of the way I use the camera is ingrained, I don't need to think about it too much.

The other thing I've never done is disabled it if the memory card isn't in. Well you can guess what I've done there then. Mind you, I've only done it once! Probably not something I should admit too on a camera forum, I've previously only mentioned it to the dog who was with me at the time.**


** Phew the K5 doesn't do it. The *Ist D on the other hand....let me!


---------- Post added 22-05-20 at 12:26 PM ----------

Gulp! I had to read that again. I can't imagine not having USER modes there's never enough of them. I rarely use any other modes - not AV, TAV, what's the shutter priority one? I forget. I have 5 base USER settings that I switch to for the job in-hand and alter them as required. I then know what my starting point is - it allows me to context switch. All the other global settings are kept the same and same across all cameras too, where possible, so I have to think less and concentrate on task in-hand. Eg as I recall ...

USER1 Landscape: MUP, AV, remote, f11, ISO 100 etc.
USER2 Portrait (flash): f5.6, ISO 400 etc
USER3 Walkabout: TAV: f5.6, 1/125 etc
USER4 Real Estate (blend):
USER5 Real Estate (flash):
Grrrr No more. So for birds I work from USER 3 ( with +/- EV etc). Interiors, I work from USER 3 or 4. Products from USER1 or 2, depending. Etc. Etc. I'm sure I'd use 10 if they were available.

Until I switched to USER modes I was too often getting caught out. Now it rarely happens. Damn, shouldn't have said that ...

That makes perfect sense to me. I suppose I would just plug all that in come the situation I find myself in but for menu type options, I'm thinking hi speed shooting or remote or bulb or even flash I could utilise such an approach of course it would all fall down when I tried to recall what each user setting did. I guess 90% of the time I'm shooting with the same settings and it's probably a hangover of years of using AV film cameras, I could probably be doing more than my slightly luddite approach to camera settings.

Good thread