[jumbleview]

No one of my Pentax camera (k-01, k-5ii, KP) shows zoom number in mm neither on LCD panel, nor through the view finder or Live View. Meanwhile this number is known to a camera (it is present in picture exif). But why? Is it only Pentax or the same is true for other manufactures?

[hcc]

I am not sure why you need the zoom number in mm, I use both prime lenses and all-around zoom lenses, always with the optical viewfinder OV. And I do not need the zoom number in mm.

What I see is what I get ... with the great (Pentax) OV. And BTW thank you Pentax for your superb OV in the K-7, K-5, K-3! (and likely K-1 that I do not have)

My 5 cents.

[luftfluss]

No one of my Pentax camera (k-01, k-5ii, KP) shows zoom number in mm neither on LCD panel, nor through the view finder or Live View. Meanwhile this number is known to a camera (it is present in picture exif). But why? Is it only Pentax or the same is true for other manufactures?

I've not seen it in the Canon, Nikon, Oly or Fuji cameras I've used.

[UncleVanya]

I find it an annoying feature also. It makes comparisons harder to setup and it is just helpful to know so you can get a feel for the focal length impact on your images.

[Mooncatt]

I find it an annoying feature also. It makes comparisons harder to setup and it is just helpful to know so you can get a feel for the focal length impact on your images.

Took the words out of my mouth.

[jumbleview]

I am not sure why you need the zoom number in mm...

I will not tell that this feature is a must, but still there are some use cases I have in mind:

• Zoom lens has non-even performance across the range. So I would prefer to do later some cropping, but avoid go into the long end above some number.
• I am walking with the zoom an have a prime on me which has a better performance and is in the zoom range. I found some interesting shot and I would like to know if I can arrange similar composition with the prime.
• And finally, if it can be done, why it is not implemented? Unless there are some technical obstacles but in that case I want to know it.

[aaacb]

You can see the current focal length (zoom or not) in the quick menu (info menu?) for cameras that allow you to configure it (I have a K1ii). Assign to one of the tiles "Input focal length". For manual lenses, you'd get to enter the focal length for SR, but when the camera reads the focal length that tile is greyed and shows the current mm.

[kypfer]

No one of my Pentax camera (k-01, k-5ii, KP) shows zoom number in mm neither on LCD panel, nor through the view finder or Live View. Meanwhile this number is known to a camera (it is present in picture exif). But why? Is it only Pentax or the same is true for other manufactures?

My K-70, KP and K-3iii all show the current setting of any a/f zoom lens fitted in the Control Panel, assuming I have the "Set Focal Length" option included in the Control Panel. It is a feature I've used when trying to compare "like with like" on zoom lenses
I don't think the earlier cameras have the option of configuring what is shown on the control panel. The K-5 and the K-01 have a "Set Focal Length" option in one of the menus, but this is greyed out when an a/f lens is fitted.

[UncleVanya]

You can see the current focal length (zoom or not) in the quick menu (info menu?) for cameras that allow you to configure it (I have a K1ii). Assign to one of the tiles "Input focal length". For manual lenses, you'd get to enter the focal length for SR, but when the camera reads the focal length that tile is greyed and shows the current mm.

Thanks! I’m going to check my KP to see if I can set that up.

[jumbleview]

My K-70, KP and K-3iii all show the current setting of any a/f zoom lens fitted in the Control Panel, assuming I have the "Set Focal Length" option included in the Control Panel.

May you provide a little bit more info. I bought KP used from Japan and paper manual which came with it useless for me. Obviously I have PDF but so far I did not find how to configure it. Where that option "Set Focal Length" located? Thanks in advance.

[vonBaloney]

Hit the info button to get to the screen with the tiles of the various settings. If you see a focal length tile already, then there you go -- zoom in and out and see if it changes. Otherwise, pick a tile you don't mind losing, hit the FX3 button, and then you can navigate to that tile and change it to a different setting with a scroll menu of all the settings. Find "input focal length" and set it.

[jumbleview]

Hit the info button to get to the screen with the tiles of the various settings. If you see a focal length tile already, then there you go -- zoom in and out and see if it changes. Otherwise, pick a tile you don't mind losing, hit the FX3 button, and then you can navigate to that tile and change it to a different setting with a scroll menu of all the settings. Find "input focal length" and set it.

Got it. Indeed it works. Not the way I want it (I would rather have it in the viewfinder) but it is better then nothing.

[pschlute]

Do not most zooms have a scale written on the lens itself ?

[stevebrot]

No one of my Pentax camera (k-01, k-5ii, KP) shows zoom number in mm neither on LCD panel, nor through the view finder or Live View. Meanwhile this number is known to a camera (it is present in picture exif). But why? Is it only Pentax or the same is true for other manufactures?

Hmmm...I guess I never noticed that before. If I zoom, it is seldom to a particular focal length.


Steve

[AfterPentax Mark II]

No one of my Pentax camera (k-01, k-5ii, KP) shows zoom number in mm neither on LCD panel, nor through the view finder or Live View. Meanwhile this number is known to a camera (it is present in picture exif). But why? Is it only Pentax or the same is true for other manufactures?

I stumbled across this feature in a Panasonic S5 and to my amazement I saw the zoomrange in the EVF going from 20 to 60. I like that very much because it makes it easy to set different zoom lenses to a specific focal length to compare it you want to do such a thing. But for many years I have done without it, so I am not missing much in my Pentax's. It is indeed wysiwyg. And in normal circumstances you zoom until the composition or the magnifying suits you.