Originally posted by kitkat Thanks. That explains what I did not understand described in the manual for my K-m. On Catch-in Focus, the manual states (the following quote is a copy&paste from page 118):
'How to Take Pictures
1 Attach a proper lens to the camera.
2 Set the focus mode lever to AF.
3 Set AF Mode to AF.A or AF.S.
4 Set focus on a position the subject will pass.
5 Press the shutter release button fully.
The shutter is released automatically when the subject comes into focus in the set position.'
I think the manual is either wrong or confusing. I had taken the step to 'Press the shutter release button fully' to mean press it all the way down as opposed to half way. You explain that the button has to be held down until the subject comes into focus, at which point the camera will take the shot. I'm not sure what step 2 means. I have writtet to Pentax asking for a clarification.
Yeah - based on what you've copied here, I'd guess there's a typo in the manual. If step two was "Set lens switch to MF" it would make sense, though you can just use a MF lens for this too.
I think you correctly understood what I was saying about the shutter release button, but I'll say again for clarity. To take the picture using catch in focus, you do hold the button pressed all the way down, or alternately you can use a cable release which has a lock mode to hold the button down for you. Then, when the camera senses that the center AF point is in focus, the shutter releases. Various uses of this are to pre-focus on a point where something will be later (say a humming bird), and have the camera fire the shot when something comes into focus there, or you can hold the button down while turning the focus ring for a human powered AF system (camera fires when lens reaches focus). I've played with this second use, but not too much, as I'd rather time the shot myself.