[Eruditass]

I know its a little early for this, but Christmas is coming!

What would you like to see in the future K-x firmwares?

p.s. In no way am I unsatisfied with the K-x

[Eruditass]

BUGS:
- When in AF.C mode, when turning off the camera and switching it to a Pentax-M or K lens, trap-AF mode will not work. It says MF, switching it from AF to MF and back still doesn't work. In order to fix it, an AF lens must be attached, and it switched to AF.S or AF.A.
- In addition, when trap-AF is working (set on AF.S or AF.A), you cannot turn it off by switching the body to MF as before, you must go to the custom function menu.
- Changing the ISO in manual mode with the scroll wheel doesn't update the meter in the viewfinder. In the other modes, changing ISO updates the meter (and the selected params)
- Cannot access direct access buttons when Instant Review (d-pad) is up. d-pad buttons do not do anything unless you zoom in.
- In LiveView mode and body switch set to MF, it shouldn't flip the mirror when half-pressing the shutter when in phase detect AF
- Contrast-Detect AF does not work on horizontal lines.

Wishlist:
- Higher resolution reviews on LCD to check focus - when zooming in it is blurry and hard to check critical focus - the K10D is even better at this.
- AE-L with half-press (without AF coupled to it)
- Center AF point can be used when AF is on 11 or 5 point - should switch it to select point
- The screen when you hit OK (AF selection screen) should contain another row of options for AF.A, AF.C, and AF.S
- Program-shift should still be available when the green button is assigned another function. Right now e-dial does nothing.
- Center AF point be assigned as an option for the OK button (so green button can be used for something else)
- Option to completely remove slow shutter speed NR (only goes up to 30s)
- Ability to change what the +/- button does, like setting it to ISO (pentax actually misinformed me that this was possible before I bought the K-x)

- With Manual lenses such Pentax-M and M42 lenses, Av mode does not depend on the Focal Length that was inputted with Auto ISO, and it always tries to get 1/125 even if you have a 8mm fisheye or a 800mm mirror lens.
- With Manual lenses, Av mode's e-dial does nothing - mapping this to ISO would be nice.
- With M42 lenses, there is no way to get a meter reading in Manual mode unless you make the green button optical preview
- Sensitivity Priority should try to obtain 1/FL*1.5 or maybe a little faster than up the aperture until f/9 or f/11 or so, then do the shutter speed. Currently on my 40mm it goes all the way up to 1/200 before it ups the aperture.
- Use of e-dial to change options in direct access buttons (WB, drive mode)
- Lower auto ISO limit adjustment - to keep a minimum shutter speed (this is a fine option too) or maximum aperture (for DoF). This is almost like TAv basically. I would like to say that the addition of the dial to change something in every screen is absolutely amazing.
- More memory (or rather the ability to not remember) options like AF mode (C, S, A), highlight/shadow correction, file fmt
- Viewfinder information brightness - sometimes it is too dark for me
- Trap-AF for all lenses.
- Disable/Enable SR with green button
- Custom setting for automatically disabling SR at faster shutter speeds / fix SR at faster shutter speeds
- Spot-meter option for AE-L button.
- Shutter priority (vs current semi-focus priority on continuous mode)
- LCD screen timeout, like the meter timeout. I liked that it would pop-up when I change settings or depress the shutter button on the K2000 but timeout.
- hotshoe not flat out disabled above 1/160s for wireless triggers.

[kittykat46]

My list:
firmware wishlist:
- LiveView Mirror flip before taking a picture - I am not sure why this actually occurs since it is focused and metered already - nice for stealth shots.

Have you checked whether you have Phase-Detection AF or Contrast-Detection AF set for Liveview ? The Mirror will flip up for AF if still set under Phase-Detection (just like for normal mode), but it should not do that for Contrast-Detection.

[rawr]

Great thread idea Eruditass.

I haven't thought about this much, but I can say that for a lot of people it would be handy if there was an extra option/ Info screen to display some of the system status information the camera is collecting - eg things like sensor temperature, shutter count, current battery status /load % - and have that displayed either numerically or as pictograms.

[Eruditass]

Have you checked whether you have Phase-Detection AF or Contrast-Detection AF set for Liveview ? The Mirror will flip up for AF if still set under Phase-Detection (just like for normal mode), but it should not do that for Contrast-Detection.

I asked someone that had a K-x the same thing before hehe. Phase detect (not default) flips it when you focus, and if you full press, will take a picture then flip back. If you let go for one instant, it will flip back to liveview - Clicking it fast will flip the mirror, flip it back, and take a picture.

On contrast detect and smile detect (default), full press will flip the mirror twice and take a picture. Hopefully this can be changed.

[Eruditass]

Great thread idea Eruditass.

I haven't thought about this much, but I can say that for a lot of people it would be handy if there was an extra option/ Info screen to display some of the system status information the camera is collecting - eg things like sensor temperature, shutter count, current battery status /load % - and have that displayed either numerically or as pictograms.

That would indeed be cool - sounds like CHDK. I doubt they would do it - but I read some of that information is saved in the EXIF that you can read with some viewers?

[rawr]

... I read some of that information is saved in the EXIF that you can read with some viewers?

Yeah, all of that info is saved in the EXIF of every image you shoot, and can be viewed with numerous tools, but it just makes it easier to monitor those things in the field - or for noobs who don't know EXIF - if the camera displays that info itself.

[er1kksen]

If the artifacting in the videos could somehow be remedied via firmware, that would be fantastic. That said, from what I've seen it's not that bad. I'll be able to test it for myself tomorrow.

[rawr]

If the artifacting in the videos could somehow be remedied via firmware, that would be fantastic. That said, from what I've seen it's not that bad. I'll be able to test it for myself tomorrow.

Ah yes, that reminds me that serious video users would also probably have a number of items on their K-x firmware wishlist.

[kittykat46]

I asked someone that had a K-x the same thing before hehe. Phase detect (not default) flips it when you focus, and if you full press, will take a picture then flip back. If you let go for one instant, it will flip back to liveview - Clicking it fast will flip the mirror, flip it back, and take a picture.

On contrast detect and smile detect (default), full press will flip the mirror twice and take a picture. Hopefully this can be changed.

I don't think the mirror moves any more in contrast detect mode.
Unlike P&S cameras, the K-X uses a mechanical shutter. What you see and hear is

1. The shutter coming down cutting off the light
2. Opening for the actual exposure
3. Closing off the light at the end of the exposure (depending on the exposure time), then
4. Shutter Reopening to continue Live View.

Complicated right ?...and noisy. Live View really works best with electronic shutters, just like a P&S, where you just get a momentary cut-off of the LiveView feed, then you just continue on...

[er1kksen]

Unfortunately, kittykat46, the motors that drive the shutter and the mirror assembly are mechanically linked, so the mirror is also flopping around producing noise during those shutter actions.

[Eruditass]

I don't think the mirror moves any more in contrast detect mode.
Unlike P&S cameras, the K-X uses a mechanical shutter. What you see and hear is

1. The shutter coming down cutting off the light
2. Opening for the actual exposure
3. Closing off the light at the end of the exposure (depending on the exposure time), then
4. Shutter Reopening to continue Live View.

Complicated right ?...and noisy. Live View really works best with electronic shutters, just like a P&S, where you just get a momentary cut-off of the LiveView feed, then you just continue on...

my point is that the mirror comes down and up when taking a picture with contrast detect. I actually peeked inside with the body cap mostly on in LiveView CD mode - when taking a picture in MF mode (not that it matters in CD mode) the mirror comes down, goes up, comes down, and goes up again.

Although I wasn't making the statement that it flips more than phase-detect - it actually does if you focus and go from half press to full press on phase-detect. I am not sure why it goes down and up twice in CD mode.

Unfortunately, kittykat46, the motors that drive the shutter and the mirror assembly are mechanically linked, so the mirror is also flopping around producing noise during those shutter actions.

Ok, that explains it, or at least one of the mirror flips. I guess a firmware fix for that is out of the question. I had just heard that the K-7 doesn't flip the mirror when taking a shot.

[kittykat46]

Ah, OK, then the mirror and shutter action is similar to the K20D's, unlike the K-7, where the mirror movement is separate from the shutter...

Odd that, I thought Pentax had already improved on the K20D's clunky LiveView. In that case, its a mechanical linkage design issue, probably re-using the K20D's mechanism....which means its unlikely to be changeable with firmware....

[ogl]

I'm afraid Pentax just adds new ART filters in new firmware.

[er1kksen]

Ah, OK, then the mirror and shutter action is similar to the K20D's, unlike the K-7, where the mirror movement is separate from the shutter...

Odd that, I thought Pentax had already improved on the K20D's clunky LiveView. In that case, its a mechanical linkage design issue, probably re-using the K20D's mechanism....which means its unlikely to be changeable with firmware....

It's definitely a new shutter mechanism, given the 1/6000 and 4.7 fps specs, but most shutter systems on the market today still operate this way. I suspect the K-x's live view is in fact improved from the K20D, but the fact is that nearly all of the DSLRs with live view currently available flip their mirror when taking a picture, even when using PD AF. It's pretty cool that the K-7 doesn't, but you can expect the K-x's method to be representative of the majority of the market for a while.