How you use the modes depends on the photographer as the K10D is so customizable. But if it helps, here's what I generally use the modes for:
* - (Mode) / (Description) / (Usage)
* - Green / Full automatic (Camera Settings are locked) / Only when I'm letting a non-photographer take pictures with my camera.
* - P / Full Automatic (Camera Settings are NOT locked) / My primary shooting mode when I'm roaming around and taking shots. I set my program line to MTF, so it'll prioritize exposure to the lens' sweet spot for aperature and adjust shutterspeed. I have my Front Dial to P-shift, Rear Dial to EV-Compensation.
* - Av / Aperture Priority (You set the Aperture, the camera adjusts for other settings) / I have my front dial set to Aperture, and rear dial to EV-Compensation. I use it when I need to control the depth of field (distance that's in focus).
* - Tv / Sutterspeed Priority (Time Priority), (You set the Shutterspeed, camera adjusts other settings) / I have my front dial to Shutterspeed, Rear dial to EV-Compensation. I use it when I'm looking for a specific blurred motion effect or frozen action shot.
* - Sv / Sensitivity Priority (You set the ISO, the camera adjusts other settings) / I personally don't have much use for this mode because I find the ISO so easy to change in my other modes anyways (hold down OK, turn edial).
* - TAv / Time and Aperture priority (You set shutterspeed and aperature, the camera will adjust ISO) / Useful for taking repeated shots of the same scene where light can change slightly while controlling motion and depth of field. I have front edial for Aperture, Rear dial for Shutterspeed.
* - M / Manual Exposure / You control Aperture, Shutterspeed, and ISO (When all else fails... do it yourself)/ I used to use it primarily for long exposures before, now I find myself using it a lot more (especially for flash photography) since the green button is always around (green button resets Aperture and Shutterspeed to what the P-mode value would have been).
* - User / User Customized (Copies a Pv, Av, T, S, TAv, M mode for basic functionality, but hold a separate line of presets (different resolution, continuous shooting mode, etc adjusting settings under the User Menu will not affect other shooting modes) / This is either set to my continuous jpg mode, or a preplanned scene I know I'll arrive at (museum, inside a particular building, etc).
As I said, different photographers have different needs and will set it to do so, but you're welcome to try my settings to start until you find something you're more comfortable with.
Last edited by AVANT; 07-23-2007 at 09:59 AM.