[kadajawi]

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So you go to the user mode, fix the ISO and shutter speed, and then go to video? And you can record in video mode with those settings? Does that really work?

[TomGarn]

No No No .... this is just for getting the camera to light-meter the scene ... if you give the right input to what
the video mode might need for a correct metering ... But you may forget about that when you point the camera
well enough ... and then use the Green Button ...

I have reason to believe (in doubt again now, just a little) that the Green Button is a short time automatic
exposure metering for the situation you want to shoot.

In professional camcorders you have a switch and a button for that: The switch says: On & Off to the automatic //
manual exposure - And the button gives you quick access to auto-exposure just for once - so the next second you
can change the f-stop on the lense ring ...

I think Pentax had the same in mind because you need a reference metering that shows you what the camera
wants as an ideal expsosure. But this Green Button works good enough only (I still have to find out) when you
first choose the right area for your exposure metering - spot or medium I guess ist always best. (I am used to
zoom in always - with my parfocal lense and it's all the same focal length - push the quick exposure button ...
and I also get the right manual focus then of course)

In my case now - completely white faces because of strong sunlight and a lot of shadows around it - spot-metering
into a sunny face could have helped ..... But we may also adjust that bad aperture by using that extra compensation
plus minus button .... so the Greeen Button gives you just a very first quick reference metering only ... then you need
to controle that .... (I was terribly mad mixing my old knowledge with K-5 work-arounds again this time - but I hope never
again will do that failure-confusion-misinterpretation ... Please get it, old brain !

Quote from DPREVIEW-board:

Can anyone help me please? I am a proud owner of a new K5, but I'm struggling to get my head around the green button on the back of the camera. Can someone give me a simple explanation of a) what this does and b) when would I use it?

Almost 100% of my pictures are done in TAv or M mode; I don't think I've used any other modes on my K-5 other than to see if they work.In those modes the green button is useful if you've changed light conditions - perhaps shooting a few times into a sunset, then turning around to take a picture with the good sunset light. You hit the green button and you've got a setting that works, maybe not exactly what you want, but something that will give you good exposure. You then turn the dials 'x' clicks each to get the setting you want and you're done.
It sounds more complicated then it is, in reality you can do it all in a second or two.

There is no somple explanation of what it does, because it does different things in different situations, and different things on the same situation depending on how you have set your camera options.
But the one indispensible use I have for it is when shooting in M mode, which is to say, when shooting, since tht is the only mode I ever use. In M mode, hitting the green button causes the camera to automatically choose an appropriate shutter speed for the ISO and aperture I have selected. basically, to do with the touch of a button what Av mode does automatically, but the advantage of my way for me is that the exposure is then automatically locked until I change it, whereas in Av mode it will keep fluctuation in response to all sorts of factors that may or may not be relevant to me.

EDIT:
Pentax tried to make the video mode similar to photo mode - that may be the root-reason for this stupid non-manual
state of old Pentaxes ... They didn't switch to good old video-knowledge ... but wanted photograpers to handle video as
they do it in photo mode ... That may have been the big confusion - They did a lot of work into a complicated bad direction
intelligent minds' work in progress .... I slowly get it why they went wrong with these meaningful dillusions ... ( ? )
Just think of what could be possible with hyper manual mode that could work in video as well ! Maybe this is a hidden truth
we have not discovered fully yet - bevause nobody did find out yet ? New Hope to come ?
This is for long and lonely nights to find out maybe ... ?

You Tube

You Tube

[TomGarn]

Pushing and dialing the + / - compensation on the K-5 can be used even while recording !!!
Why noboy told me ?
It seems nobody does film much with this camera ... but it can almost be handled manually.
That's great ! For me this can really be worked with now. And Pentax is glad nobody knows that,
because many people with low budget would still trust the K-5 more instead of a K-3 with low bitrate,
bad SR and a high price. The K-5 is now for under 350 Euros - that's nice - if you really want to find out.

All one (me) still needs to work out now in detail ... is wether it is better to:

1. let the aperture be choosen fully automatically (no f-stop can be seen in display)
... then lock it with AE-L
... and then do the + / - (before or while recording)
... in case of sudden light changes >> just let go of the AE-Lock << a small aperture jump will happen

2. have a fixed manual aperture (f-stop can be seen in display)
... then lock it with AE-L
... push the green button
... adjust the f-stop
... and then do the + / - (before or while recording)
... in case of sudden light changes >> just let go of the AE-Lock << a big jump (ISO & Shutter) may happen

What always functions too ...
is the usuall way to just influence the auto-mode via + / - compensation and leave it on in easy situations.

All this just needs some good routine - first it will be a process of learning this unusual way of light-metering
and those who can manage to jump this hurdle can have a cheap video-camera with good codec - and almost
manual exposure - unloved (for video) on the market - with a low reputation - a rare niche it seems !

[kadajawi]

That's what I've been doing all along, I thought you were aware of it. Yes, it works for me, but it still doesn't give us control over the shutter speed. We can only nudge it into using a shutter speed that we want, but we don't know what it actually uses (waving the hand in front of the camera for example can give hints...), and we can't say it has to use it. But it's good enough for me... I rather have it be like this than to give up the shake reduction.

[TomGarn]

3 user left - on board - who do use a K-5 (for video)

Everybody told me that only before recording exposure can be set, which is not true.
(This - at least - is what I received from informations coming through)

Shutter speed can be "locked down" by using no wide open iris in bright surroundings,
or better: Use ND-filters that take down two f-stops on clouded days and four f-stops on
bright sunny days ... This is needed in all cameras anyway because the IQ gets worse
beyond f:8 anyway - at least beyond f:11...

And be satisfied with that for your NDs and other filters - instead of big plastic boxes:
67mm Filterkappen zur Aufbewahrung, Filterschutzkappen: Amazon.de: Kamera & Foto

If you want a better additional SR and be more relaxed ...
Try this tool: It's the best and cheepest thing for those who don't like professional grips at all:
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0043D7YDQ/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc...A1MYXZTPY3MSOT