[titrisol]

So can you with the ZX7, you have to rotate the dial to M and you have the same functionality

The bars at the R of your viewfinder are like a needle lightmeter. me likes it a lot

[Andi Lo]

Try using a different lens. If a different lens is sill showing f-- then the camera is probably not properly working. I have an MZ-7 and I can change shutter / aperture no problem with the dial and the ev + dial. I always use Av anyway though. MZ-5n is probably a better camera for use with M mode. I just love Av mode too much and want to use my camera with digital generation lenses, so I chose the MZ-L and MZ-7

[gokenin]

Flash option is set to Off. And no, I never opened it and closed it.
I was thinking to keep this one but just tried it on autofocus settings and I'm still not getting the correct exposure readings. And AV is still showing two dashes. So, it's going back in a few days as soon as I can get an RMA from KEH. This camera had a rating on KEH as EX, I would think that would mean the camera functioned as it was supposed to........ Oh, and I tried the trick of opening the flash and closing it. Didn't make any difference either way.

I am going to ask a silly question here so bare with me the colored line above caught my intrest. You are using the camera in AV mode and the camera is not reading the aperture correct? ok here is the silly part is the lens set so that its on the A position if it has one?

[Andi Lo]

I am going to ask a silly question here so bare with me the colored line above caught my intrest. You are using the camera in AV mode and the camera is not reading the aperture correct? ok here is the silly part is the lens set so that its on the A position if it has one?

She did set it to A, tried the f22 as well and didnt work. On my MZ-7 (or maybe I tried this with MZ-L?) when I put the ring on f22 it actually reads f22 in the LCD, not f--. f-- should only happen when she doesn't have a lens attached, or have something from before the M lens generation.

[titrisol]

Good point, have you cleaned the contacts of both lens and camera?
What lens is the 80-200 you mention? is it a Pentax or a 3rd party?
a rub with a cloth is generally enough, or with a rubber eraser.

[photolady95]

No, I haven't tried cleaning the contacts. The 80-200 is a Sears model.

from titrisol....The bars at the R of your viewfinder are like a needle lightmeter. me likes it a lot.

Yes, I already knew that. This isn't the first autofocus Pentax I have ever used. In the meter on the right, inside the camera, the F shows f _ _ now, I know that means it's not reading the f stop correctly, another assumption this camera isn't working right.

I have tried all apertures, and none of them show correctly.

I don't have another lens yet to try a different one. I have until Friday to RMA this back, and I have other lenses on their way to me. If I get them before Friday, I'll try another one.

Av is supposed to show aperture when the camera is in Autofocus mode with the lens set to A, and it shows Av _ _ on the LCD .

When I had it set to Manual with the button and the dial, it still isn't correctly showing the right exposure. Even turned camera lens (heaven forbid) toward the sun, the needle never moved.

[photolady95]

I just cleaned the contacts, both camera and lens. Put it back together, went outside, reset to autofocus, lens on A, looked through the viewfinder, on the right, no reading. No F no exposure reading. The dial was set to Av. I tried Tv and it shows shutter speed. I was also able to change exposure compensation which on the meter showed I was overexposed by 2 notches, or lines. Av is still not reading the aperture settings.

Then I tried manual mode again. Still getting underexposed readings there. And no aperture reading above the meter. Even though I had it set on f4.

I'll wait, may be able to try another lens before Friday.

[titrisol]

Last night I played with my MZ7 a bit
With old lenses (beofre the A) I see F-- but AV works fine
Changing the apertue changes the shutter speed
In manual more or less the same, but the bars at the right change

With A lenses and AF lenses everything works fine

I would suspect your lens first see if someone has a digital pentax slr and borrow that lens.... it should work fine
Is autofocus working with your Sears lens?

[photolady95]

I don't have access to d lenses. But my other lenses are on their way from Oregon.

And I already said how it's working/not working on Autofocus in my previous post.

reset to autofocus, lens on A, looked through the viewfinder, on the right, no reading. No F no exposure reading. The dial was set to Av.

[k100d]

I am glad you liked that camera. But I can tell you this, when I had my MZ-5n, I could set it on Manual with the slider button, and shoot any shot I wanted on that setting, and change shutter speed, and aperture to anything I wanted to get the correct exposure. I didn't have to do what you said to make it work. I have a 3" ring binder sitting here with thousands of manually shot photos on that MZ-5n.

the slider button controls focus not exposure. why do you think the slider says MF (Manual Focus)? you can have autofocus and manually change shutter speed and aperture.

[photolady95]

Why do I think it says MF for Manual focus? because of the statement in the manual on that camera: See clip shot below:

And I never said the slider controlled focus, I said I could control focus (on autofocus lenses), aperture, and shutter speeds after setting camera on MF with the slider button.

[k100d]

yes i agree, it was a rhetorical question.
but for some reason you seem to associate the Focus slider with Manual Exposure.

edit: sorry if i sound snippy, in your posts your terminology is not clear and it's confusing

[photolady95]

I don't know why you think my terminology isn't clear. I'm stating what the manual says.........ok, I confess, I've been away from photography and it's terminology for about 6 years, doing computer repair, which is my main profession, and have to rethink when it comes to photography, what was that word again?

Let me add this: I know when I had my MZ-5n/ZX-5n (this was mine as I bought it in Canada), that I could control my settings by setting the MF mode, then chose my shutter speed, and F stop.

[Andi Lo]

Simon (K100D) is probably a bit confused because you seem to associate Aperture priority (Av) mode with Automatic Focus (AF).

With MZ-5n there's no mention of "av mode". I believe in the manual for MZ5n it's called aperture something automatic exposure. With this you choose the aperture with the ring and leave the shutter at A. With MZ7 you can use the body dial (although aperture ring should work as well) the shutter is just chosen automatically.

Av mode have nothing to do with autofocus slider. You can have Autofocus on or off and still choose Av mode or any other modes (M, Tv, or automatic).

[photolady95]

I didn't think I was thinking that Av mode was associated with Autofocus. Fact is, I never gave it any thought one way or the other what it meant.

Between, titrisol and myself, we've come to the conclusion that my problem is this lens I'm using. My other lenses have not arrived yet, so I still can't test if this is fact or not.

I'm sorry, I'm confusing Simon, I didn't mean for that to happen. My ZX-5n, was easier to use, and I didn't do anything other than move the slider to the MF setting (and as Simon said, this just turns autofocus off), I assumed it meant it was setting it to Manual Focus. Which to me, means the same thing, since setting it on MF, would give me the controls I wanted. Then I used the control on the left top to chose shutter speed. Then used the lens to set Aperture, and of course focus ring to focus with.