Action photography

Can someone tell me how to set up my K10 so that I can take shots where there's a lot of movement?

My previous camera was a Canon, and this had an action setting that allowed me to take pictures of moving subjects. Unfortunately, the K10 seems to have no such facility and, if anything moves in the sensor area of the viewfinder, the camera simply refuses to fire. Even if I set to manual focus, the shutter will not fire unless and until something in focus in the frame hits a sensor.

It's even worse when attempting to take flash photos, as I can hold the shutter down for anything up to 3 seconds before the camera will take the shot, and then the moment I wanted to capture is lost .

I can't believe that Pentax would design so dictatorial a camera, so how do I overcome these ridiculous restrictions?

You can use Continuous focusing for that matter instead of AF.S if I well remember. You have AF.S or AF.C so you choose the AF.C if the K10 has similar function as the K20 which I believe it has.
That will allow you to release the shutter without any restriction but it will not guarantee your shot is in focus. That will be up to you to either wait until the subject is either in focus and then you release the shutter or then use Manual to do that, of course you will then have to use manual focusing.

If you mean something like Al-Servo as in canon function then as far as I know there isn't any in the K10 or K20.

But hey, I might be wrong, so someone more experienced here will be able to chip in better


I sense a heated debate coming and some chop chop as this thread progresses

Thanks for the advice. As it happens, I do use continuous focusing, but this doesn't seem to overcome the camera's reluctance to fire unless and until it beeps to indicate that something has come into focus. I've also set to manual with continuous focusing, and still it demands that something comes into focus before it fires.

There are times when precise focusing has to take second place to the capture of a moment, and it would appear that Pentax doesn't agree .

Then definitely there is a glitch there that I can't think what it is. With AF.C you should be able to release the shutter at anytime, even if the subject is out of focus. Check the menu, is there anything which says RELEASE SHUTTER ANYTIME or something like that? As far as I know everything in default its as simple as put your camera in AF.S then shutter will not release until subject is in focus, put it on AF.C and shutter releases anytime

Firstly you will need to set the highest shutter speed that light conditions and the maximum aperture of the lens in use will allow, which is what the 'action program' on your previous camera would have done for you. So you need to select Tv mode. You have moved from an entry level camera to one which requires a bit more knowledge.

You could try switching the camera to AF.C as Amin suggests but the usual technique is to focus the camera with a half press of the shutter release and hold it there before finally taking a picture, there will be no delay. The green hexagon at the botton of the viewfinder confirms focus.

You just need to take time to learn how to use your camera.

It's a matter of practice as well as setting up the camera correctly for your individual purposes. It will also depend upon the actual lens used, as some focus quicker than others.

To suggest an answer to your question it would also be helpful to know what sort of movement you were trying to capture, and if possible to see an example image. You can link an image into this thread - see the instructions on how to do this at the top of the Your Photos section.

Manual focus on the selector by the lens, and 'M' on the dial will take a shot no matter what the auto focus indicator thinks.

As said previously, the 'Action' setting is an entry level feature, like you'd get on a P&S, that will automatically bias the exposure to a fast shutter priority. On a Pentax, that 'Tv' mode allows you to set the shutter to your desired speed, and let the camera work out the aperture itself.

I've just checked, and Focus set to 'M' with Av or Tv modes and the shutter will fire immediately.

The general opinion with the Pentax Camera, is that it imposes far fewer restraints on the shooter then other camera marques, due to the lack of 'scene modes'. It does, however, mean that you need to know how to use the various settings of the camera to get the best result for the type of shot you are taking. It's a camera that rewards you getting to know it.

Just out of curiosity what Canon camera did you use to have?
As suggested it must be an entry level DSLR.

I'm beginning to think that there may be a fault in my camera, as I had tried almost all the program settings suggested by you helpful chaps. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but I've yet to discover what. In AF the camera hunts frantically, irrespective of the program setting used. In MF, it just stalls until the red square appears in the viewfinder accompanied by a beep. The pause before it fires is absolutely enfuriating, and I've missed many good shots as a result and sometimes, despite the apparent requirement for the lens to find focus, get shots that are so out of focus as to be utterly useless, and I stress out of focus and not simply blurred.

My canon was an EOS 300D and performed very well, but I wanted better than 6.3MP. The decision to return to Pentax was due to the number of K mount lenses I had for my ME Super, although these have largely been replaced now with Digital lenses.

I'll not give up and will continue to try every program setting until I've exhausted every combination. If I don't find a solution, I'll have to send the camera to Pentax for a check.

In the meantime, thanks to all for your suggestions.

Have you manually tried to turn the lever to AF.S and then AF.C and then try to focus and release the shutter? May be the lever is stuck on AF.S.


This is giving me the impression that perhaps you haven't understood properly how to use the MF function at least of the K10.
When the lever is put to MF position you just manually focus and release the shutter. Why do you want to wait for the square to appear in the viewfinder? That is only for AF by the camera. As far as I know the focusing square does appear in that MF function simply as an aid to let you know that you have manually achieved what the camera thinks is the focusing spot. But you should be able to fire it from any position.

Let me get this clear. Are you really saying that you cannot release the shutter immediately irrespective of the subject being focused or not if the lever is set to AF.C or M?

Are you using flash when you get this inability to fire the shutter ?

There is a menu setting which will prevent the shutter tripping until the flash is charged.

Go to the Fn menu and then upwards to select the drive options. Is the camera set to the single shot mode? If it is set to 2 second delayed action this could explain your problems.

The red square in the viewfinder does not indicate focus has been achieved by the way, only that the point indicated is where the camera is reading from as regards AF measurement. In manual focus as in AF a steady green hexagon indicates that focus has been achieved.

I guess you're having trouble as the AF system is hunting to find focus before finally firing...

Try disabling the AF on half press of the shutter button & use the AF button instead this will help stop it hunting before firing, there is also a setting you need to enable where you can choose whether to permit shutter firing when AF isn't confirmed, I can't remember where in the menu it is though I'm afraid.

This post is going to seem patronising, but reading the above either you are doing something wrong or there is a fault with your camera. I'm going to explain in words of one sylable so we can be absolutely sure you aren't doing anything wrong.

Place the camera on the table in front of you, switched off with the 18-55 kit lens attached.

Pick up the camera, and turn it on using the collar switch around the shutter button.

Press the Fn button, check that the camera is in single shot mode, indicated by a single green rectangle at the top of the screen. If it is not, press the up button on the 4 way control and select single shot mode (single green rectangle)

Set the main dial to M.

Roll the front and rear e-dials until you have selected 1/125th shutter speed and F8. For the moment we don't care what the picture looks like so it doesn't matter if this is completely under/over exposed.

Set the AF selector switch to M. This switch is found on the left hand side of the lens mount as you would normally hold the camera. The same position but on the opposite side from the lens release catch. Actually it's where YOU probably still think the lens release catch "should" be, since you're used to a Canon and they have it on the other side.

Point the camera at anything, intentionally out of focus and press the shutter button.

If you have done everything I said above, the shutter should fire come hell or high water. If it doesn't, then either there's a custom function I've forgotten about or there is a fault with your camera or lens.

Please try this and let us know. Again I appologise for it being rather patronising, but as a new user to the system you could have missunderstood what some control or other actually does and the last thing we want is for you to send your camera off for repair only to find it was user error all along.


I forgot to say, if this does work then we'll start with what you should need to do to get action shots to work.

i haven't got a K10, but the K200 has a lot of the 10s bits and there is a setting in the custom menu which is called "catch in focus' or similar and that won't fire until there is something in focus.

is the K10 2nd hand? it could be that setting is in use.

saying that, the above post about turning it to manual should sort it out.