Autobracketing + self-timer in K200D ?

Hello !

It is my first post on this forum.
I have the K200D SLR and I have one problem with it.
My question is:

Can I take the photo with autobracketing simultaneously with self-timer ?
The HDR photos should be taken from a tripod, so I think it should be taken with self-timer too (a raising the mirror up). These two function are located in this same section - "shot mode" or something like that.

So ? Can I or not ??

best regards
muciasek
Poland

Hi, first of all,welcome to the Pentax User Forum. I hope you enjoy your stay here.
I don't have the K200D, but the K10D. But I suspect the answer is No. Because the 2 sec. delay is a fixed time, and it would be technically very hard and costly to create some kind of coupling between the two functions. On the K10D you can program AB to 3 or 5 different EV's and then with the self timer set on 2 sec's take 3 or 5 separate exposures. But there is no automation between the two functions.
HIH,
Martin.

Why do you say this, Martin? It would only have to meter once.

And then once the mirror was up, if it can open and close the shutter once, I don't see why it can't do it 5 times.

I don't understand why they haven't given us a proper mirror lock up function - if it can be raised for sensor cleaning, and it can be raised prior to a shot, they've already decoupled the mirror up from the exposure.

After reading your comment, I think you are right Chris. I didn't think it over to good., It seems logical to couple the two functions. As everything is electronics these days, it would be an easy thing to do. But.......I guess R & D still reckons it's not cost effective to do so.But on the other hand.....who had thought, HDR would become so popular, these days.
Martin.

It's not just HDR though, is it? Bracketing has been around for a long time, if only to get the best exposure given imperfect metering systems.

My feeling is that there are one or two strange decisions being taken up in Pentax Towers.

For instance, not letting you switch off dark frame subtraction in the K20D seems nuts, given that the K10D has that feature, so the R&D spend must be close to zero.

Like forums, or maybe not at all like them, it's hard to imagine they take useful features out accidentally.

The pentax K10 did use to Auto Bracket using the 2 or 10 second timer but after one of the firmware upgrades it didnt - i guess they forgot to put it back in. The K20 does auto bracket using the timer or you can do what i do with my K10 buy a wired shutter release works fine.

But presumably not also with mirror-up, which is the point here. It's not an unreasonable thing to want - bracketing as well as camera-shake elimination.

It would be so nice if they'd do just one more K10D firmware release that sorted out a few of these niggles.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Dosent seem to make any difference to my Hdr shots take a look for yourself on the link below i shoot vitrually everything for Hdr.