K5 question re focus point selection

Hi all

quick question on selection focus point on the K 5.

I was reading a review of the K 5 (pitted against couple of others) tonight and they made it sound like to select focus point you had to press and hold down the OK button and then select focus point - is this the case ?

With my 200 D I just need to click on the apt button surrounding the OK/select to move to which point I want to use and can thus do so with camera to eye.

They made it sound, though they may just have ut it across badly, like you have to do as I said above - which sounds a two hand job and not possible with camera to eye.

thanks peeps

Mike, I dont have the K5 but I think my K7 is the same. I'm sure one of the growing army of K5 owners will correct me if I'm wrong.

You dont need two hands to select a focus point, just one thumb.

Once you have set the focusing mode to select, you press the OK button to change the function of the selection arrows, then you can use the same thumb to move the focus point with the arrows. (Blimey, its hard to explain in writing)

The only thing I find difficult is knowing whether the selection arrows are being used to select a focus point or for their usual functions while looking through the viewfinder, especially if I am trying to do things quickly.

I often find myself changing the white balance or flash mode by accident.

toner_monkey is NOT wrong

On the K200D, you have the Fn button to access certain functionalities like drive mode, WB etc. And the fourway-controller keys are free for focus point selection during normal use.

The K5 does not have the Fn button and the default of the fourway-controller keys is to access what you would normally access via the Fn button. Pressing the OK button for two seconds (or so) toggles the two functionalities of the fourway-controller keys between Fn functionality and focus point selection functionality.

I like the older way with the Fn button a bit better but as I hardly ever use anything but center focus it's not a major issue for me.

that's great thanks for that.

I totally agree with that.

It's so awkward using those buttons on the BACK of the camera! I would put some sort of toggle on the front of the grip.

I think Pentaxophile has a point.
A wee gizmo to shift focus using your forefinger would seem obvious.
Wonder why it hasn't been done either by Pentax or any of the other breeds.

Canon were supposed to have a system where the focus point moved to where your eye was looking.

I've never used anything other than centre focus and doubt if I ever will use anything else..... it's not that accurate anyway

I don't use the focus selection much either, but I think that's more to do with it being very awkward to change the point than it not being useful! If you want to change focus point, it's so slow to change it that by the time your done, the subject has moved. My phone has an optical trackball on the front, which you just drag your finger across to move the cursor on web pages etc, and I wonder if something like that would become more 'second nature' to use. It could double up as a second AF button.

For many years Sony DV cameras have had a Touch Screen Point to set
focus to that point and the points aren't fixed they can be anywhere
on the screen

I cant see the point of focus points, in the little experience I've had using them they hardly ever focus where you want them to, and specifically selecting one seems pointless when you can simply focus using the centre point then recompose by either the half press method or by using the AF button.

There is a fairly sensible reason to use selectable focus points, but to understand why requires a little thought:

Camera lenses are designed so that they have a flat plane of focus. If you take a photo looking straight on at a brick wall, the whole brick wall will be in focus. That's fine.

However, if you were to take a measuring tape, and measure the distance from the camera lens to the brick wall, you'd find that the distance from lens to wall varies across the frame. At the very center of the image, the distance is at a minimum. The further you get from that center point on the wall, the longer the distance is.

So, what does this mean if you are using the center point and re-composing?

Well, what if you turn the camera to an angle, and focus on a bit of the wall off center to you, and now recompose the picture so that you're pointing straight at the wall again. You'll find that the entire wall is slightly out of focus, as the camera is now focusing behind the wall.

Compare that with the alternative- if you'd selected one of the corner focus points, while pointing straight at the wall, everything would still be in focus.

The effect is fairly subtle, and most of the time depth of field is sufficient to disguise it, but that's why it's better to compose and then focus, rather than focus and then compose.

I'm not sure I've done a great job explaining it, but this is why I use selectable focus points, rather than center focus then recompose. This is also why I'd never buy a K-X....

I use focus points and was confused how to use them on the k5. On the gx20 you select the focus point choose then using the cursor buttons select your focus point... fairly straight forward. Its the only dislike on the k5 for me.

As Timothyw said above is correct explanation but its also a time issue. I can choose how I want my such hectic in focus and shoot with focus selection. With centre spot there is always the chance the subject will move....

Thats a good explanation Tim and something I'd not given any thought, next time I'm shooting wide open or with a shallow DoF I will bear it in mind.

Here here. I've used the centre point to focus and then held the button down to recompose ever since the days of manual focus on my MX and MEsuper cameras. Its efficient and probably a damn site quicker than fiddling with complex selectable focus points.
Unless I've misunderstood TimothyW's explanation, which ever bit of wall you focus on in his example then in theory the other bits will remain out of focus, regardless of which system you use. And in photographing the theoretical wall the centre point system will still be quicker and probably more efficient. OK the wall isn't going to get up and run away while you fiddle with the focus but you know what I mean.
David