K5 whinge

very useful with those magnificent little tubes you sent me last week...

Just waiting for good weather now.

Why does it matter where the green button is, as it is only use is in play back mode to reduce an enlarged image on the rear screen, and as such it is adjacent to the screen, a very convenient position.

Take care.

That's not how I use my green button... Metering with 'M' lenses... Shifting either shutterspeed or aperture when in a hurry (pretty much all the time)... It's one of the best features on Pentax DSLR's...

Placement on my K-x is pretty perfert when shooting... I use index finger for green button and shutter button with middle finger...

This is why I Started this thread, I think that Pentax got it wrong on the K7 & K5, by putting the Green Button out of the way at the back of the body, I am useing the Kr more now because of this.

Dave.

My only gripe is that it is in a slightly different position on the battery grip than the camera.

I use it all the time in manual, it sets the currently selected program line (without having to scroll through shutter speeds) or with K lenses for stop down metering and didn't know it did anything else.

Hi Dave, I do youse a fair amount of manual lenses. From my previous Pentax cameras and also some home made lenses.

Would you please let me know, what I could program in too the green button which helps me with the use of this lenses.

Thanks, Horst

Hi Horst,

You don't need to program anything into the green button (on the K-5 at least). When using manual (non-KA) lenses in manual exposure, it stops the lens down momentarily to meter and sets the shutter speed corresponding to the stopped-down aperture.

John.

For those that don't know, the history behind the green button is as follows:

When automation was introduced to Pentax cameras, the 'auto' settings were usually identified by green text (at least as early as the K2). The idea being that the user would select the green settings to get a good shot. This is why the 'A' on the aperture ring of KA lenses is green.

When Pentax launched the SFX there were concerns that users could get the camera into a state that they didn't understand. Pentax provided a 'C' (clear) button, which when pressed put the camera onto the basic program line and reset most other options to the default settings.

When the Z-1 was released, the green button became the 'IS' button (Interactive something), which when pressed would set the camera back to the selected program line (or if in manual mode - one shot aperture priority).

On the K-5 the default options are picked out in green (AF-S, matrix metering, auto AF selection etc.) and pressing the green button sets the selected program line.

In manual mode, the green button is great because it sets the selected program line. Once there if you hit the AE lock button, it will hold this EV value and you can shift the shutter speed or aperture with a dial and the camera will change the complementary value to maintain that EV value.

The benefit of this is that you can leave the camera in manual (for those artistic shots...) but if you suddenly need to capture something quickly, simply press the green button and you're in program, then press the the 'AE-L' and spin a dial and you're in HyperProgram.

Thanks for that. It was very enlightning. I have a good play tonight with this button.

All the best, Horst

I also find the green button handy in manual mode, because once it has set the camera to the metered value, you can dial in exposure compensation with either the shutter or aperture wheels. As a long time user of the Z1 and Z1p, I think the green button is in exactly the right position to activate with one's thumb. It's all a matter of taste, really - whatever presses your button!

It doesn't do that on mine! However I use it for stop down metering all the time, and sometimes struggle to locate next to the (similarly imperfectly placed) AF button....

K5 Operating Manual.

Page 23 : Item 10, Green Button.

Instruction on page 237.

My K5, green button, operates as per the above instruction :.


Take care.

Wish it was a "Nice Weather" button. Comment from Mrs Snap "If you hadn't spent all that money on a camera we could have gone somewhere sunny for a couple of weeks"

It also puts the camera into auto iso mode when you are holding the iso button and resets any exposure correction when holding the iso button. Very useful things to be able to do essentially instantaneously with the camera at your eye.