Left bar flashing in bracketing mode (K-5 II)

I came to take some photos today and when using the Bracketing mode, the left most bar determining the exposure adjustment from nominal is flashing. I don't remember it doing that before. However, can someone tell me if the camera is trying to tell me something or whether I'm just being stupid?

Thanks in advance

It suggests to me that the exposure compensation you have set, plus the spacing between the brackets, has resulted in the lowest value being 'off the scale' ...ie greater than 5 stops below metered centre. The exposure should still be taken, its just that the camera can't indicate that ev.

Thanks Nigel, It's not off the scale, it's just flashing.

I have had a play and I can't make it stop, even by pointing it into the light or by putting it on ISO 51,200, or winding the 3/5 exposures way above centre so perhaps that just the way it's supposed to be. I tried my K-r and that is the same. I'm beginning to think that it was like that all along but I didn't notice.

Mind you, I do wonder why some one would design it like that - something flashing usually means 'look at me', or 'there's something wrong'.

OK. Just to close this off I have worked out why one of the vertical bars flashes when you have auto bracketing set.

It indicates the order in which the bracketed exposures will be taken. More specifically it tells you the first exposure to be taken. So I have the order set (for 3 exposures) to be - 0 +, which means the lowest exposure is taken first then the middle, then the highest exposure. So the left most bar flashes.

If I set it to the default, 0 - + , the the centre bar flashes.

I think I must be a geek! I'll just crawl back under my stone - don't mind me!

Geek away, no problem! Always glad to find out about new features ... That is quite an obscure one admittedly I'll check it on the K7 as well ... Don't remember ever reading that in the manual ....

Yes - it is a bit obscure I admit. But things like that bug me. They must have been put there for a reason. And I think you can only get the best out of your equipment if you know how everything is intended to work.

Couldn't agree more ... Our cameras are sophisticated tools, and to get the most out of them we have to work with them. Even something that causes a momentary pause or question in your mind because its not understood could get in the way of efficient images capture, so that knowledge is important even if the feature is not actively being used.


I must admit I have wondered if it could ever make any difference at all what order your brackets are shot in ... Now I'm also wondering when we would ever need to be informed of what order they will be shot in !

I like to have bracketed pictures in my folders on the computer to be in a progressive order, ie increasing exposure. It seems logical to me.

The default on my camera, and I assume on all Pentax cameras, is the centre one first then lower and then higher. The order determines the naming hierarchy, so I suppose knowing how it is set directly from the display is useful(ish)!