Hmmm, what a mess of a review website. Not sure that Canon would be happy to have their model called an 'entry-level DSLR' - or was that the K5? I don't think whatever automaton put this together would even know!

But, yes, good result and good publicity for our brand. The comparison categorys are obviously very generic, but even so the K5 races ahead on image quality, colours and high iso performance - I have heard it said that some people feel this is quite important But the Canon has more basic controls and features - now that sounds just plain boring!

Its starting to make sense, thanks. So if the 'electronic shutter' in fact does affect the exposure, it's a third variable then that would determine the video brightness.

So, I know that the camera can alter the aperture and the ISO gain during recording, and in fact it does this in response to changing lighting during the recording - but can it automatically alter the electronic shutter speed also, or is this value absolutely fixed?

If so I guess this must one of the compromises we must put up with in a machine that shoots both high quality photos and video? And is it a compromise that is common to all video shooting DSLRs of all brands?

You did well to catch that! Tell us about the expanded AF and how did you apply it to this shot?

Come on guys, stay with me. This is a Pentax forum - Pentax make cameras and related equipment, they are not a photography company! I've never said we should not talk about the images and IQ from the cameras - just that there is more to talk about with the cameras than just the images and IQ That could be more exciting!

My main point is that maybe K7 owners are valuing these other things that their camera offers more than the extra IQ that the current upgrade option would give them?

The point about the old film SLRs was simply to point out that historically it was these camera controls, options and features that was the 'exciting' bit, at least as far as the actual camera was concerned. (The IQ aspect was connected to the film products). I think that our top Pentax DSLRs still offer plenty of excitement and stuff to value in addition to their digital output and the numerics of their DR, IQ, noise response etc etc etc etc.

I can understand the aspects you refer to about motion depiction, how long each pixels receives light which can make it blurry if too slow.

But we are talking about different things right ? The 'electronic rolling shutter' you mention is obviously nothing to do with the mechnanical camera shutter blades (the curtain or however it is constructed now)? In fact, it is not a 'shutter' at all? It is a sensor process.

I'm thinking the term shutter is being used because the 'electronic rolling shutter' has a similar effect on video as a mechanical shutter for photos (as far as recording movement in the scene). But it has nothing at all to do with exposure and brightness? Does that sound right?

And also, we have no control over the 'electronic rolling shutter's' effect on our video recording? Hope I'm getting it now!

Perhaps 'configurability' (as we understand it to mean now, like options on an electronic menu) is not the right word - in fact, it may not be a real word at all !

But film era photographers had options, choices and customisations to consider, both for their decision making when purchasing a new camera, and during their practical shooting operations, depending on the sophistication of the model - that is something that hasn't changed surely.

I've got this old book about the Pentax SLR sytem from the late 70's. It details all the control functions and options available at the time

- eg you had the Super Progam which was designed for mostly automatic operation

- the MF which added more sophisticated add-ons such as the data backs and motor drives with varying speeds, and included focus confirmation in the viewfinder even for manual lenses (we still have that) and the first AF lens

- the MX which added a range of Motor Drives including a 250 exposure option on a single roll, single shot and continuous options in 2 speed settings, plus TTL flash

- and the top LX, which had 8 focussing screen options, DOF preview, all the motor drive options plus FP & Flash sync connections and more.

These were surely the things that reviewers pored over in detail and buyers studied and considered in making their choices, and of course that photographers in the field had to learn about and choose the most efficient set up and priority for each type of shoot. Today our best cameras offer many of the same things plus many more items and configurations related to digital capture and operations.

The image quality issue, ie upgrades to film stock over time, was an entirely separate matter, not connected to cameras at all. It seems a pity to me that now so much of the discussion on cameras is focussed on the image recording aspects, IQ, DR, high ISO performance etc etc. Wouldn't our cameras become much more exciting things to talk about again if we focussed more on what they offer us apart from just the images they record?

Talk of shutter speeds in relation to DSLR video has had me puzzled before, and here it is again! I would be pleased if anyone could clear this up. This is my thinking on it.

I'm assuming that the concept of 'shutter speed' for DSLR video is not the same as for normal still photo capture - clearly the mechanical shutter must remain fully open when video mode is activated (and also in Live View). It does not open and shut rapidly during video capture. So there is no such thing as a 'shutter speed' during video ?

Is it not true that the exposure (& brightness) of video capture on a DSLR must be a function of only 2 key components (instead of 3 for still capture) - ie: aperture, which determines how much light is able to get through the lens over any given time), and ISO (or Gain) on the sensor, which determines how much of that available light is recorded in any given time).

In terms of user creative control, in video mode I see that we can control the aperture (which will affect the DOF) and the ISO, which will alter the gain & sensitivity. We don't have 'shutter speed' control.

Am I right to think that the camera records the brightness level for video by combining a set aperture (either varying automatically or fixed by the user) with a varying gain on the sensor. And that it records motion video by rapidly switching the sensor on and off with these settings - this is known as the 'frame rate', such as 29fps etc. And that the mechanical shutter remains fixed open during all of this?

Am I anywhere near to the mark with this thinking? And should we not banish the term 'shutter speed' from DSLR video talk for ever?

Of course, you are referring to the extra special long-term endurance we can all look forward to from our quality Pentax cameras!

Great to see some detailed info on video working on the DSLRs. I agree that the SR system is very effective on Pentax for handheld video, if you 'work with it' when moving around. Very impressive looking 'rig' you've got there!

Please, forgive my ignorance - what is 'Graded' or indeed 'ungraded' footage you referred to? I can understand 'edited' or 'unedited', but not 'graded'.

And I was surprised you listed Shadow & Highlight adjustment as activated - I was not aware that these processing functions were applicable to video files? When shooting stills on the K7 they add a fair bit of processing time - I imagine they must take an age to be applied to many minutes of video footage?

I don't know either - only you could explain why you do it !

I'm just focussing on the OPs question, trying to dig down a bit - its not about me liking my K7 - but more about the K7s features and its position in the life-cycle of Pentax DSLRs.

"Hi,
There's a lot of K-5's for sale in the buy/sell section but virtually no K-7s.
How come?
I don't think that everyone with a K-5 is upgrading to the K-5 II/IIs but not anyone with a K-7.

Just curious,
Pa"