if it's any consolation, there was a 3 post exchange surrounding that point, so two of my posts must also have been missed

I didn't know about exposure lock in Hyper-M, I'll have to try that and see if my K10 does the same.

well if he will go around buying the wrong camera body....

I believe I could put up with that, still prefer the tactile feedback of a switch though.

I've never extensively used anyone elses AF, but I would like the AF on my camera to be better (specifically, faster and more accurate in low light). Granted I am a couple of SAFOX's behind the curve at this point.

I really hope they don't!!! I don't want to have to take the camera away from my eye to switch from AF to MF, thank you very much.

you could be right, the splodge under "AF" could be "Mode"

If you think about it, all files are merely a container for digital data, it's the way that data is interpreted which results in a sensible display.


I should stress that I haven't pulled one of these files apart so some of this is surmise rather than actual knowledge

Like any other image, a RAW file from a DSLR represents a grid of pixels. In the case of Pentax RAW files, what you get is essentially a 12 bit monochrome image. The RAW converter knows that it's a Pentax RAW file, and it knows the bayer pattern used in Pentax DSLRs, as well as the headers for metadata such as colour temperature and bias, tone curves etc. This allows it to decode your RAW file and produce an image.

I once had an interesting conversation with a friend over what the best mode to use for fast action sports was.

He argued Tv was the way forward because you want to select your shutter speed to freeze the action.

I argued for Av, because my sport of choice tends to take place indoors and I simply wanted the fastest shutter speed available while maintaining correct exposure.

In our own way and for our own purposes we were both right. What I'm trying to say is that which mode you choose is of secondary importance to knowing what they all do and what they offer so that you can make an informed choice.

I think what we're getting from this thread is an interesting (to me anyway) insight into different aspects of the various modes which are important to different members.

what a wierd shape, I wonder what the reason for that is. Still makes the image less likely to be photoshopped.

Points of interest from my POV on that image

1. The built in flash housing looks larger, or am I imagining it?
2. External mic port on the shoulder, not sure if the K-5 already has this?
3. Looks like a flash PC port on the side? nice to see though no surprise in a top end model.
4. No AF.S / AF.C selection on the main AF dial, and a new multi-function button above the AF selector. The top function looks like AF to me, but I can't make out what the second line says.