concerned about getting new body...

[hjoseph7]

<p>What issues are you concerned about ?</p>

[hnl_imaging]

<p>Harry, the issues I have been concerned about are regarding the many places that I keep seeing that the higher end Pentax cameras usually suffer, at least to some extent, by some rather interesting quirks such as the "mirror-flapping" on the K3 (I believe I have also heard this about the K5ii on the website of some professional photographer...) and a couple of other models now. Sensor staining on the K5 and, again, possibly some others. I have not heard so much bad about their cheaper bodies. The SDM motor failure I guess has been fixed... I just keep finding this odd stuff. I had a K1000, the winder was always a bit sticky and when you rewound the film, sometimes the dial wouldn't go back to zero so you had to coax it along... even with bran new batteries occasionally the light meter was off by 1/2-1 1/2 stops and others it just worked, with the same lens ( and no I am not talking about not being able to adjust for reflectance of the subject...). After doing some research, it seems like the K1000 had/has a very good reputation, but also has these little issues like the gear in the winder were apparently under designed and were known to have problems. The SDM motor thing was probably the same thing, under engineering parts, putting in what will barely or usually get you by with little or no "factor of safety." <br>

All that aside, the things that really concern me are 1) in almost every case where someone has had an issue after the 14-30 standard return policy of most retail places, getting Pentax to fix it is either very difficult or very time consuming (like months...), 2) Yes, people complain about Nikon, say the D7000/7100 was brought up by a guy on DPreview (or maybe Steve Huff's website...) when some one else brought up a concern about his K3. If you look up the problems with that camera, a lot of it is focus issues that seem to be readily fixable. In the same vain, some one brought up the dreaded Canon error signal that shuts down the camera. This is an issue that I have actually had, twice, the first time was because the Sigma lens I was using was apparently not compatible with my 30D and wouldn't play well with it. The second was because I took a cheap 50/1.8 to the Dubai on my second deployment and it got full of sand and wouldn't play nice with my camera. The problem is usually due to something simple or fixable and Canon/ Nikon seem to be better on the service end. But Pentax seems have more serious problems. So its scary! <br>

In any case, the first frames I took with my K1000, on cheap fuji superia from walmart, were amazing color wise. Same with the K200D. The lenses have this great color and feel. Even the 18-55 WR, which after owning one I decided was given a bit tooo much praise, looks outstanding until you get right down to the detail. I would say that is all kit lenses but I had to borrow my mother in laws rebel/ kit lens one time, the canon 18-55 is really bland/boring, but generally sharper than the pentax... The two limiteds I have are great color wise, the 20-40 is unreal for detail and 3D rendering, my 70/2.4 is well... kind of rough in my opinion. Just tried it again today. The K35/3.5, M100/2.8, M50/4 macro are all really great. Even the M50/2 (great color and can be pretty darn sharp) and the Super Takumar 135/2.5 (non-smc) which every one thinks are so bland have given me some of nicest looking photographs of my wife and daughters (when they hold reasonably still or I get lucky) that I have taken with any lens. <br>

So I really don't want to give up on them. I am just having a hard time that when ever I go to read about a new camera body that I would be interested in, there seems to be some serious issue with that followed by a serious issue with customer support. Every store I have talked to in CO says the same thing, "we would (or did) carry Pentax, but we can't even get them to call us back or send us stock..." which sounds somewhat familiar to the customers sending in K3s with mirror issues and either getting, "I don't see a problem," or no response for months some times then they get it back fixed, usually.<br>

So it is good to hear that some are not having a bunch of issues!</p>

[hjoseph7]

<p>Jason, excuse me, but I think you are over-thinking this a little bit. First of all there is no such thing as the "perfect" camera body, not on this planet. Even the $5000 Canon 1Ds has been known to have some issues. Make sure that you are not reading 'once in a blue moon' reviews from some angry shopper that got stuck with a Lemon. This happens in all manufacturing industries, cars, stereos, washing machines you name it, but it is not reason to write-off an entire manufacturer.</p>

<p>If a ton of buyers complain about the same thing such as the lens SDM issue with some Pentax lenses , or the focusing issue with the Canon 1D mark II, that's another story, but if only a handful complain, I wouldn't worry about it too much especially if the item comes with a warranty.</p>

<p>You talk about the Pentax k1000 that is known as a very reliable camera. Almost every article written about this camera associates it with "Reliability. However you seem to have dug-up some far-fetched problem that excuse my ignorance is totally new to me ? As a matter of fact, when I was shooting Youth Sports( for 8 years) which required taking 350-400 portraits per shoot, this is the camera we used. I'm sure my boss would have switched to another brand if she got enough complaints from the photographers.</p>

<p>I got to admit, Canon does have an excellent Customer Service repair/return department. I use to deal with them since I had some Canon equipment(still do). Usually the turn-around time was less than 2 weeks depending on the repair. If you are making money with your camera equipment you certainly don't want to be left out in the cold. I can't talk about Richo/Pentax repair/return department because I never had to send anything for repairs, knock on wood...</p>

<p>With that said, I'm pretty sure the folks at Pentax don't want to go out of business or alienate their customer base with the outrageous turn-around times that you mentioned. Again this is only hear say. If we only go by "hear say" then we can become paralyzed and are afraid to try anything new. I try to go by experience as well as " believable" hear say and/or professional Reviews.</p>

<p>Last year I purchased a Pentax K-5IIs by carefully reading the reviews and weighing the positives against the negatives. I could have opted for the K3, but I was worried about the battery life which is the main reason why I sold my Canon 7D. However, I'm still planning on purchasing the K3 sometime in the near future, because I feel I might need the extra resolution.</p>

<p>After going through several camera systems in my life, I now selectively chose cameras based on certain features that I think will help me in the type of shooting I happen to be doing at the time. Not so much whether the camera is fool-proof or not, but that's just me...</p>

<p> </p>

[AJG]

<p>I would echo Harry about the K1000 film cameras--the community college where I teach rents them out with remarkably few problems given how old they are and the abuse that the cameras take from beginning students who don't always know how to use them properly. I realize that you're not talking about using your camera as a professional, but my solution has always been to have at least two of anything that I depend on since even a week or two can be an eternity if you need something to earn your living with. That said, both my Pentax film and digital SLRs have been extremely reliable, so I have the great good fortune to have never found out how good or bad their repair service is. A local repair person has fixed my film Pentaxes a few times for minor problems; my digital SLRs ( knock on wood) have never needed repairs.<br>

A note for Harry--I've shot hundreds of images in a day with my K3 with battery grip, and the battery power gauge still reads at 2/3 or full. I haven't noticed that power consumption is substantially worse than with my K5 cameras, except when I use the FLU card for wireless tethered shooting. That card is also drawing power from the camera and seems to cut battery life noticeably.</p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>Anything made by man can have a defect. As you yourself just brought up with Canon and Nikon, as well as other brands, none are always perfect. Perhaps they are more responsive to service issues- I don't know. But I have read of complaints and of dissatisfaction with them as well in that regard. Over the years, I have known of some production/design problems from Canon and Nikon. Back during the film era, it was so bad for a time, that pro photographers used to rate their film slightly off the ISO value to compensate for the off metering of certain pro level Canon models. </p>

<p>Pentax has occasionally had issues with certain DSLR models, which I avoided even though production corrections were made and the reported problem no longer appeared. There was an excessive mirror slap problem with the little K-x. I bought the subsequent model, the K-r, which does not have the problem. I have not heard of a mirror problem of a recurring or chronic nature pertaining to the K-3. I still have and occasionally use several Pentax AF film bodies, some of which have seen a fair amount of use over time, without issues. Some have seen only sparse use, due to acquiring DSLRs after they improved enough to be attractive. The K1000 is a very old camera. There usually is some degree of deterioration of materials over time, and a need for refurbishment when it comes to such old bodies. As to DSLRs, I have owned the *istD, K100D, K200D, K20D, K-5, K-5IIs, and K-r. All have seen no more than moderate use, since I have distributed my activity among them, as even after getting my latest model I continue to employ the older ones as well. I have yet to encounter any issues, except for one, the K200D, suddenly using excessive battery power. I have heard that is an easy fix for a repair shop, but I haven't yet bothered to get it fixed. I have absolutely no apprehension that it will not be expertly and expeditiously taken care of.</p>

<p>Pentax USA used to have their own repair facility. Pretty good, from what I've read. But in more recent times, I understand their service matters are farmed out to an outside repair contractor. I don't know whether that has changed since the take over by Ricoh. Ricoh is a big outfit. One would think they would look out for the Pentax reputation, since investing in it.</p>

<p>A new Pentax DSLR camera comes with a one year factory warranty, as sold through an authorized Pentax dealer. From my experience, that includes Amazon. I believe, still at reasonable cost, that warranty can be extended. That was so in the past. When I bought my K20D at a clearance price of $650, the extended warranty was offered free! I never had to use it. B&H also has an outside service facility they deal with and have confidence in, for which they sell an extended warranty. </p>

<p> </p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>By the way, once you get a K-3, I would be interested in hearing your re-evaluation of your DA 70mm Limited!</p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>I should have said- IF you get a K-3 or a K-5II(s), or a KS2 for that matter. Not that the image quality of the K200D is not good, but when I went on to get the K20D I noticed a definite improvement in resolution. I kept using the K200D when I needed a lighter body and if the difference in resolution would not be of value for the occasion, the I.Q. still being good. </p>

<p>Then when I got the K-5 I was amazed that there was yet more improvement, and far better low noise performance, even with the higher MP sensor.</p>

<p>I do not have the DA 70mm f2.4 Limited, which has been given a very high rating in lab tests, and praise from numerous owners here. I do have the full-frame FA 77mm f/1.8 Limited, which I prize greatly. The 70mm actually tested at 65mm. The 77mm actually tested right on at 77mm. It is very compact for what it is, good in low light, and just a great lens. Among other uses, I have found it good for doing candid people shots, giving adequate distance not to be obtrusive with its small size.</p>

<p>But I do believe now that a more capable body can bring out the best in a top quality lens.</p>

 

[hnl_imaging]

<p>Great to hear! <br>

Some of the stuff on the net may be false/ inaccurate. Its hard to say. As to the number of incidents with the K3 mirror issues I have seen that reported on Dpreview, Steve Huff, and Pentax forums by what seems like a number of people. I have also heard that Pentax offers a firmware "fix" that sort of fixes the problem, so that is nice. <br>

The K1000 issue I mentioned was only brought up by one guy who was supposedly a repair guy who was talking about why he wouldn't buy pentax, the same guy also mentioned a few other issues but that one stuck due to my experience. He did say that canon and nikon both had some issues as well. <br>

Again, its good to hear that maybe it is all just a small and somewhat loud minority that make a big deal about a few things. I really didn't want to end up going out and trying to buy a new set of lenses. </p>

[Jochen_S]

<p>I'm torn about what to write here.<br>

My own experience with Pentax' Hamburg repair faculty is from the late 1980s and "not so bright". The guys struggled to achieve long lasting success with bitching electronics in LX & Program A.<br>

I have 3 Pentax DSLRs, starting with *istD + one Samsung K20D clone and all of them are still going strong. So far only a few AF point iluiminations in the *ist D broke and maybe there is an SR issue with the K100D.<br>

OTOH my old & heavy 100mm f2.8 (AF) macro lens needed a repair recently the AF mechanism appeared jammed and the independent shop claims to have replaced some electronics too. - yes, I am of course not impressed by that fact but ....<br>

Dropping experience: (back then new) *is D desk to carpet: survived. / M8 dangling hand to solid floor: expensive RF repair.<br>

Suggestions: </p>

<ul>

<li>Try to secure your cameras. A key chain attachment climbing hook lookalike dangling from your ceiling, to hold camera straps while you put that stuff on your desk, is surely handy, especially when you are downloading images from camera to a below desk PC. - I would recomend it to childless average fools like myself too!</li>

<li>Math down your issues and concerns. How many frames do you need to take to get a given body (used or new) paid off with saved film and processing cost? - Did getting it pay off or not? - If yes, why lament? - Here I need to take 1500 pictures to get my Samsung for 250 Euro with kit zoom. Toss in some digital malus, but even 3-5k clicks should be doable with most used cameras. - If math didn't help yet: wager lower!</li>

<li>Don't rely on a single camera - period. - I get mine in pairs, to be prepaired for the unavoidable mishappenings.</li>

</ul>

<p>My personal POV is to <em>playfully</em> stick with Pentax. The system has shortcomings like AF speed, that might have slightly improved in recent bodies but is still limping behind other brands, but it has nice aspects too. The in camera shake reduction and a shelf full of lenses etc, that I already own + a quite nice user interface (comparing dual dial bodies to lets say Fuji or especially lower end Nikons which I can't operate intuitively). There will surely be a point, where it doesn't make sense to stick entirely to Pentax. - For example I am unlikely to buy <em>their</em> 70-200mm f2.8 or a k-mount Sigma 150 - 600mmm. - An AF VR Nikkor seems cheaper and spending that much money getting a matching camera hardly matters at all but will get me the AF I'll need with such glass.<br>

I am not yet convinced to need the additional pixels from more recent bodies and not sure if I have the lenses &/ technique to benefit from them at all. But thats my personal dissapointment shooting a Sigma 24mm f1.8 and Pentax 50mm f1.4 close to wide open and I guess there I got what I paid for. Looking at the AF performance / reaction span / inddors performance of my early Fuji MILCs, I am still glad to own my Pentaxes and know when to take them out.<br>

And like many others told before: the Internet isn't a fair medium to judge cameras. Its the few who got burned, that fill it up with rants.<br>

Upon camera repairs in general: the good old days are over and won't come back. - We have to live with a somewhat disposable technology and should keep in mind: buying a car via the spare parts department, should cost you at least 3 assembled ones. The repair techs in western Europe or the US are also way more expensive than the original production workers. So it is liklely that a not too big issue is enough to declare a by age devaluated camera "totalled". With lenses (especially AF zooms) one should also wonder: will the rest of them last much longer? Will they get it reassembled properly at all?<br>

OTOH: would we really be willing to spend something in the 150 Euro/$ range every 2 or 3 years to keep a camera CLAed? - I suppose we are glad to get away without that and rather bin the beater when it breaks.</p>

[hnl_imaging]

<p>All fairly good points. <br>

I do whole heartedly agree with the film analogy, though I have slowed down the frame # on digital quite a bit over the last few years it is still cheaper. <br>

In researching Nikon over the past few days it has been interesting to see that, depending on where you look, their service stinks to. Thom Hogan also almost paints the picture of them possibly going out of business or maybe severely cutting or cutting out altogether DSLRs and lenses. Pentax forums also made the future of Nikon and possibly even Canon, look not so bright while apparently Pentax/Ricoh sales are actually up just a bit in the last couple of years. It really does depend on the data you are getting and where you get it.<br>

I may have to get used to the somewhat broken K200D for a while till I can sort things out. The internet makes everything look bad in one way or another... </p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>It seems you are operating with a huge case of over-apprehension. B&H has over 180 customer/owner reviews for the K-3. Many are long-time Pentax users, but not all. Out of those, only 14 complained about noise. Do you shoot mostly JPEGS or RAW? If you shoot RAW, much of the results will depend on the RAW processor you use, and your expertise in using it. I shoot mostly JPEGS because if I get my exposure, etc right, I will need no post process. I don't like sitting and fiddling with a computer. When I do shoot RAW+JPEG, I use the Pentax software furnished, and that only when I am dealing with important shots having very contrasty situations, requiring all the dynamic range possible to protect highlights and open up shadows, without diminishing contrast too much. Otherwise, I have been unable to see a difference to justify my fooling with RAW on a regular basis. But that is just me.</p>

<p>I did not read them all, but the first customer review or so I found was a pro photographer who explained the noise "issue" being related to not employing the AA filter. Makes sense. The noise reduction application itself is also a smoothing process, and reduces detail. Pentax's approach is to apply as little as possible to preserve detail, but allows the user to set a preference. Other brands sometimes appearing to have "less noise" also have less detail at higher ISO due to more aggressive NR. Even at its "worst", I believe the K-3 would be far better than your K-200D in every respect. I also saw a review by a semi-pro who was an avid Nikon user for 21 years. He expressed amazement for the K-3 he now owns. As to AF, I generally keep mine set to center sensor only. Then I can control where in the scene will be the focus point. I choose it, freeze focus by holding the half-press, and move the camera to compose the shot. I've had good results. </p>

<p>To get a comparison, I suggest you visit the Imaging Resource website, and use their "comparometer" to view the same image from two different camera models. To bring up an older model, you have to click on "all" cameras at the top. Then you can compare the K200D and K-3 directly, or any other model. There's an image featuring bottles, etc where you can scroll down to higher ISO settings for noise. Select one and then click on it again once it comes up, which will produce a blowup. These images are all JPEGs with the camera's auto processing, and at default settings. Look at shadows between the objects to check for noise, with side-by-side comparison of the two camera models. It is also easy to see the difference in resolution and fine detail as well.</p>

<p>I don't know how one could expect to otherwise get high-end gear offering all the K-3 offers for only $650 or less for a new camera with warranty! If you'd rather go really cheap-o, the K-50 is offered at only 300 bucks! Where else can you get a well-made weather-sealed body for that!? Now is the time for these bargains.</p>

<p>With Nikon, you have to get one of their more expensive bodies, or many of their older but very good lenses will not AF, because the less expensive bodies require the lens to have its own AF motor. If you get say a fast 50mm f/1.8 lens for low light/fast action use, it will probably not have anti shake, or AF. With Canon, no ant-shake, far as I know.</p>

<p> <br>

</p>

[jeff_drew4]

<p>To Jason I,<br>

Regarding your question about Nikon vs Pentax lens quality & reliability; my history - opinion. Nikon was very good. I sold all my Nikon stuff and invested in other projects and had money left over for a couple Pentax lenses & bodies. I added a lot of P67 gear and still use it - but it got me heavily into the Pentax 35mm and then K200d. Honestly, I found/find that Pentax film bodies are well made and fit my smaller hands better than nikon. Additionally, Pentax work flow and feature logic suits me better. Nikon glass is excellent but so is Pentax - predigital. For example, there are premium Pentax telescopes, binoculars etc that beat or exceed many other makers. Their premium digital lenses are excellent. For me, I am still into film and cringe at how fast the digital tools circus changes and changes one's knowledge & investment! ;-) </p>

 

[jeff_drew4]

<p>Adding a comment or two about Pentax customer service: I have a goodly bunch of gear and had some mechanical problems. Pentax repair center did very quick work at reasonable rates. Since Pentax has been sold & bought multiple times, and now owned by Ricoh, I understand that customer service has taken a hit. Ricoh has been gradually ramping up its assimilation of service responsibilities, in my opinion. I miss the old Pentax days, but the Pentax legacy products still get my use. BTW, I still use the K1000 bodies occasionally and have had them repaired/preventatively serviced at relatively very low costs . . . the mechanical bodies are relatively cheap and easy to fix. My MZs's all run like precision watches and so I cling to film. FWIW, in my travel kit there is a Fuji X10 - a gonzo P&S rangefinder that produces outstanding digital images. I have used a fair number of Fujinon lenses and find the Fuji logic and quality is excellent. If I were to sell off my collection of Pentax, I would seriously look at Fujinon and Sony for digital evolution. </p>

[hnl_imaging]

<p>Jeff, that is interesting. I recently had the opportunity to won a Pentax 645 for a while. It was pretty great in many ways, would've liked a couple other features. I love the film, and like you, would gladly stick with something that doesn't change all that much. I made prints from the 645 with Ilford 50 or Portra 160 and the K200 to compare side by side, for dynamic range and clarity and overall feel of the image, I much prefer the 645. The killer for me was my wife's reaction to the cost when I had 4 rolls of film developed and only had ~60 photographs in return. I would gladly do as you are talking about now. I have looked an an MZ-S a number of times as well as the 645Nii. The cost of film is a bit prohibitive for my family at the moment. Otherwise I rather enjoy it.<br>

I was also under the impression that many of the old P67 and P645 bodies weren't readily fixable as the parts aren't always readily available. I know having my K1000 LOOKED at was quoted to me at $160 a few years ago by 1 local shop and another online was similar, I think $130 if I recall. <br>

This may be totally unfounded, however, I have seen Olympus totally drop a line of cameras- the E series after quite a while in production. Those seemed like nice tools as well. Fuji, in some respects, I feel has done the same thing with the S series cameras. The X series I believe uses a Fuji proprietary mount and that may stay in production compared to the S series cameras which were all based on the Nikon mount (as far as I understand). At any rate, while more and more I am beginning to believe that photography equipment is not an investment of any kind, I really have some anxiety over putting money into a system that may be a passing fad for the company making that equipment. Unfortunately, that does seem to be the way it goes for almost all manufactures in one way or another. </p>

[hnl_imaging]

<p>I got a chance to use the 70/2.4 yesterday. That lens can be pretty amazing. I think some of the problem I have had with it is that I haven't gotten to use it that much and that my K200 doesn't seem to focus very well/consistently with it for some reason. So when it is in focus, it is pretty great. Definitely smoother bokeh than my 100/2.8 at 2.8, though I still miss that lens for other reasons. Aside from the K200 not focusing, which may actually be impaired from the fall..., I haven't masted the aperture priority thing yet. So many of the images didn't come out quite the way I expected. I did a few test shots and thought I had my exposure compensation dialed in, but that isn't constant for one scene apparently. Its so nice to set your exposure and only change it when the light changes... <br>

So, I ended up getting a Nikon with a used 35/1.8. I am not convinced that I will be happy with it in comparison to the Pentax. However, to save my self other frustration I decided to go that route instead of wait and get a K3. I don't know that I will sell my Pentax gear just yet though, I like the lenses too much. I may end up returning the Nikon for a Pentax depending on a couple of factors. If every company has something that doesn't sit well, might as well go with what you like... </p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>The Nikon 35mm f/1.8 should be a nice all-around lens and fast for low light work. But does it have anti-shake? I do and have done a lot of low light photography, going back to the film days, but now I don't usually need to use a tripod, as others without anti-shake would have to.</p>

<p>I don't understand what issues you have with aperture priority operation. It was the first and then the only auto-exposure mode. These days, you use it when it is important to select a particular aperture and in conditions where you'll be moving the camera around, or the lighting will constantly change, so you'll need auto exposure while maintaining the aperture of your choice. As long as you understand the reasons a particular aperture is important, and what it can do for your shot, the rest is self-explanitory.</p>

 

[hnl_imaging]

<p>Micheal,<br>

I think the main issue with aperture priority that I am having is familiarity... I am very familiar with say using an incident light meter and setting my exposure that way because the green button wasn't consistent with all of my old manual focus lenses and the light meter on my old K1000 didn't always work. The 645 I had actually seemed to have a pretty reliable meter, however, I trusted my incident meter more so I would usually double check the camera with that. It is really easy for me to set my exposure and keep track of what is going on. Especially if I have some indication of the metering in the viewfinder. With the K200 in aperture priority, there is no indication of the camera is metering. It assumes everything is 18 or 12% grey. Then you set your compensation based on that, but the camera automatically changes settings based on what is in front of the lens. I am not used to paying attention to the camera making its own changes. <br>

SO, for instance, this weekend when I was photographing my kids I set up like "normal" for me... I found a spot I liked, couldn't meter or set the camera up so I took an educated guess about what kind of exposure compensation I would need and took a test shot, adjusted it by a 1/3rd of a stop and thought I would be ready to go. Inserted family into scene so that we could get some photographs to give the grandparents for Christmas and expected to be fine. I usually shoot with my LCD off as it eats batteries on the k200... Well the kids clothes threw the meter off and I am programmed, from years of doing it one way, that if you set the camera up for the incident light, that exposure value you set is what it is until you change it. Well a couple of shots in I took a peek at what I was getting and realized that it was over exposed so I tried to change that. After that point I thought I had it dialed in, but a few shots later I noticed that the images were pretty over exposed again for some reason. Maybe everyone had moved in the frame enough to make the matrix meter ( which I am also not really used to using) chose an exposure value that wasn't consistent with the previous one I expected to basically stay constant. <br>

Things maybe better with newer cameras, but in general I have been accustomed to not trust the matrix meter and many of the auto functions to govern themselves. So I don't use them. I am not so familiar with them that I know how they are going to respond. On top of that, I <strong><em>feel</em></strong> like I am basically running blind with out the meter scale in the view finder to give me an idea of what is going on. It's one of those things I would have to get more comfortable with. </p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>Now I understand. You are talking about using aperture priority with old MF lenses. Although Pentax can rightfully brag about being able to use these old lenses with all their modern DSLR bodies, the truth is, the metering is not normal. It changes according to different aperture settings by a certain amount. Once you get used to just by how much, you can predict it and compensate. I have not done this with my old lenses for quite a while, so I cannot remember whether I used manual mode and the green button to set exposure or aperture priority. I do remember it was a bit tricky at first. I don't not know why Pentax did not employ full aperture priority AE metering on their DSLR bodies for old MF lenses like they did with their AF film bodies, maybe to keep cost and size down, who knows.</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>I have never understood why Pentax's green-button stop-down metering is as inaccurate as it has seemed to be for me. You'd think it could be *more* accurate since instead of simulating the aperture as done for open-aperture metering, it could actually measure the light with the lens stopped down.</p>

<p> </p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>I agree, Andrew.</p>

[jeff_drew4]

<p>Update: I finally donated enough fluids to afford the Pentax 20-40mm Ltd that I have lusted for. On the K3ii it is a pleasure to use and the images are very sharp & well exposed. Playtime continues, but the sun finally came out today and the snow has stopped for now . . . hurry up springtime!<br>

I also am playing with the new, little Metz 26AF-1 for Pentax. Shirt-pocket size but lots of punch and very versatile! Manual & design are a bit strange, but I do not miss the built-in flash on this K3ii. <br>

:-)</p>