Camera Labs

Greetings Pentax users.

I normally don't look at the Pentax section.
I'm a Canon user and don't have any plans to switch over.

However, my father-in-law has a Pentax camera and I was looking at it the other day.

One thing that seems really minor, but I liked a lot, was the hood. On his Pentax camera, the hood for his lens has a little section that pops out. I surmised that this allows for easy access to a polarizer filter and then explained it to my father-in-law. I thought it was a really nice feature to make using a hood easier.

I know this is a minor thing as most people don't think about their hoods, but there have been times where I've wished I had something like this on my gear.

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Canon 5DIII, Rebel XTi/400D
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II, 24-105mm f/4L, 50mm f/1.4, 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DO, 85mm f/1.8
Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX Macro
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II
Canon 430EX II
Opteka 13mm, 21mm, and 31mm extension tubes
Vivitar 50mm f/1.8 for OM System

You mean those hoods of the Limiteds? They are nice!

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| Pentax K5 | Pentax K10D | DA* 300 F4 | M 50mm F1.7 | Sigma AF 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DC MACRO | AF 360 FGZ |

The kit lens has this feature on the hood

It is for the use of circular polarisers.

Perhaps you could 'convert' your Canon lens hoods - time to reach for the dremel

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K10D + optimistic idiocy

My pic's - http://www.flickr.com/photos/10126769@N05/

Maybe somebody could put me right on this, if I'm in error.

Pentax DSLRs have an additional "Sv" - Sensitivity Priority" Mode on the dial. The ISO is user-set, and the camera then does the Aperture and Shutter. In "Program" Mode, it seems to do all 3, but WB can be set, rather than being camera-set, as in "Auto" Mode.

With my Fuji HS10, I rarely use Program Mode (apart from Slow Sync Flash, which doesn't work in other Modes) - but in Program you can select ISO as Auto within Ranges - 100-400, 100-800 - or tell it which ISO to use.

I've been assuming that DSLRs also have similar Program Mode settings - or, do they not? That is - if they do - why would Pentax have a Program Mode where ISO apparently isn't set - and Sensitivity Mode, where it is?

I don't yet have my K-5 to try this out - I'm going by the Manual - Page 95.

But, looking at other DSLRs, they seem not to have a "Sensitivity Mode" - so - as I'd been assuming - do they in Program Mode have Auto-ISO, Ranges for ISO, and User-Select 1 ISO....?

Dave.