The K-S1 and the 18-135 lens

flektogon wrote:

Lawrence,

I understand your point. Well, I am retired as well, but instead of 3 dogs I have got my wife, two kids and 5 grandchildren. So, I need to think twice how to spend my spare money . All my cameras, until my first digital (the Canon A20) had to be set up manually, so I wouldn't not have any problem to use, even my newest K-S1 in the manual mode. But I do not see any, really any reason why not to rely on the exposure selection made by my camera. If I need to apply some adjustment, that one wheel is a perfect way to do so. Only long exposures, like the night shots, are better when I manually set the exposure parameters myself, based on my experience from the past.

As I wrote before, I like to shoot videos as well. I have a dedicated camcorder (Sony CX12) for that purpose, but I would very much prefer to have just one, universal camera/camcorder, especially for traveling. That's why, if I ever acquire another camera, it will be one of those mirrorless. But I still will love my Pentax camera(s).

Regards,

Peter

Peter,

In my case I did have a reason not to use the P position.  I twisted my knee and so began using the EPN-2 in the P setting.  But living in San Jacinto where the days regularly get above 100 during the summer I liked to get out on the trail at dawn.  The P setting at dawn in San Jacinto gives me a very slow shutter speed even at ISO 800.  With the K3 I could use a different aperture than the one recommended by the green button (which I assume would be what I'd get in the P mode) and thus keep the shutter speed almost as fast as a running dog.

I understand you can override the P setting but I would need to be much more committed to a one-dial camera to want to live with that approach except in emergencies.  Why should I commit to long-term one-dial confusion, confusion that regularly kicks me into the MF mode, when with the pushing of a few buttons I can activate B&H to have a K-S2 (with two dials and weather resistance) on the way?  All without affecting my camera and lens-buying budget.

Are all of your progeny living with you?  I have just one kid living in Southern California and he is two hours away.  Since two of my daughters live in Sand Point, along with their children and grand children, if I move up there I might well be living with so many I would have to severely cut back on my lens and camera buying.  But unless there is some sort of breakthrough that would render a K3 or K-S2 worthless in the next ten years, I should be okay.

Lawrence