Pentax K20D Modes & Menus

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Operation Viewfinder Modes & Menus

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Pentax K20D Modes and Menus

Capture Modes

Green mode: Full automatic mode. Camera sets shutter speed and aperture. AE lock, EV compensation, auto bracket, multiple exposure and flash compensation cannot be set in Green mode.

Program mode (P): Called Hyper-program, K20D selects shutter speed and aperture, while you control all other exposure variables. You can use the front and rear e-dial to shift exposure, or press the Green button on the top deck to return to the Program mode's default choice. The K20D also allows you to select, via a custom menu, the program line the camera uses, which tells the camera to prioritize for higher shutter speeds, depth-of-field, MTF (best aperture setting for image quality), or use the default, normal program line.

Sensitivity Priority mode (Sv): In this unique mode you set the ISO by pressing the shutter button halfway, then turning the Rear e-dial. The camera picks the Aperture and Shutter value accordingly.

Shutter Priority mode (Tv): Marked with a "Tv," for Time value, this mode allows the user to control the shutter speed, from 30 seconds to 1/4,000 second.

Aperture Priority mode (Av): Marked with an "Av," this mode gives user control of aperture, while the camera selects the shutter speed.

Shutter and Aperture Priority mode (TAv): Another unique mode, opposite of Sv above: The camera adjusts the ISO sensitivity to meet the requirements of your Aperture and Shutter settings.

Manual mode (M): Dubbed Hyper-manual mode, this setting provides complete control over the exposure, with independent settings for aperture and shutter speed. Shutter speeds range from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds.

Bulb mode (B): Marked with a "B" on the Mode dial, this mode offers unlimited exposure times, holding the shutter open for as long as the Shutter button is held down (and the batteries last).

Flash X-sync mode (X): Sets shutter speed to 1/180 second, for use with manual strobes.

User mode (USER): This mode lets the user quickly recall a set of favorite settings including exposure mode, flash mode, EV compensation, exposure bracketing, drive mode, flash exposure compensation, sensitivity, auto sensitivity range, white balance, file format, JPEG size and quality, image tone, saturation, sharpness, and contrast.

Playback Mode

Playback mode is entered by pressing the Playback button on the camera's rear panel. In this mode, you can scroll through captured images, delete them, write-protect them, and set them up for printing on PictBridge-compatible printers. You can also apply digital filters for creative effects.

Pentax K20D Menu Details

Below are Pentax K20D menu options and their descriptions. Pressing the Menu button provides access to the camera's full menu system.

Record Menu:

Record Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
JPEG Recorded Pixels	- 14.6M (4,672 x 3,104) - 10M (3,872 x 2,592) - 6M (3,008 x 2,000) - 2M (1,824 x 1,216)
JPEG Quality	- ** Premium - * Best - ** Better - *Good
File Format	- JPEG - RAW - RAW + JPEG
RAW File Format	- PEF - DNG
Extended Bracket	- Off - White Balance - Saturation - Hue - Contrast - Sharpness	- Bracketing amount	Bracketing amounts vary depending on type selected
Multi-exposure	- Number of Shots - Auto EV Adjust (check/uncheck)	- Off, 2, 3, 4, or 5 times - Auto EV adjust (On/Off)
Interval Shooting	- Interval - Number of Shots - Start Trigger - Start Time	- 1s to 24 hrs - 1 to 99 shots - Now or Set Time
Color Space	- sRGB - Adobe RGB
RAW button	- Cancel each time (on/off) - JPEG to RAW+ - RAW to RAW+ - RAW+ to RAW+		Defines the function of the RAW button
Memory	- Flash mode - Drive mode - White Balance - Sensitivity - EV Compensation - Flash Exp. Comp. - Auto Bracket - Playback Display - File No.		Allows you to select what settings are saved when you turn the camera off. All are selected by default
Input Focal Length	- Set focal length from 8 to 800		Only available if Shake Reduction switch is on and lens in use does not support automatic lens information communication

Playback Menu:

Playback Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
Playback Display	- Bright/Dark area (on/off) - Quick Zoom	- Off - 2x - 4x - 8x - 16x - 32x	Over and underexposed areas flash on playback
Instant Review	- Display Time - Histogram (on or off) - Bright/Dark area (on or off)	- 1, 3, or 5 seconds	Controls length of time the most recently captured image appears post capture, and whether a histogram and high/low exposure flashes
Live View	- Show Grid - AF Frame Display
Digital Preview	- Histogram - Bright/Dark area	Histogram: - On - Off Bright Portion: - On - Off	Makes Histogram and Bright Portion displays available during Image Review and Digital Preview
Slideshow	- Interval - Repeat Playback	- 3 sec - 5 sec - 10 sec - 30 sec	Sets interval of display for each image

Setup Menu:

Setup Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
USER	- Cancel - OK		Saves current settings as settings for USER on Mode dial
Format	- Format - Cancel		"Format" erases all images, even protected ones
Beep	- In-focus - AE-L - RAW - Self-timer - Remote Control	- All options: check/uncheck	Sets whether the camera beeps or not by category
Date Adjust	- Date Style - Date - Time	Date Style: - mm/dd/yy - dd/mm/yy - yy/mm/dd - 12h - 24h Date: - Set date Time: - Set time
World Time	- Choose destination city, set time for home and destination
Language	- English - French - German - Spanish - Swedish - Dutch - Italian - Russian - Portuguese - Danish - Finnish - Polish - Czech - Hungarian - Turkish - Japanese - Korean - Chinese (Traditional) - Chinese (Simplified)
Text Size	- Std. - Large
Guide Display	- Off - 3 sec - 10 sec - 30 sec		Activates display guides on LCD when the exposure mode is changed or camera is switched on for set amount of time
Brightness Level	- 15 arbitrary units from - to +		Adjusts overall brightness of LCD display
LCD Color Tuning	- 2-D grid with Blue to Amber axis, Green to Magenta axis		Adjust the LCD color in 15 levels for each direction
Video Out	- NTSC - PAL
Transfer Mode	- PC - PictBridge - PC-F
Auto Power Off	- 1 min - 3 min - 5 min - 10 min - 30 min - Off		Sets time before camera shuts off after inactivity
Folder Name	- Date - PENTX		"Date" names files xxx_MMDD "PENTX" sets file naming in form of xxxPENTX, sequentially from 100 to 999
File Name	- sRGB - Adobe RGB - Reset File Name		You can define a 4 character prefix for sRGB JPEGs, and a 3 character prefix for Adobe RGB JPEGs
Select battery	- Auto Select - Body First - Grip First		Sets which battery is used first when two are present
Pixel Mapping	- Pixel Mapping - Cancel		For remapping bad pixels
Dust Alert	- Press the shutter release button		For taking a high contrast image to detect dust on the sensor
Dust Removal	- Dust Removal - Start-up action		First option shakes the sensor when you press OK from this menu, Start-up action shakes sensor on startup
Sensor Cleaning	- Mirror Up - Cancel		"Mirror Up" locks the mirror up for sensor cleaning
Reset	- Reset - Cancel		"Reset" returns all settings to defaults

Custom Menu:

Custom Menu Options
Top-Level Selection	Second-Level	Third-Level	Notes
Setting	- 1: On - 2: Off		"On" enables the Custom menu
Program line	- 1: Normal - 2: Hi Speed - 3: Depth - 4: MTF		Hi Speed sets Program mode to bias toward high shutter speeds; Depth sets the Program mode to bias toward wider apertures; MTF selects for best apertures for the attached lens (most effective with DA, D, D FA, FA, and FA J lenses)
EV Steps	- 1: 1/2 EV - 2: 1/3 EV
Sensitivity Steps	- 1: 1 EV Steps - 2: As EV Steps		"As EV Steps" adjusts ISO based on what variable is set in the previous Custom menu item (EV Steps)
Expand sensitivity	- 1: Off - 2: On		Allows the ISO range to expand to 100 - 6,400
Meter Operating Time	- 1: 10 sec - 2: 3 sec - 3: 30 sec		Time that exposure values are saved after metering
AE-L with AF locked	- 1: Off - 2: On		"On" fixes exposure with focus
Link AF Point and AE	- 1: Off - 2: On		"On" links the AE and AF points, so that both values are set from the same point
One-Push Bracketing	- 1: Off - 2: On		"Off" requires the shutter button to be pressed for each image in the bracketing sequence
Auto Bracketing order	- 1: 0 - + - 2: - 0 + - 3: + 0 - - 4: 0 + -		Sets shooting order for bracketed exposures
Auto EV compensation	- 1: Off - 2: On		Automatically overrides exposure when proper exposure is not set
WB when using flash	- 1: AWB - 2: Unchanged - 3: Flash		When flash is used, white balance can be auto, stay as measured, or switch to Flash white balance
WB Adjustable Range	- 1: Auto Adjustment - 2: Fixed		Auto Adjustment automatically performs fine tuning of selected WB
AF Button Function	- 1: Enable AF - 2: Cancel AF - 3: Center of AF point		Option 2 turns off AF button function
AF with shutter button half pressed	- 1: On - 2: Off		Option 2 disables Shutter release AF
Superimpose AF Area	- 1: On - 2: Off		If switched on, highlights the AF point in red in the viewfinder
AF in remote control	- 1: On - 2: Off		If checked, uses autofocus in remote control mode
Slow Shutter Speed Noise Reduction	- 1: Auto - 2: Off		Sets whether Noise Reduction is applied when shooting at low shutter speeds (This takes longer between exposures because it has to capture a dark frame after the main exposure)
High-ISO Noise Reduction	- 1: Off - 2: Weakest - 3: Weak - 4: Strong		Sets level of NR used for high ISOs
Color temp steps	- 1: Kelvin - 2: Mired	Kelvin: Color temp can be set in steps of 100K Mired: Color temp can be set in steps of 20 mired
e-dial in Program	- 1: Front=Shutter, Rear=Aperture - 2: Front=Aperture, Rear=Shutter - 3: Front=EV, Rear=P Shift - 4: Front=P Shift, Rear=EV - 5: Front=disabled, Rear=disabled		Sets functions of e-dial in Program mode
e-dial in Sv mode	- 1: Front=disabled, Rear=ISO - 2: Front=P Shift, Rear=ISO - 3: Front=ISO, Rear=P Shift		Sets functions of e-dial in Sensor priority mode
e-dial in Tv mode	- 1: Front=Shutter, Rear=disabled - 2: Front=Shutter, Rear=EV - 3: Front=EV, Rear=Shutter - 4: Front=Shutter, Rear=ISO - 5: Front=ISO, Rear=Shutter		Sets functions of e-dial in Shutter priority mode
e-dial in Av mode	- 1: Front=disabled, Rear=Aperture - 2: Front=EV, Rear=Aperture - 3: Front=Aperture, Rear=EV - 4: Front=ISO, Rear=Aperture - 5: Front=Aperture, Rear=ISO		Sets functions of e-dial in Aperture priority mode
e-dial in TAv & M	- 1: Front=Shutter, Rear=Aperture - 2: Front=Aperture, Rear=Shutter		Sets functions of e-dial in TAv and Manual modes
e-dial in B & X	- 1: Front=disabled, Rear=Aperture - 2: Front=Aperture, Rear=disabled		Sets functions of e-dial in Bulb and X-sync modes
Green button in TAv & Manual	- 1: Program line - 2: Tv Shift - 3: Av Shift		Sets function of Green Button in TAv and Manual modes
Illuminate LCD panel	- 1: On - 2: Off		Default value illuminates LCD panel when EV button is pressed; option 2 disables this
Release when Charging	- 1: Off - 2: On		"On" allows shutter release while flash is charging
Flash in wireless mode	- 1: On - 2: Off		"On" fires built-in flash as master in wireless mode
Preview Method	- 1: Live View - 2: Optical Preview - 3: Digital Preview		"Optical Preview" displays approximate depth of field in viewfinder "Digital Preview" displays approximate exposure on LCD monitor
Display Sensitivity	- 1: On - 2: Off		Displays ISO value in viewfinder and LCD
Saving rotation info	- 1: On - 2: Off		Embeds rotation tags in image files when "On"
Auto Image Rotation	- 1: On - 2: Off		Turns auto-rotation on or off
Catch-in focus	- 1: Off - 2: On		The shutter is released automatically when subject comes into focus at a set position
AF Adjustment	- 1: Off - 2: On	On: - Apply All - Apply One	Autofocus can be fine-tuned +/- 10 steps to all lenses, or up to 20 lens types
Using aperture ring	- 1: Prohibited - 2: Permitted		Setting one prevents image capture when the aperture ring isn't set to A.
Reset Custom Function	- Reset - Cancel		Resets all Custom Functions to default