How do you view a picture before you click the button?

Question

I'm not stupid, I know it's possible. I just bought a Pentax K100 and there should be a setting that I can use to see the picture constantly before I click the button. The owners manual tells me how to put on the freakin' strap and how to insert the batteries, but something like "How to use the Display" is conveniently left out. There's a button to push to view before you shoot, but it only stays on for a moment and it takes a pre picture, not just a freaking view. Please help me.

Answer 1

I am not intimately familiar with the K100, but there is only one DSLR that will show you an image before you take the picture that I know of and the Pentax is not it. This is a fete not accomplished by most DSLR's because the mirror is in front of the sensor until you actually have taken the picture. Maybe the button your are pushing is the depth of field preview.

In case you are curious, look up the Olympus Evolt 330. I'm not especially recommending this camera, but it's the only one that shows you an image on the LCD the same way a point and shot camera does.

Answer 2

The cameras with the best shutter lag are the DSLR's. In extremely low light, any digital camera may run into problems focusing or setting exposure, but DSLR's are better at handling this. As far as anything moving into the field of view while you are shooting, the AI focus modes in DSLR's will also be better at handling and adjusting focus.

Answer 3

Agreed - the K100D can't use the lcd screen as a live preview. It also doesn't take videos.
As Dr. Sam mentioned, this is due to the way it's constructed, and this is true for all dSLR cameras with one (horrible) exception.
The flip side is that the optical viewfinder makes your K100D vastly more responsive than any point & shoot, and an excellent choice for action shots, etc.