How to Change Settings on Pentax K-70
The Pentax K-70 gives you a lot of control for a midrange DSLR, but many of its most useful settings are buried across buttons, dials, and menus.
This guide explains how to change settings on Pentax K-70 quickly, so you can spend less time navigating menus and more time shooting.
Whether you are adjusting ISO, autofocus mode, white balance, or image quality, the K-70 is designed to let you work efficiently once you know where each control lives.
Know the Main Controls First
The Pentax K-70 uses a combination of physical controls and on-screen menus.
The most important controls for everyday shooting are the mode dial, the front and rear e-dials, the OK button, the Fn button, and the four-way controller on the back of the camera.
- Mode dial: Changes the exposure mode, such as Auto, P, Av, Tv, or M.
- Front and rear dials: Adjust settings like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, or compensation depending on the mode.
- Fn button: Opens a quick-access settings screen for common shooting options.
- OK button: Confirms selections and often opens the active setting in the Q menu.
- Four-way controller: Typically used for drive mode, white balance, flash, and other shortcuts.
Once you understand these controls, most changes become much faster than digging through menus every time.
How to Change Exposure Settings
Exposure settings are the foundation of photography on the Pentax K-70.
The camera lets you control aperture, shutter speed, and ISO either automatically or manually, depending on the mode you select.
Change the shooting mode
Turn the mode dial to select the exposure mode.
Common choices include:
- P: Program auto, where the camera chooses aperture and shutter speed.
- Av: Aperture priority, where you set aperture and the camera sets shutter speed.
- Tv: Shutter priority, where you set shutter speed and the camera sets aperture.
- M: Manual, where you set both aperture and shutter speed.
- Auto: Fully automatic operation for simple shooting.
Adjust aperture and shutter speed
In Av mode, rotate the dial assigned to aperture control to change depth of field.
In Tv mode, use the dial to change shutter speed for freezing action or creating motion blur.
In Manual mode, the camera usually lets you control both values with the available dials.
Change ISO sensitivity
Press the Fn button or open the Q menu, then select ISO.
Choose a lower ISO like 100 or 200 for cleaner images in bright light, or raise it in dim conditions when faster shutter speeds are needed.
If you want the camera to manage sensitivity automatically, enable Auto ISO and set your preferred upper limit in the menu.
How to Change Autofocus Settings
Autofocus controls on the Pentax K-70 are important for portraits, sports, wildlife, and general everyday shooting.
The camera offers several autofocus modes and area patterns that affect how it locks onto subjects.
Select autofocus mode
Use the shortcut menu or the Q screen to switch between common autofocus types.
Typical options include:
- AF-S: Single autofocus for stationary subjects.
- AF-C: Continuous autofocus for moving subjects.
- AF-A: Automatic switching between single and continuous focus, depending on subject movement.
Change the focus area
The K-70 also lets you choose how much of the frame the autofocus system uses.
You may want a single focus point for precise control, a zone for moderate movement, or automatic area selection when you want the camera to decide.
For portraits, a single point is usually best.
For action or unpredictable movement, a wider area can improve hit rate.
How to Change White Balance and Image Color
White balance controls how the Pentax K-70 interprets color temperature, and it can make a major difference in how natural your photos look.
Changing this setting is useful when shooting indoors, outdoors, or under mixed lighting.
Set white balance
Press the shortcut for white balance, then choose from common presets such as daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten, or fluorescent.
You can also use Auto White Balance, which works well in many situations.
If your colors look too warm or too cool, switch from Auto to a preset that matches the lighting.
This is especially helpful for indoor photography where artificial light can shift colors noticeably.
Adjust image style and saturation
Use the image control or custom image settings to change the overall look of your files.
The Pentax system supports different rendering styles that affect contrast, sharpness, saturation, and color tone.
These settings matter most if you shoot JPEGs and want a specific look straight out of camera.
How to Change Drive Mode, Metering, and Flash Settings
The Pentax K-70 gives quick access to several everyday shooting tools.
These are worth learning because they can change how the camera behaves in real-world situations.
Change drive mode
Press the drive mode shortcut on the four-way controller to select single shot, continuous shooting, self-timer, remote control, or bracketed capture.
Continuous shooting is useful for sports and wildlife, while self-timer works well for tripod photos and group shots.
Change metering mode
Metering controls how the camera reads light in a scene.
You can usually switch between:
- Multi-segment metering: Balanced for general use.
- Center-weighted metering: Emphasizes the center of the frame.
- Spot metering: Reads a small area for precise exposure control.
Spot metering is especially useful when your subject is much brighter or darker than the background.
Change flash options
If you use the built-in flash or an external Pentax flash, press the flash shortcut to change flash mode.
Options often include automatic flash, fill flash, red-eye reduction, and manual flash control with compatible accessories.
How to Use the Quick Menu and Full Menu
The easiest way to change settings on Pentax K-70 is through the quick menu, often called the Q menu.
It combines the most common shooting controls into one screen, reducing the need to browse deep menu pages.
Open the Q menu
Press the Fn button or the camera’s quick settings access depending on your setup.
From there, move through the tiles or icons using the four-way controller and confirm with OK.
Use the quick menu for settings you change often, such as ISO, white balance, autofocus mode, drive mode, and image quality.
Use the main menu for advanced adjustments
The full menu contains deeper options such as noise reduction, anti-aliasing filter simulation, image processing preferences, and custom functions.
If you are looking for something the quick menu does not show, the main menu is the next place to check.
Menu tabs are generally organized by category, which makes them easier to navigate once you learn where Pentax places similar settings.
How to Customize Buttons and Controls
One of the best ways to speed up operation is to assign your most-used functions to custom controls.
The Pentax K-70 supports a practical level of customization that can make the camera feel much faster in the field.
- Assign frequently used settings to the Fn button if available in your configuration.
- Check custom function settings to alter what the dials do in different modes.
- Review the control wheel and button behavior if you want more direct access to exposure or focus settings.
Customizing the camera is especially useful if you move between landscapes, portraits, and action photography often.
Troubleshooting When a Setting Will Not Change
If a setting seems locked or does not respond, the issue is often related to exposure mode, auto modes, or a control conflict.
Start by checking whether the camera is in full Auto mode, because some settings are limited there.
Also look for these common causes:
- The lens switch is set incorrectly, if the lens has one.
- Auto ISO is overriding your preferred ISO choice.
- A custom function has reassigned a dial or button.
- You are in a scene mode that restricts manual control.
If needed, return to the camera’s reset or default settings options to restore standard behavior, then reapply your preferred configuration one step at a time.
Best Settings to Check First on the Pentax K-70
If you are learning the camera, start with the settings that affect image quality and consistency most directly:
- Exposure mode
- ISO sensitivity
- Autofocus mode
- Drive mode
- White balance
- Image quality and file format
- Metering mode
These controls cover most everyday shooting needs and give you the biggest improvement in results with the least effort.