I have seen several posts that refer to "ask the camera" when you are in the manual mode.
I took this to mean that you could adjust your settings and then quickly go to the auto mode and see what settings the camera would use and compare the two.
I was outside and I put the auto switch to the center position. I adjusted the iris and the shutter speed until I thought the zebras looked good.
I then moved the switch up to the lock position thinking this puts the camera back in full auto.
It is here that I thought I could see the numbers (iris and shutter) that the camera had chosen and compare them to my choice, but the numbers do not display.
I thought that switching back to the center position would show me where the camera was, but this returned to the numbers that I had previously set.
I am lost as how to view the settings the camera is using at any given time when in auto.
What am I missing?

I'm not using such technique that you are describing, but exposure setting is certainly something that is often worth asking from the cam. I leave the camera to MANUAL as it always is and I sometimes press the auto/manual exposure button to see what number the camera itself would use.

Georg,
which button are you referring to that will show the settings that the camera would use if it was on auto? That is what I am looking for.

thanks, mike

I believe there really isn't such function that will keep the camera in manual, but will show the values the automatic system would use if it was you. I'm doing it so that when I film with manual Exposure, I press the exposure button once to put that function to automatic. Then the exposure value also disappears from the screen. Camera now automatically selects that setting and after 1-2 seconds I can again press the Exposure to switch into manual and see the value which is selected. As the pressing locks the finally automatically selected setting, you will see the exposure value.

Remember that it's not the best idea to play with shutter speed a lot, you should try to film all your normal situations with the standard 1/50 or 1/60(NTSC) speeds. If the scene gets too bright, use NDs instead as long as the situation allows. Increasing shutter is good with faster motions and when even the ND2 filter doesn't darken the image enough to let you use a middle exposure setting.

Thanks.
I will get more practice today at a fly-in at our local airport.

Chrome slider in middle position. Shutter speed displayed in v'finder. Push 'exposure' button to toggle between auto and manual exposure as Georg says. On the VX this exposure button and wheel will allow you to film at anywhere from f/32 and f/1.6 and +18dB of gain, so again - do as Georg suggests - apply lots of ND to keep the aperture wider than f/8.

tom.(f/32 shooting - this often surprises people)