K10D exposure issues - images included

[a few images]

Following up to this thread

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00LfVQ

 

Image 1 - Manual http://tmaher1.googlepages.com/IMGP2254.JPG

Image 2 - Manual with flash http://tmaher1.googlepages.com/IMGP2280.JPG

Image 3 - Automatic (all green) http://tmaher1.googlepages.com/IMGP2278.JPG

Image 4 - Automatic with flash (all green)

http://tmaher1.googlepages.com/IMGP2288.JPG

 

Manual with flash is the most accurate. Manual with no flash is an attempt to

keep the lower right from blowing out. Automatic blows it out completely.

Automatic with flash is washed out.(sorry I just realized the photos were not

rotated - it's late and I wanted to get this up here - outdoor shots are much

more obvious)

 

I'll try all suggestions.

 

(only a built in flash was used)

[josphy]

OK so what's the question? Whether this is normal or not? If that's the question, then YES. What you're seeing is basically an otherwise dark scene with a relatively very bright spot in it -- dark room + very bright (relative to the room) lamp.

 

Film or digital sensors can only contain so much of a range of bright and dark. Sometimes you have to sacrifice one or the other. The reason the shots with flash look better and the lamp isn't blown out is because the flash is able to fill in the shadows and balance out the exposure better with the ambient light. On the other hand, the shots without flash, you have to give so much exposure to get detail in the dark areas, that the lamp ends up being blown out. If you wanted to preserve detail in the lamp, you'd have to give less exposure and then your room would go much darker. Like I said, you would have to basically sacrifice one or the other.

 

Make sense?

[alan_chan4]

I think the last 3 samples fall perfectly within typical auto exposure tendency and expectation. Full auto with flash usually produce well exposed shots but often w/o preserving the "atmosphere". That's when M exposure with auto flash shines.

[josphy]

Ditto what, Alan said. It's not like there's a "right" or a "wrong" exposure in that case. It's just a question of whether you want to overpower the ambient light or you want to preserve the atmosphere and balance the exposure with the lamp.

[a few images]

I was going nuts looking for 'dust on my sensor'.. I found it in the last shot - most likely cat hair. I can fix that.

 

Anyway, If you notice I really was in a rush to get some shots up and in an attempt to do so I chose not the best situations to show the overexposure.

 

The worst situations are in a sunny place with some shade and some bright objects around. Hands down, my Canon handles these shots better in auto mode.

[a few images]

Larry, I do agree with you. In an attempt to use my camera as much as I could I decided taking it to get togethers with friends etc would be a great way to familarize myself with it. However, these shots are mostly impromptu shots and the auto mode portion of the camera does indeed produce varied results. If given the time to make adjustments etc, yes, I can take some great shots with it. In the meantime, I'll slip the Canon P&S into my pocket for these little get togethers.

[michael_kuhne]

P&S cameras are still very handy to have for many situations.

 

The difference as to the highlights is probably due to a difference in standard contrast setting in the camera.

 

Yes, digital cameras are closer to slide film in latitude, which is not as great as print film.