Help Dark Images!

[markklobucher]

I am a new K10D owner. Images taken indoors without flash are way too dark in

Auto (Green) mode. My SLR and manually adjustable point and shoot experience

tells me there should be plenty of light. Some images black. Actually black

under a 60 watt bulb that should provide enough light. Noticed one other

person posted same concern. My point and shoot can shoot same image with same

manual settings and exposure is great.

 

Wondering if I should take the camera back.

 

It isn't metering mode - tried spot on dark areas. Center weighted. All

nominal settings. Same problem in other Av of Tv modes.

 

Tried flash - still dark. Veriable though - sometimes flash exposure is ok

indoors - very weak though.

 

Not consistent.

 

So today - sunny day with frequent clouds - went out to take some landscapes

and local farm animals.

 

Same problem. Underexposed. Problem in all modes which is annoying as to get

the exposure right the shutter speed and apature flash trying to tell me

exposure is wrong. Guy next to me shooting same thing with a fancy point and

shoot had perfectly exposed images. Frustrated.

 

It is like camera is just not calibrated right?? Should it go back. I bought

last one so would have order replacement.

 

I can get nice images if I work at it - trial and error in fully manual. Not

much use if I can't rely on camera light meter!

 

Sorry long.

 

thanks in advance for advice. Nice forum!

 

PS I am a ME Super user and have old lenses. So glad to own an dSLR Pentax but

think I've got a lemon.

[andrewg_ny]

Perhaps post some pictures?

[mel_unruh]

Mark,

 

I think it would help if we knew what lens you are using on the K10D. As I recall, there are a few "if, ands and buts" when using older lenses. So, post a couple of pics and the lens used and somebody here will be able to help you through it.

 

Mel

[markus maurer]

Hi Mark

be sure to --> set the ISO <-- on the K10D to a fixed and the same value (not auto mode) as your flash for automatic or manual flash mode. At least in manual mode and with the same aperture on the flash and the lens and a shutter time of 1/180 or less you should get perfectly exposed photos if the sensor of the flash sees the subject. I dragged the shutter with an old Braun flash bounced and the K10D at ISO 200 and F5.6 at around 1/45 in A and manual mode and got perfect exposures inside at a wedding lately. greetings, Markus

[denys_meunier]

Mark,its look like you have an ISO problem,no idea,may be your lens to but if you can post picture and what kind of lens you have,lot a people here can help you,I never saw a wrong calibration camera by the the company but I saw wrong calibration by the user,anyway,if you can post picture,will see.

[markklobucher]

Sorry I should have know better. Biggest issue has been with kit lens 18-55 Pentax. Also installed latest firmware v1.30). I wouldn't be surprised if it is operator error. Unfortunately I deleted bunch of bad ones. Also looking at camera info not sure which shots I over-road settings. I will look through carefully. I will post some pics later (can't get to PC with pics on it now).

 

I do love the ergonimics of the Carmera and flexibility. Nice and solid - nice to hold.

 

One issue I did notice was the LEDs in the viewfinder are hard to read due to sun light sneaking in. Seems like a larger runbber eyepiece would help that. Does Pentax make one? No way to turn up brightness that I could find.

 

I have tried my older lenses 50mm f1.4 M-mount and Vivtar 28-135zoom. Vivitar has an "A" setting on appature ring and works easily. M-lense is confusing to sort out.

 

To use old lenses set to manual focus. Camera won't let you take an out of focus picture.

 

I also have an old Vivitar flash - it does fire on the camera and exposure was'nt too bad. Need to investigate that one day when I get comfortable with the basic stuff.

 

Really appreciate interest and your help.

 

Thanks Mark

 

K10D (v1.30 firmware)

18-55 Pentax

[jgredline]

You know...I have had my K10D for about a year and recently I updated to version 1.30 and now my pictures are dark also...It had me so frustrated that I parked the camera and have started using my K100DSUPER and am very happy with that....I know my K10D well and I know I screwed it up by updating the firmware...Is there a way to put it back to 1.00?

[michael_kuhne]

Very interesting about the firmware!! I would contact Pentax directly about that.

[denys_meunier]

I don't know what is the problem but i don't think so dark picture is due to the 1.30 firmware,I upgrade with the 1.30 and my picture are the same,its still exposure OK.

[denys_meunier]

Micheal,if you have somethings from Pentax,,,post it.Thank you.

[markklobucher]

Hi all - Getting more comfortable with my new camera. I have concern with these images. Metering performance in sunlight is ok as shown by the goose picture.

 

How does kit lense look on the goose? I was ~ 5 feet away with lens at 31mm setting. Contrast +1. Sensitivity +2.

 

Low light pics next -

K10D (firmware 1.3)

18-55mm kit lens<div></div>

[markklobucher]

In low light without flash pictures seem underexposed. First lakescape.

 

PS - Sorry big images. Not sure how to size properly.<div></div>

[markklobucher]

In low light without flash - paper towels - just experiments (lousy picture!). Papertowels should have had enough light from overhead ceiling lamp. In GREEN mode camera wants 1/4sec at F4.0 @ ISO 400? Point and shoot captures no problem at faster shutter. I also have another experiment of an object underneath a desk lamp which is on - some shadows but camera selects same 1/4sec F4.0. Another dark image.

 

Actually as I type this I think AUTO ISO is limited to 400 (it was). Maybe camera doesn't allow speed to go below 1/4sec? Point and shoot doesn't need high ISO.

 

Is that much light lost in the lens vs. point and shoot of film?

 

Or is something wrong?

 

If go to other modes so the image is light enough, camera flashes telling me overexposed - it is consistant as it should be.

 

K10D (firmware 1.3)

18-55mm kit lens<div></div>

[jgredline]

Personally, I fixed mine today...I reinstalled v1.3

It must not have installed right..It is working great now..Perhaps you should try that to yours.

[rose_duclos]

It doesn't make sense that you're shooting ISO 400 on such a clear day and so slowly too. I know when I first got my camera - I was using a 28-80 zoom - (not a great lens) - and I was having lots of issues with lighting and just about everything else under the sun. I'm still very much a learner here (less than a month).

 

For me, switching to a prime lens - the 50 mm f1.4 - has helped exponentially. while on the slow zoom - indoors I had to use the flash - now, indoors, I'm only making sure that I set the right 'light-type'-- it's becoming more and more 'rare' to hit that 'flash' button. (thank goodness - not great results from the 'basic' flash)

 

 

I'm including one that I took this morning - used a tripod, and the 50 mm - indoors - wanted to see if I could photograph fire. (kitchen natural-lit- minimal lighting besides subject)

 

my camera, these days, is set on "P". The shutter speed was 1/45s, F2, ISO 400.<div></div>

[michael_kuhne]

Mark, your exposures do not seem excessively underexposed to me, considering the settings and conditions. The goose appears to be about right on. Any more exposure, you'd lose detail in the white feathers. Any less, the shadows would blacken and close up.

 

The outdoor scene is of a dreary, dark day, and is backlit by a brighter sky behind shadowed trees. Cameras always exhibit more contrast and less shadow detail than the human eye. The camera more or less averages what it "sees" and may not always compensate enough for backlighting of a brighter sky where the light is coming from behind the trees. Thus the trees are dark. A person's face looking towards you would also likely be a bit dark with the light behind them. That is one reason for exposure compensation control. About +1 would lighten and bring out detail in the trees and water, or use a graduated neutral-density filter for the sky.