bobmartin

As a result of getting underexposed images when shooting yesterday I did some checking today and found the following.... Taking both incident and reflected light readings using my Variosix F meter and the camera meter in viewfinder mode, the result for all three was at ISO100 f8 @ 1/15... The resulting image was again grossly under exposed. Switching to Live View, the camera meter reading was ISO100 f8 @ 2.5 secs.. which gave a correctly exposed image. Can anyone please explain this as I am completely baffled.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Have you been using the bracketing feature lately? Maybe you forgot to turn it off?

chaman

What you were taking images of and what were the lighting conditions then?

Larrymc Loc: Mississippi

I own both a K-50 and a K-1 the K-50 is similar to the K-500 with the K-500 being a bit more limited. Live View meters differently than viewfinder metering because of the different sensors employed in different modes here is a link to a discussion on your problem with reference to the K-5 http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/115-pentax-k-5/171781-exposure-metering-different-liveview-versus-viewfinder.html You didn't mention your ISO setting which could affect your results. Try setting your ISO to manual(I'm pretty sure the K-500 has that capability). Also try setting your metering to spot metering and check to see if its still doing the under exposure thing. I'm pretty sure exposure compensation affects both live view and viewfinder the same but check it any how to make sure you have it set correctly. If all else fails do a reset to get back to default.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I hope you understand that unless you are photographing a subject with a middle tonality the readings between an incident meter and a reflected meter are going to be different. If you are using an AUTO mode you have to make sure that EC is not on.
Meter off a gray card in sunlight making sure you do not cast a shadow on the card. A gray card will shine in sunlight and it will inflate the reading so avoid that.
If you set the ISO en camera to 100 (or 200) in Manual Mode and use center weighted or spot metering off the card you should have an exposure of f16-1/100 of a sec. It will be 1/200 if you use ISO 200. It is as simple as using an f16 aperture and just watch the exposure the camera suggests.
If it is off you need calibration of the meter.
I want to tell you that I cannot remember with digital when I ever had to send a camera to have the meter calibrated.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Where did he go? Did he fall off the face of the earth? What happened to his camera?

bobmartin

Hi guys... Sorry ..I thought I'd replied but obviously I hadn't...but thanks to everyone who responded.... Second mistake is that having read the replies and my original post I fear that I have not been clear enough to convey what the problem actually was...So I think it best to forget it and I'll try and repost one that makes sense along with some images later... Thanks again..