Dark pictures Pentax K-s1: Hi all. Newbie here and beginner in photography. I would like to ask a question. Just bought the Pentax K-s1 as per title, but I have 2 main issues. the...

mrbacco Loc: dublin

Hi all. Newbie here and beginner in photography. I would like to ask a question.
Just bought the Pentax K-s1 as per title, but I have 2 main issues.
[1] the photos are very dark in auto mode and using the viewfinder. In LV mode are good. Why is that?
[1] in manual or AV is a bit better . I played with exposure and shutter and I get an average quality. BUT when I put the LV on they are completely white [like taking a picture of a white cloud under the sun]

Thanks for reading

Kishka Loc: Grafton, WI

Post your questions on pentaxforums.com for a wider audience of Pentax users, especially with the K-S1. It's an excellent source of data and tips.
Good luck!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Post an original JPEG for each of your results 'dark auto' and only slightly better manual. These image files will have EXIF data letting us inspect the camera settings and hopefully identify the cause and correction. Be sure to store the files as attachments.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Welcome. Sorry, I can't help with your issue.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Check your exposure compensation setting (should be 0) and check to see if you have exposure bracketing activated. Changing from viewfinder to viewscreen shouldn't affect the exposure.

mrbacco Loc: dublin

thanks, these are two examples, I use a lens tamrom AF 70-300 I bought for my pentax K-01. I also noticed there are black dots in the picture maybe is the lens ?. Not sure if I am using the right lens as well? Or does it also have to do with the SD card which is an SD XC I ?

(Download)

mrbacco Loc: dublin

cheers

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Exposure bias in both is 3.3. The only thing that would cause the exposure to jump about is bracketing, unless you're using manual mode and not centering the meter marker properly.

(EDIT - Spot metering can cause the exposure to jump if it meters on a dark object one time and on a bright object the next time, but it doesn't look like that's what's happening to you).

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

mrbacco wrote:

thanks, these are two examples, I use a lens tamrom AF 70-300 I bought for my pentax K-01. I also noticed there are black dots in the picture maybe is the lens ?. Not sure if I am using the right lens as well? Or does it also have to do with the SD card which is an SD XC I ?

The darker image reports:

Exposure program - Landscape and Exposure mode - Manual. The lens reports successfully to the camera and the ISO is set to ISO-1600. Exposure compensation is +3.3.

The second brighter image reports Exposure program - Aperture Priority and Exposure mode - Manual. The lens reports successfully to the camera and the ISO is set to ISO-20,000. Exposure compensation is +3.3.

Both images use Spot Metering.

Without being there to handle the camera with you in-person, try the following:

1) Put the camera into AUTO-ISO.
2) Set Exposure Compensation to +0.7
3) Change metering to Matrix

From here, begin to re-investigate the camera. Say in Aperture Priority, try shooting initially at f/8. Check results and continue from there.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

For sensor dust, run the camera's self-clean function, if available. From there, consider this demonstration using a Giotto Rocket-Air: An exercise in sensor cleaning

mrbacco Loc: dublin

CHG_CANON wrote:

The darker image reports: br br Exposure program ... (show quote)

Hi, thanks again for the suggestions and very sorry to bug you all!
Attached 4 more examples: same subject, 3 minutes delay between the first and the last photo. AV mode, auto-ISO and started with exposure +0.7 up to 3.3.

Also, additional comment here: as a newbie my understanding is that in AUTO mode the camera should shoot proper pictures and not dark images, or not? Thanks again all.

(Download)

mrbacco Loc: dublin

R.G. wrote:

Exposure bias in both is 3.3. The only thing that would cause the exposure to jump about is bracketing, unless you're using manual mode and not centering the meter marker properly.

(EDIT - Spot metering can cause the exposure to jump if it meters on a dark object one time and on a bright object the next time, but it doesn't look like that's what's happening to you).

Centering the meter might also be an issue here, but why in Live Mode [LV] the camera shoots good quality picture with the same settings? I also read there is a known issue with pentax camera K30/K-50 etc... the solenoid is not responding properly therefore the aperture is not performed? This could be the case as well? Thanks a mill ...

mrbacco Loc: dublin

Kishka wrote:

Post your questions on pentaxforums.com for a wider audience of Pentax users, especially with the K-S1. It's an excellent source of data and tips.
Good luck!

Thanks! :-)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

mrbacco wrote:

.....the solenoid is not responding properly therefore the aperture is not performed?.....

To test that idea you would have to take several shots where ISO, shutter speed and EC stay the same but you change aperture. I think you'd have to be in manual mode and come out of Auto ISO for that.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I don't have a Pentax to compare on my side, both for how the camera performs nor how the EXIF reports. Typically, when the ISO is AUTO-ISO, this setting is reflected in EXIF "auto ISO" along with the actual ISO the camera selected for the image. Also, digital cameras will tend to slow the shutterspeed before raising the ISO. Both these examples report 1/125 at ISO levels of ISO-800 and ISO-6400. It would seem there's a camera setting that is the root-cause, but is not obvious to the non Pentax crowd. You might revisit your manual to understand if the documentation covers why the camera reports both Exposure Mode - Manual and Exposure Program - Aperture-priority AE. Or, why is the shutterspeed fixed at 1/125?