K200D - is it me or is it a lemon?

[mattdm]

Be aware that bright mode can really distort human-made colors like bright blue or bright red paints or plastic, especially under fluorescent lights. They'll look unnatural and may even have blown-out detail.

[suzanne pollard]

Yeah, hi there, I would really love this camera to be OK and would love to get the results I get with my little IST DL, but it just doesn't seem to want to play the game. Hope someone can help so I can figure this out and start getting some great shots like I have with the IST DL!

[suzanne pollard]

Originally Posted by drewdlephone

I think part of the issue at play here is the PRIME engine. It's been noted on dpreview.com and other camera review sites that the JPEG engine in the K200 can bungle the raw information the camera is recording. What I would recommend is trying some test shots in DNG raw format, with everything set to automatic, and see what you get out of it. Then compare those shots with the same exercise on the ist*D. You mentioned that you toyed with the ISO and white balance. Did you also check your image formats? You said you're shooting in JPEG, which is fine, but is your color space set to SRGB and not AdobeRGB? This can make a world of difference, depending on what software you're using to view/manipulate the shots.

As to actual performance, I can't say my camera has had the same issues. It has some trouble with incandescent lighting, but then again, I've yet to see a camera that doesn't. Most of the time, what I see is what I get. And sometimes, what I get turns out even better. I always shoot with the lowest practical ISO for the conditions, in full manual mode in Auto White Balance, in DNG with the SRGB color space, and then I adjust the white balance if necessary with Aperture, but typically, I don't need to do much.

I hope that helps a little. Perhaps you got a lemon after all? Or perhaps the glass on the Sigma lens isn't as good as the glass in the DA18-55II? I'm not familliar with that lens, but I know that the little Pentax number is one of the best kit lenses out there.

Thanks Drew, yes I do shoot with camera on sRGB as it seems to make the colour a little better than Adobe RGB. The main trouble i have is with sunsets as it won't pick up the actual sun, just a yellow light, whereas the ist takes beautful sunsets just on 'landscape' mode, no fiddling etc. Some of the shots on the k200 turn out very overexposed, with the metering on multi or centreweighted. Not sure what else I can try but will try some shots with the tips you have given me and see how it goes.

[suzanne pollard]

Thanx, yes my IST DL also has a sigma lens, exactly the same as the one I have on the K200. I also have a Sigma 70-300 DL macro super lens and have used it on both cameras, but the K200 still has the same probs and the IST DL takes beautiful shots with both lenses on. I will post some photos on tomorrow for comparison to show you what I mean.

[suzanne pollard]

Originally Posted by Mallee Boy

To Suzanne: pictures please, it is impossible to make any comment otherwise. Trying a different lens (if you have one) mandatory.

To Vincent: ...but what was there mate...which one of the three represents accurately what you saw? That is the real test.

Cheers.

Will try to get some comparison shots up tomorrow to give you an idea what I'm talking about.

[Marc Sabatella]

Originally Posted by suzanne pollard

The main trouble i have is with sunsets as it won't pick up the actual sun, just a yellow light, whereas the ist takes beautful sunsets just on 'landscape' mode, no fiddling etc.

It' a bit unfair to judge a camera based on what happens when you pont it directly at the sun. Taking pictures of the sun without fiddling should not normally result in perfect exposures. That's *way* too great a dynamic range for any camera to reproduce correctly. So some sort of compromise has to be made. I'd compeltely put that aside and concentrate on pictures of "normal" subjects in your comparisons (and then learn how to adjust exposure to get the shots you want when you *are* taking pictures of the sun).

And with respect to other shots, I agree with others: if you prefer to more saturated colors you got from your *ist, change the K200D from "natural" to "bright" mode and/or increase the saturation control, and be done with it.

[Das Boot]

I'm not sure if you can change this in landscape mode or not, but are you sure that the AE locked to AF point isn't set? I believe that would change the metering altogether whether it's set to center weight, spot, or matrix.

-Brian

[suzanne pollard]

Hi there, I give up and have to ask for help on how to download some sample shots to this topic of discussion. I'm new to this and this is the first time I've been on the site. Have had a look through and am a bit lost as to how to get some pics up on here. Any help appreciated......p.s. could you use baby talk? ie select this, press ok etc etc. as i'm a little technologically challenged with this sort of stuff....thanx suz

[jeffkrol]

Originally Posted by suzanne pollard

Hi there, I give up and have to ask for help on how to download some sample shots to this topic of discussion. I'm new to this and this is the first time I've been on the site. Have had a look through and am a bit lost as to how to get some pics up on here. Any help appreciated......p.s. could you use baby talk? ie select this, press ok etc etc. as i'm a little technologically challenged with this sort of stuff....thanx suz

If you don't have your own web space or don't want to bother w FTP just go here and download them to the gallery:
Post your photos! - PentaxForums.com
OR:
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/p...st-photos.html

[maxwell1295]

I have 2 K200D's and was tempted to pick up a 3rd (I do a lot of event shooting with 2 bodies).

I love this camera. It has some drawbacks, but IQ isn't one of them. I could go for a bigger buffer but that's about it. I shoot raw for the most part and JPEGs when I'm just tooling around and too lazy to process them. I always shoot in "Natural" mode (sRGB) with the sliders set to neutral. When I do shoot JPEG, I have never noticed anything strange about the photos.

As others have suggested, maybe posting a few images along with the in-camera settings will give some clues as to what is wrong with your photos.

[Mallee Boy]

Hi Suzanne,
This is how I do it:

First save your photos as jpeg . Then re-size to a max of 800 pixels width or height.

Having done that, in the reply screen scroll down to Additional Options > Attach Files > Manage Attachments.
Click on "Manage Attachments".
Select photos by using Browse button and upload.

Look forward to seeing them.

[Mallee Boy]

....almost forgot this.

I bought a P&S a couple of years back that gave me dis-appointing results straight out of the box. I used the re-set function and all was solved.

So with the benefit of that hindsight I refer you to Pages 219 -221 of your K200D manual. Try that. Apologies if you have already done this.

It is not beyond possibility that someone has had a play with your camera before it got to you.

Cheers.

[Maffer]

I would say that the Sigma lens could be the culprit here. My Pentax kit lenses which came with the k200d seem to render every shot with more vivid colors than the Sigma ones I own (10-20mm & 70mm macro) using the exactly same settings on the camera. However it's not a showstopper for me and can be dealt with post processing if saturation is really needed.

[SpecialK]

Be aware that bright mode can really distort human-made colors like bright blue or bright red paints or plastic, especially under fluorescent lights. They'll look unnatural and may even have blown-out detail.

I had my K100D on "Bright" for a while until an image of a womans pink sweater and blue pants almost burned my retina with a neon glow.

[beequick]

Originally Posted by Maffer

I would say that the Sigma lens could be the culprit here. My Pentax kit lenses which came with the k200d seem to render every shot with more vivid colors than the Sigma ones I own (10-20mm & 70mm macro) using the exactly same settings on the camera. However it's not a showstopper for me and can be dealt with post processing if saturation is really needed.

After 2 months owning the Pentax, I concur. The lens makes a huge difference in saturation and in general picture quality.

I love my K200D with my old SMC Pentax 1.4 manual lens and my super takumar 50 1.8 and all the other manuals i own.

My kit lens....meh, it is just not as fun as the old school manuals.