[everydaylife]

Just got a da15 ltd. The widest lens I have is the 43 so when I put it on the camera and looked through the viewfinder I nearly fell over. Completely different perspective to what I am used to.

I have two questions. I have the K5 and I have found that I have to dial in plus one exposure compensation. Is this normal for this lens? Also the shake reduction symbol in the view finder appears regardless of shutter speed but shouldn't this only appear below 1/15s, when it is needed?

[Quicksand]

I have the K5 and I have found that I have to dial in plus one exposure compensation. Is this normal for this lens?

Not for me -- I find that default exposure (using matrix metering) works very well in most scenarios, except perhaps in special cases like shooting toward the sun.

Also the shake reduction symbol in the view finder appears regardless of shutter speed but shouldn't this only appear below 1/15s, when it is needed?

I think this is perfectly normal for all lenses. SR doesn't ever deactivate, regardless of shutter speed.

[JinDesu]

What metering method are you using? Spot, center weighted, or the last one that I don't remember the name of?

[everydaylife]

Thanks for the help. Ahh, metering using wide angle lenses. Maybe that is the reason. I am so used to using short tele lenses that I usually use center weighted average except for special situations. Perhaps for WA lenses matrix is best.

[SpecialK]

No, and no. Matrix metering. Never ever use spot metering (except for a couples days in the desert by accident, which worked out OK as everything there is mid-tones...)

[everydaylife]

No, and no. Matrix metering. Never ever use spot metering (except for a couples days in the desert by accident, which worked out OK as everything there is mid-tones...)

Did you post the same time as I did? You mean spot no, CWA no, Almost always use matrix?

[SpecialK]

Did you post the same time as I did? You mean spot no, CWA no, Almost always use matrix?

Sorry, I committed a "no quote" faux pas. No and no to the OP's 2 questions. I once shot CW for a few days then matrix for a few days and compared the overall results. Very similar, but matrix seemed more consistent. Spot metering is really for users who are familiar with the zone system.

[alstauffer]

Spot metering is really for users who are familiar with the zone system.

I almost always use spot metering and I've never heard of the zone system?

I haven't had the DA 15 for too long, but I haven't found exposure comp necessary on K-7 or K-x, for more than 1/3 eV, scene dependent.

[wjjstu]

I tend to avoid spot metering with my 15... there's just too much in the viewfinder and it's so small.

[Lowell Goudge]

I find that with ani ultra wide there is so much in the scene that it is hard to capture all of it withi. The dynamic range of the sensor. I use highlight and shadow detail preserve on the K5 frequently.

As to accuracy, try shooting against a uniformly lit block wall and see where the histogram peaks. If it is the middle you are just fine

[Marc Sabatella]

I use center weighted all the time, and in mixed liting conditions I am just careful to meter on something reasonably - eg, meter and lock exposure while pointing at an area that is solidly the amount of light I am trying to exposre for, then reframe and shoot.

With normal or telephoto lenses, many scenes you point at will have only a single light source - you're either looking at the light or shadow part of a scene, not both at once. And the light source itself is rarely in the scene unless you go out of your way to make it so. That means you can often just point and shoot with either matrix or center weighted metering and do OK.

The only issue with the DA15 is the same as with any very wide lens - when such a large field of view, almost everything is mixed light. And the light source is very often often in the scene. So pointing and shooting will very often result in underexposure of a large amount of the scene. Since I am already in the bphabit of locking exposure while looking directly into the light or the shadow, it's no big stretch for me to remember to do this with the Da15, but framing a scene such that it is mostly light or mostly shadow is often difficult. Nothing a understand, combined with trial and error, can't handle, though. Again, just a fact of life when dealing with wide angles.

[everydaylife]

I use center weighted all the time, and in mixed liting conditions I am just careful to meter on something reasonably - eg, meter and lock exposure while pointing at an area that is solidly the amount of light I am trying to exposre for, then reframe and shoot.

With normal or telephoto lenses, many scenes you point at will have only a single light source - you're either looking at the light or shadow part of a scene, not both at once. And the light source itself is rarely in the scene unless you go out of your way to make it so. That means you can often just point and shoot with either matrix or center weighted metering and do OK.

The only issue with the DA15 is the same as with any very wide lens - when such a large field of view, almost everything is mixed light. And the light source is very often often in the scene. So pointing and shooting will very often result in underexposure of a large amount of the scene. Since I am already in the bphabit of locking exposure while looking directly into the light or the shadow, it's no big stretch for me to remember to do this with the Da15, but framing a scene such that it is mostly light or mostly shadow is often difficult. Nothing a understand, combined with trial and error, can't handle, though. Again, just a fact of life when dealing with wide angles.

All good points. I realised what was happening the second time I went out with the 15. That because of the large field of view a large expanse of bright sky was in view in many shots which was causing under exposure.

I have never used exposure lock but I will certainly try with this lens

Thanks for the advice