[heartattackandvine]

Hey folks, I'd love you're advice.

Take a look at these two photos - both taken within minutes, using the same method (green button in full manual mode), with very different results.
These are exported from lightroom as shot (from RAW) with no fiddling.

K5 DA17-70 53mm f8.0 1/500 ISO 100


K5 K 50mm 1.4 around f8.0 1/320 ISO 100


I've previously been a film shooter (MX), and very much still learning the K5 world. Since day one, I've felt that the K5 underexposes everything. I've read a few of the threads about exposure compensation, and often run +2/3. Not sure if that's the best solution though. I also have a DA12-24 and some other K lenses, so am curious whether these exposure issues would be unique for each lens?

To me, the old K 50mm result is what I'm used to (and what I prefer).

Why does this happen, and how can I best resolve it?

Thanks for your help!

[carrrlangas]

Where you using Spot metering with both lenses? The K-5 will use spot metering with K, M or A lenses no matter what you select on the body

[jbinpg]

I thought the default metering mode for non-auto lenses was center-weighted metering, not spot?

[awaldram]

Looks to me

1 = Matrix metering
2 = Center Metering

In addition though you may prefer 2 it is technically over exposed there is visible clipping in the clouds.
i.e image 2 has less captured destail than 1

[carrrlangas]

I thought the default metering mode for non-auto lenses was center-weighted metering, not spot?

you are right. let me rephrase:
With M, K or A lenses the lens wil use center-weight if you select matrix evalutive. Center-weight and spot metering both work.

[heartattackandvine]

I was using center weighted metering, which is what I typically use. Both metered as framed (so, mostly sky).
Perhaps I should move back to spot metering and meter from something medium brightness before framing and shooting.

That's the way I used to shoot with the MX body, but things have changed while I get used to all the extra things to think about on K5.

It still seems strange to me that the there's probably 1.0+ or more difference in exposure between these two.

@Awaldram, yep, you're right, clouds are a blown, and this image is pushed a little too far for me, but I certainly prefer the detail in the subject as opposed to the darkness in the other photo. I know - I can recover detail from shadows in post, but I'd like to get exposure as close to 'right' as I can in camera.

[Nacho_tyr]

The old lenses sometimes close the diaphragm slower than the shutter speed, resulting in a real major opening during the photo, producing the inconsistency with the modern lens