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03-06-2013, 11:40 PM   #1
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Inconsistemt shutter speed reporting

Hm,

Am I going nuts? Just now I was taking a pic with the kit lens (attached- slight crop only). On the top LCD it was reporting around 1/60 - 1/125. In the viewfinder display it was reporting 1/13 - 1/15. The exif data says 1/13 and the blurriness would support this (handheld).

Does the top number mean something other than shutter speed in P mode on the K5-II ?? Or is there a bug? Fixable with firmware update?

03-06-2013, 11:48 PM   #2
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Without your eye over the viewfinder, light goes in through the finder and throws off the meter.
Try looking at the top LCD while covering the finder with your hand.
Your camera should have come with a little cover for the finder which is used when using AE on a tripod for long exposures.
03-06-2013, 11:51 PM   #3
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What he said. Also, if not on a tripod, it is very easy to point the camera at different things when looking at top and then through eyepiece -- slight tilt or rotation could be the difference between bright sky and dark ground...
03-07-2013, 12:10 AM   #4
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Hmmm.. I was wondering what that little thing was for . Thanks. Just to clarify - it only affects the AE? I assume once the mirror is up, light entering the viewfinder can do no harm?

Although... 3 stops ... !! ??

I suppose it is a black subject and I had light yellow bricks nearby. (There was never any chance of sky being in the frame though - pic taken facing into my front porch.)

03-07-2013, 12:16 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by russell2pi Quote
Hmmm.. I was wondering what that little thing was for . Thanks. Just to clarify - it only affects the AE? I assume once the mirror is up, light entering the viewfinder can do no harm?
Yeah, sun shines in the viewfinder and screws up the metering. Doesn't affect the shot per se.

QuoteQuote:
Although... 3 stops ... !! ??
If the sun is at your back and you move out of the way, it shines right in the viewfinder -- effect can be big.
03-07-2013, 12:39 AM   #6
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Ok... I just went outside to check it out and Swift1 is spot on.

Thanks !!
03-07-2013, 12:59 AM   #7
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So - next question... if I'm shooting on a tripod with 2-sec self timer, will it meter after it's lifted the mirror (blocking the light from the viewfinder)? Same with mirror lockup mode I guess? (I haven't tried that one yet.) What about with a remote and no delay - could it potentially underexpose by metering before the mirror has gone up?

I would like to avoid mucking around with such a fiddly little thing as that cover if at all possible.

03-07-2013, 01:08 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by russell2pi Quote
So - next question... if I'm shooting on a tripod with 2-sec self timer, will it meter after it's lifted the mirror (blocking the light from the viewfinder)? Same with mirror lockup mode I guess? (I haven't tried that one yet.) What about with a remote and no delay - could it potentially underexpose by metering before the mirror has gone up?
Using it on a tripod with a delay or remote is precisely the reason for that stupid little thing. It can't meter once the mirror is up, so it is always just before it goes up. Just shade it with your hand without touching the camera -- it doesn't have to be light-tight, just blocking any major light coming in the back. If you are going to stand away from the camera with a remote and not use the viewfinder at all for a series of shots, then definitely use the viewfinder cover. The other option if the lighting is consistent is to meter first, and then put it in manual mode with those settings and then it won't matter if light gets in or not since it won't be auto-adjusting...
03-07-2013, 02:11 AM   #9
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Hmm... or use live view? Or AE lock pressed with the eye over the hole?
03-07-2013, 11:45 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by russell2pi Quote
if I'm shooting on a tripod with 2-sec self timer
If you're not working in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment--if you're working slow and methodical, why not use M mode to set the perfect exposure?
03-08-2013, 02:04 PM   #11
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Generally just use my hand as described by vonBaloney but have at times used tape to block/unblock the viewfinder. johnyates has a great point to manually lock the exposure though that doesn't "fix" the problem of light leaking in through the viewfinder (does that effect just the exposure values or the exposure itself as it did on old film cameras?)
03-10-2013, 03:37 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by johnyates Quote
If you're not working in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment--if you're working slow and methodical, why not use M mode to set the perfect exposure?
Because generally I find it easier to do a trial shot with AE (and perhaps a best guess compensation), review the histogram, and the adjust the compensation if and only if necessary. Plus, often I'm undecided about the best amount of DOF (and don't trust the viewfinder or LCD to allow me to judge) so will want to bracket by aperture and for me the quickest way to do that is the previous sentence, and then dial in the different apertures I want to try. I can do the math for how much to change shutter speed vs f-stop to keep a constant exposure but I struggle to be creative at the best of times, let alone while trying to do mental arithmetic at the same time.
03-10-2013, 10:15 AM   #13
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You and I have a different concept of "easier" I guess
I'm a relic from the film days--so for me manual is my default mode.
But as for your tripod situation - I'e found metering in live view to be the most accurate.
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