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03-19-2015, 03:02 PM   #1
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K5 II s overexposing in extreme cold??

Dear Fellow Pentaxians.

I'm hoping you can set my anxieties to rest, or tell me what i need to do if there is a problem. I stopped in Boston MA (on my way to celebrate my mother's 86th!), and braved the cold to snap a few photos. It was crazily windy and bitterly cold and extremely bright. My shots were extremely over exposed, even after I cranked the exposure compensation way down. My amateur guess was that it was just too cold for the camera and the shutter was slow.

Information and advice would be gratefully appreciated.

JVA

03-19-2015, 03:06 PM   #2
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Please post some pictures with exif intact for reference. What lens was used? What temps? Perhaps the lens was just not stopping down fully due to the cold affectinf the aperture oils?
03-19-2015, 03:11 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by jva59 Quote
My amateur guess was that it was just too cold for the camera and the shutter was slow.
More likely a lens problem. Aperture blades might be sticking. Try it again in warm conditions and see if it works now.
03-19-2015, 03:11 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by jva59 Quote
Dear Fellow Pentaxians.

I'm hoping you can set my anxieties to rest, or tell me what i need to do if there is a problem. I stopped in Boston MA (on my way to celebrate my mother's 86th!), and braved the cold to snap a few photos. It was crazily windy and bitterly cold and extremely bright. My shots were extremely over exposed, even after I cranked the exposure compensation way down. My amateur guess was that it was just too cold for the camera and the shutter was slow.

Information and advice would be gratefully appreciated.

JVA
If it was below the specified operating temp (-10C / 14F), then it's possible that the shutter and/or lens diaphragm wasn't operating properly, especially if you weren't using a WR lens.


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03-19-2015, 03:11 PM   #5
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My bet is that the aperture blades in your lens have a small amount of oil on them, which is increasing in viscosity under colder temperature conditions and hampering the ability of the lens to stop down during exposure. This would let in more light than the camera is expecting, resulting in overexposure. My theory is that under more normal/warmer temperatures, the oil problem isn't yet significant enough to noticeably hamper the lens performance.
03-19-2015, 03:12 PM   #6
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Did you have the flash on and get trapped at 1/180th of a second shutter speed?
03-19-2015, 03:25 PM   #7
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I also guess a dirty aperture in the lens as that is the exact behavior of one in cold weather. I've never had a Pentax DSLR body facing trouble in cold like that.

03-19-2015, 04:04 PM   #8
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My Samyang 85mm won't work in cold temps - the blades start sticking due to the cold (if I swap lenses, the other lens works fine under the same conditions). I'm guessing its a lens problem like I have.
03-19-2015, 04:49 PM   #9
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Thanks, guys. It is an old A series lens. It occurred to me that stopping down might be the issue after posting. I let the camera warm up and tried a few tests. Much better.
03-24-2015, 12:54 PM   #10
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Yeah, I've been out in some VERY cold weather -10F for good periods and it's always the battery which gives out first. I just swap with one from a pocket. The lens hasn't been a problem, but I'm using the 18-135 most of the time in that weather. I can see the A series getting a bit sluggish, if that lubrication starts to gel.
03-29-2015, 01:00 PM   #11
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Problem returned at higher temperatures, and I did the obvious thing: tried another lens (as traveling and only had one to hand) which worked fine. The problem lens was still under warranty from KEH, to which I've returned it.
03-29-2015, 01:10 PM   #12
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I had the same problem with my K-5IIs with certain lenses like the 20-40mm f2.8-4 . Seems like the shutter gets stuck under extreme cold situations. What I do is turn the Mode Dial to a different setting for example from "P" to "AV" and the problem goes away.
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