Still having light problems

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 11:55 AM

Ok, purchased the Bower SFD926P Flash and due to it being so high teck, really not using it. But now my problem is gotten even worse. I have sense learned a LOT more about my camera but still feel like I am an idiot. I went out and purchased two more lenses... Pentax-DA L 1:4-5.9 55-300 and the Pentax DA 1:2.8 50-135. Some time ago I was having problems shooting at barrel races due to the low lighting (indoor). That was using the 18-55 lens. Now when I shoot, with the other lenses, it is MUCH darker. Again, I am trying to stop the action so the picture does not look blurred or out of focus. And now I have also moved on to outdoor football under big lights... well not actually the football but my daughter is also a cheerleader. I am having to have the ISO all the way up to 1600. I shot one last week at 1/180 @ f5.6 with focal length at 75 and it still came out dark.

Here are two shots... Volleyball shot is 1/150 @f4.5 ISO 800 Focal length 45mm The Cheer shot is 1/180 @f5.6 Focal Length at 75 and 1600 ISO. Both pictures I used the 50-135 lens.

I have become real familiar with Lightroom and am able to fix the contrast and exposure, but when I do this, the picture is real grainy and just don't not turn out 100%.

Anyone have any pointers that I might be able to use... Again I am using a Pentax K10

Thanks

Last edited by Sargmaster; 10-14-2012 at 12:24 PM.

**newmikey** · 10-14-2012, 12:08 PM

exif info is missing from the files. Can you post it?

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 12:14 PM

I am sorry what is exif

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 12:17 PM

Resending

**newmikey** · 10-14-2012, 12:22 PM

EXIF is short for Exchangeable Image File, a format that is a standard for storing interchange information in digital photography image files using JPEG compression. Almost all new digital cameras use the EXIF annotation, storing information on the image such as shutter speed, exposure compensation, F number, what metering system was used, if a flash was used, ISO number, date and time the image was taken, whitebalance, auxiliary lenses that were used and resolution. Some images may even store GPS information so you can easily see where the images were taken!

With that information people here can analyze your shots and pinpoint the probable cause of the issue you are having. The program you are using to resize your images strips out this information when saving. Either use an exif viewer (Google) to store the info and post it here or use something else to resize your images.

**newmikey** · 10-14-2012, 12:29 PM

Sorry, still no exif. Have a look with a viewer and copy/paste the text info in here maybe?

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 12:29 PM

Well I can see it in my jpg, but don't see it here when I view through the website

**newmikey** · 10-14-2012, 12:35 PM

As I said: copy in in a texteditor and then paste it here. What viewer are you using? I can recommend IrfanView (if you're on Windows), Gwenview (on Linux). Both have options to copy/paste the exif. PhotoMe (Windows again) is also very nice.

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 12:38 PM

Ok, one more time then if it does not work I will cut and paste. Would like to figure it out... Using lightroom4 to do it

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 12:40 PM

This is crazy, when I look at the saved jpg (from the original RAW) I can see all the info you are talking about. But when I upload it, it does not show for some reason.

The volleyball is the one on the right and the cheer is the one on the left.

alohadave · 10-14-2012, 12:52 PM

Both are wicked under exposed. Is your flash actually firing? All I'm seeing is ambient light shots.

What mode are you shooting in? Manual, Av, Tv, Auto? Is the flash pTTL?

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 12:56 PM

Not using a flash due to how far I am away with the cheer. The Volleyball puts a bad glare all over the place. The foreground is clear and the background is real dark. Doesn't make a good picture.

alohadave · 10-14-2012, 01:08 PM

Originally posted by Sargmaster

Not using a flash due to how far I am away with the cheer. The Volleyball puts a bad glare all over the place. The foreground is clear and the background is real dark. Doesn't make a good picture.

Both are dark venues. You need to use a slower shutter speed to gather more light. The lenses you are using aren't particularly fast, and that isn't helping your situation.

With slow lenses, in dark areas, without flash, you are going to have blurry shots, you have to take a lot of shots and pick ones that come out well. Shots that are at the peak of action, or in between action will tend to be better. Some blurring is not necessarily a bad thing if it shows the flow of action.

Because you'll need to bump your ISO, you'll have noise (especially on a K10D), but you can use noise reduction to help with that.

So, increase your ISO, lower your shutter speed, and take lots of shots.

**newmikey** · 10-14-2012, 01:10 PM

You are shooting on M(anual) and using spot metering. These issues cause your problems. As with most SLRs, three metering methods are available on the Pentax K10D: Multi-segment, Center-Weighted, and Spot. All are accessed through the Metering mode lever below the exposure mode dial on the left side of the Pentax K10D's top panel.

In Multi-segment mode, the camera takes an exposure reading from many segments and chooses the best exposure based on brightness and contrast across much of the scene. Center-Weighted metering reads from the center of the frame, but from a fairly large area. Center-Weighted mode is automatically selected instead of Multi-segment mode, if a lens other than a DA, DA L, D FA, FA J, FA, F, or A lens is mounted, or when the lens aperture ring is set at other than "A."

Spot metering simply reads the exposure from the very center of the image, so you can pinpoint the specific area of the photograph you want properly exposed. (Spot metering is very handy when you have a subject that's backlit, or that has a very different brightness, either lighter or darker, than the background.)

Solution is simple: change to one of the programmed metering modes (P, Tv, Av, TAv) and change to multi-segment or center-weighed metering and all will be well.

Sargmaster · 10-14-2012, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by alohadave

Because you'll need to bump your ISO, you'll have noise (especially on a K10D), but you can use noise reduction to help with that.

So, increase your ISO, lower your shutter speed, and take lots of shots.

Even with the ISO up to 1600, and yes lots of noise, the picture still come out dark. The shutter speed is set as low as it will go and I take LOTS of pictures. Over 1000 in the first half of the game... then I get so frustrated that I stop taking them.

Now you said that my lenses are not that fast... that is what I was thinking. I just purchased the Pentax-DA L 1:4-5.9 55-300 a few days ago and not happy with it due to the fact I can't get lower than f4.5. Do you have any lenses in mind that I could look at.

10-14-2012, 11:55 AM	#1
Sargmaster New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17	Still having light problems Ok, purchased the Bower SFD926P Flash and due to it being so high teck, really not using it. But now my problem is gotten even worse. I have sense learned a LOT more about my camera but still feel like I am an idiot. I went out and purchased two more lenses... Pentax-DA L 1:4-5.9 55-300 and the Pentax DA 1:2.8 50-135. Some time ago I was having problems shooting at barrel races due to the low lighting (indoor). That was using the 18-55 lens. Now when I shoot, with the other lenses, it is MUCH darker. Again, I am trying to stop the action so the picture does not look blurred or out of focus. And now I have also moved on to outdoor football under big lights... well not actually the football but my daughter is also a cheerleader. I am having to have the ISO all the way up to 1600. I shot one last week at 1/180 @ f5.6 with focal length at 75 and it still came out dark. Here are two shots... Volleyball shot is 1/150 @f4.5 ISO 800 Focal length 45mm The Cheer shot is 1/180 @f5.6 Focal Length at 75 and 1600 ISO. Both pictures I used the 50-135 lens. I have become real familiar with Lightroom and am able to fix the contrast and exposure, but when I do this, the picture is real grainy and just don't not turn out 100%. Anyone have any pointers that I might be able to use... Again I am using a Pentax K10 Thanks Last edited by Sargmaster; 10-14-2012 at 12:24 PM.

10-14-2012, 12:38 PM	#9
Sargmaster New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Ok, one more time then if it does not work I will cut and paste. Would like to figure it out... Using lightroom4 to do it Attached Images

10-14-2012, 12:40 PM	#10
Sargmaster New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Original Poster	This is crazy, when I look at the saved jpg (from the original RAW) I can see all the info you are talking about. But when I upload it, it does not show for some reason. The volleyball is the one on the right and the cheer is the one on the left. Attached Images Last edited by Sargmaster; 10-14-2012 at 12:54 PM.

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10-14-2012, 12:08 PM	#2
newmikey Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,287	exif info is missing from the files. Can you post it?

10-14-2012, 12:14 PM	#3
Sargmaster New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Original Poster	I am sorry what is exif

10-14-2012, 12:17 PM	#4
Sargmaster New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Resending

10-14-2012, 12:22 PM	#5
newmikey Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,287	EXIF is short for Exchangeable Image File, a format that is a standard for storing interchange information in digital photography image files using JPEG compression. Almost all new digital cameras use the EXIF annotation, storing information on the image such as shutter speed, exposure compensation, F number, what metering system was used, if a flash was used, ISO number, date and time the image was taken, whitebalance, auxiliary lenses that were used and resolution. Some images may even store GPS information so you can easily see where the images were taken! With that information people here can analyze your shots and pinpoint the probable cause of the issue you are having. The program you are using to resize your images strips out this information when saving. Either use an exif viewer (Google) to store the info and post it here or use something else to resize your images.

10-14-2012, 12:29 PM	#6
newmikey Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,287	Sorry, still no exif. Have a look with a viewer and copy/paste the text info in here maybe?

10-14-2012, 12:35 PM	#8
newmikey Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,287	As I said: copy in in a texteditor and then paste it here. What viewer are you using? I can recommend IrfanView (if you're on Windows), Gwenview (on Linux). Both have options to copy/paste the exif. PhotoMe (Windows again) is also very nice.

10-14-2012, 12:52 PM	#11
alohadave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Quincy, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,024	Both are wicked under exposed. Is your flash actually firing? All I'm seeing is ambient light shots. What mode are you shooting in? Manual, Av, Tv, Auto? Is the flash pTTL?

10-14-2012, 12:56 PM	#12
Sargmaster New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Not using a flash due to how far I am away with the cheer. The Volleyball puts a bad glare all over the place. The foreground is clear and the background is real dark. Doesn't make a good picture.

10-14-2012, 01:08 PM	#13
alohadave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Quincy, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,024	Originally posted by Sargmaster Not using a flash due to how far I am away with the cheer. The Volleyball puts a bad glare all over the place. The foreground is clear and the background is real dark. Doesn't make a good picture. Both are dark venues. You need to use a slower shutter speed to gather more light. The lenses you are using aren't particularly fast, and that isn't helping your situation. With slow lenses, in dark areas, without flash, you are going to have blurry shots, you have to take a lot of shots and pick ones that come out well. Shots that are at the peak of action, or in between action will tend to be better. Some blurring is not necessarily a bad thing if it shows the flow of action. Because you'll need to bump your ISO, you'll have noise (especially on a K10D), but you can use noise reduction to help with that. So, increase your ISO, lower your shutter speed, and take lots of shots.

10-14-2012, 01:10 PM	#14
newmikey Site Supporter Join Date: May 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,287	You are shooting on M(anual) and using spot metering. These issues cause your problems. As with most SLRs, three metering methods are available on the Pentax K10D: Multi-segment, Center-Weighted, and Spot. All are accessed through the Metering mode lever below the exposure mode dial on the left side of the Pentax K10D's top panel. In Multi-segment mode, the camera takes an exposure reading from many segments and chooses the best exposure based on brightness and contrast across much of the scene. Center-Weighted metering reads from the center of the frame, but from a fairly large area. Center-Weighted mode is automatically selected instead of Multi-segment mode, if a lens other than a DA, DA L, D FA, FA J, FA, F, or A lens is mounted, or when the lens aperture ring is set at other than "A." Spot metering simply reads the exposure from the very center of the image, so you can pinpoint the specific area of the photograph you want properly exposed. (Spot metering is very handy when you have a subject that's backlit, or that has a very different brightness, either lighter or darker, than the background.) Solution is simple: change to one of the programmed metering modes (P, Tv, Av, TAv) and change to multi-segment or center-weighed metering and all will be well.

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10-14-2012, 01:30 PM	#15
Sargmaster New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Originally posted by alohadave Because you'll need to bump your ISO, you'll have noise (especially on a K10D), but you can use noise reduction to help with that. So, increase your ISO, lower your shutter speed, and take lots of shots. Even with the ISO up to 1600, and yes lots of noise, the picture still come out dark. The shutter speed is set as low as it will go and I take LOTS of pictures. Over 1000 in the first half of the game... then I get so frustrated that I stop taking them. Now you said that my lenses are not that fast... that is what I was thinking. I just purchased the Pentax-DA L 1:4-5.9 55-300 a few days ago and not happy with it due to the fact I can't get lower than f4.5. Do you have any lenses in mind that I could look at.