Metz 24af-1 with zoom lens give underexposed photos

vadamop · 03-26-2015, 12:32 PM

I recently bought a metz-24af-1 for pentax flash to use it with my K50 with 18-135mm lens. However the images when I zoom are underexposured. I'm talking about photos inside my home at 3 to 5 meters distance. I set the exposure compensation to +3 to take a proper photo. Do I make something wrong or the flash is defective? The flash always shows that the ttl system worked ok...

Karet · 03-26-2015, 01:36 PM

Originally posted by vadamop

I recently bought a metz-24af-1 for pentax flash to use it with my K50 with 18-135mm lens. However the images when I zoom are underexposured. I'm talking about photos inside my home at 3 to 5 meters distance. I set the exposure compensation to +3 to take a proper photo. Do I make something wrong or the flash is defective? The flash always shows that the ttl system worked ok...

I checked the reflector data:
Illumination onwards ... mm (35mm format)35
https://www.metz.de/en/flash-units/product-ranges/system-flash-units/mecabli...al-pentax.html

When you zoom out between 18 mm and 24 mm the flash does not cover the entire field of view. But you write 'when I zoom', so you probably mean you zoom in beyond 24 mm. This is probably not your problem.

Can you post a picture with intact exif?
Did you try the same picture with the pop up flash?

Regards,
Karet

vadamop · 03-26-2015, 01:49 PM

Originally posted by Karet

I checked the reflector data:
Illumination onwards ... mm (35mm format)35
https://www.metz.de/en/flash-units/product-ranges/system-flash-units/mecabli...al-pentax.html

When you zoom out between 18 mm and 24 mm the flash does not cover the entire field of view. But you write 'when I zoom', so you probably mean you zoom in beyond 24 mm. This is probably not your problem.

Can you post a picture with intact exif?
Did you try the same picture with the pop up flash?

Regards,
Karet

exactly! ..... the problem occurs when I zoom above 24mm. The same picture with pop up flash is probably exposed, while with metz is underexposed... When I get home I'll pictures with metz and pop flash to compare... I'm a beginner and I cannot understand what is going wrong...

Thanks for the reply..

Class A · 03-26-2015, 04:40 PM

Originally posted by vadamop

I recently bought a metz-24af-1 for pentax flash to use it with my K50 with 18-135mm lens. However the images when I zoom are underexposured.

Have you tried different scenes and/or bounce angles for the Metz?

If the camera picks up a reflection of the flash, it will respond with reducing the exposure.

I suggest to use manual exposure mode for the camera first to eliminate further variables and move on to Av, etc. once you know the flash is working as it should.

vadamop · 03-27-2015, 10:11 AM

I just end my test and I'm satisfied now...I downloaded the latest firmware version for K50 and clear hot shoe contacts. I tested camera with metz flash using manual mode. The pics histogram showed that the zoomed to 135mm images are brighter with popup flash than those taken by the metz. However are acceptable and after an increase to the flash power level to +1 from camera's settings , the histograms between the photos are quite the same.

That is ok and in accordance with the answer I received today from the Metz technical support "...according to our experience images which are taken with the built-in camera flash of Pentax cameras are brighter than images which are taken with an external flash in Pentax camera's hot shoe (also with original external Pentax flash units)."

thanks for the replies and suggestions.

03-26-2015, 12:32 PM	#1
vadamop New Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 7	Metz 24af-1 with zoom lens give underexposed photos I recently bought a metz-24af-1 for pentax flash to use it with my K50 with 18-135mm lens. However the images when I zoom are underexposured. I'm talking about photos inside my home at 3 to 5 meters distance. I set the exposure compensation to +3 to take a proper photo. Do I make something wrong or the flash is defective? The flash always shows that the ttl system worked ok...

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03-26-2015, 01:36 PM	#2
Karet New Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 17	Originally posted by vadamop I recently bought a metz-24af-1 for pentax flash to use it with my K50 with 18-135mm lens. However the images when I zoom are underexposured. I'm talking about photos inside my home at 3 to 5 meters distance. I set the exposure compensation to +3 to take a proper photo. Do I make something wrong or the flash is defective? The flash always shows that the ttl system worked ok... I checked the reflector data: Illumination onwards ... mm (35mm format)35 https://www.metz.de/en/flash-units/product-ranges/system-flash-units/mecabli...al-pentax.html When you zoom out between 18 mm and 24 mm the flash does not cover the entire field of view. But you write 'when I zoom', so you probably mean you zoom in beyond 24 mm. This is probably not your problem. Can you post a picture with intact exif? Did you try the same picture with the pop up flash? Regards, Karet

03-26-2015, 01:49 PM	#3
vadamop New Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 7 Original Poster	Originally posted by Karet I checked the reflector data: Illumination onwards ... mm (35mm format)35 https://www.metz.de/en/flash-units/product-ranges/system-flash-units/mecabli...al-pentax.html When you zoom out between 18 mm and 24 mm the flash does not cover the entire field of view. But you write 'when I zoom', so you probably mean you zoom in beyond 24 mm. This is probably not your problem. Can you post a picture with intact exif? Did you try the same picture with the pop up flash? Regards, Karet exactly! ..... the problem occurs when I zoom above 24mm. The same picture with pop up flash is probably exposed, while with metz is underexposed... When I get home I'll pictures with metz and pop flash to compare... I'm a beginner and I cannot understand what is going wrong... Thanks for the reply..

03-26-2015, 04:40 PM	#4
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by vadamop I recently bought a metz-24af-1 for pentax flash to use it with my K50 with 18-135mm lens. However the images when I zoom are underexposured. Have you tried different scenes and/or bounce angles for the Metz? If the camera picks up a reflection of the flash, it will respond with reducing the exposure. I suggest to use manual exposure mode for the camera first to eliminate further variables and move on to Av, etc. once you know the flash is working as it should.

03-27-2015, 10:11 AM	#5
vadamop New Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 7 Original Poster	I just end my test and I'm satisfied now...I downloaded the latest firmware version for K50 and clear hot shoe contacts. I tested camera with metz flash using manual mode. The pics histogram showed that the zoomed to 135mm images are brighter with popup flash than those taken by the metz. However are acceptable and after an increase to the flash power level to +1 from camera's settings , the histograms between the photos are quite the same. That is ok and in accordance with the answer I received today from the Metz technical support "...according to our experience images which are taken with the built-in camera flash of Pentax cameras are brighter than images which are taken with an external flash in Pentax camera's hot shoe (also with original external Pentax flash units)." thanks for the replies and suggestions.