[ChopperCharles]

Both my kx and my k30 tend to over expose shots in bright sunlight. I often get blown highlights and have to dial in exposure compensation, no matter what mode I'm in. Is there a way to set an exposure mode so that highlights will never be blown? Or is that only a canonikon feature?

Charles.

[LFLee]

This is pretty strange, as PENTAX is usually known for underexposure (for preserving highlight). Did you check ISO settings? did you use spot metering?
If still fail, do a reset on settings should do the trick.

[k5astro]

If you set your metering to use the full frame, it should limit highlight overexposure considerably. But remember, the exposure is determined based on the average exposure of the metered area - spot, centre-weighted or full-frame. I haven't seen a mode that will never blow the highlights - at least not on my cameras.

[ChopperCharles]

Was using matrix metering, av or tv, and lots of midday bright sun. But it doesn't really matter, highlights are often blown regardless of lighting conditions or attached lens.

Charles.

[maxfield_photo]

You could always spot meter on the brightest part of your scene and dial in +2~+3 EVs. Spot metering will render the highlight as middle gray, and the EV compensation will ensure that it doesn't exceed your camera's DR. Now what that may do to your shadows is another matter. Also, if you're shooting JPEGs, set your color space to AdobeRGB, it may prevent highlight clipping on a per channel basis.

[ChopperCharles]

Here's what I'm talking about. This isn't a particularly hard shot, I don't think. But the highlights are completely blown out. Resized, but exif intact.

Short and sweet:
K-30 with 55-300mm lens.
1/320
f4
ISO200
0.00 exposure compensation
Tv mode


Charles.

[IchabodCrane]

Here's what I'm talking about. This isn't a particularly hard shot, I don't think. But the highlights are completely blown out. Resized, but exif intact.

Short and sweet:
K-30 with 55-300mm lens.
1/320
f4
ISO200
0.00 exposure compensation
Tv mode


Charles.

You have extreme differences between dark and light in that scene. It probably makes sense to dial in some negative exposure compensation because you're more concerned with protecting the bright areas than the dark.

[normhead]

Or is that only a canonikon feature?

There is a setting in the K-3 menus that gives you the option of not blowing your highlights… I've seen it in the menus but haven't checked it out to see how it might work.

But just in case you're looking for a bit of advice on how to shoot this…

FIrst, you're shooting in direct sun. There isn't a camera or film that's ever been made that can capture the whole dynamic range of this image without filters.. From the highlights to the shadows the ratio from light to dark is probably 20,000/1. So that's your first problem.

Spot metering on the birds head would help some, but you shot this at 0 exposure compensation. What you need to be doing is checking your histogram after taking the image, pushing the EV button on the top of your camera and rolling your EV down, on this shot to minus 2 probably, maybe more, because you have shadow behind the bird is pulling down your metered exposure value, even though it isn't really an important part of your picture.

The camera has to make a decision based on what you tell it when it looks at a scene like this. But you have to tell it. But the image is pretty much ruined by the high contrast caused by direct sun. You're simply asking too much of your sensor. Your assertion that a Canon would do better, i.e. lowering the exposure, keeping the white feathers from being blasted and totally blacking out the area around the eye and beak is not very informed. You wouldn't get a better image doing that. Once you lose details in those areas of the image, they just look like black holes. Given the lighting conditions, your camera made some pretty good decisions.

In fact, any K-series camera K-5 and beyond (K-5, K30, K500, K-01, K-5II, K-5 IIs) is going to give you superior dynamic range, compared to even the most expensive Canons, giving you a bit more latitude to work with in images like this.

I'd be interested to hear what guys who use neutral density filters would say about this. Could this image have been rescued with the use of filters?

[ChopperCharles]

Well, in subsequent photos I did dial down exposure compensation. What I'm getting at though is there are situations when I never (read: pretty much all the time), and there is no way to keep the auto exposure from doing that :/

Charles.

[wombat2go]

I reckon center weighted metering etc is quite OK for film which has inherent ability to cope with bright areas by its gamma.

For a dslr photo of a subject like that bird you could use spot metering on or near to the brightest part and lock the exposure before recomposing.
The ist ds and K-01 here tend to expose a spot metering of gray/whire or skin tone at about 160/255.
(I just tried on our first snow, the K-01 is about 160/255 and the ist ds tends to be a little more under exposed, about 140/255. So there is plenty of overhead on each of those cameras.
The K-01 manual does not say how matrix mode is processed.

With spot metering on the white part of the bird the brightest would be seen as the left most part of the histogram, a test shot might be needed to get it down below 180/255 or so.

[k5astro]

Here's a neat trick I use sometimes if I want to set the exposure and keep it. I especially use this with my film camera which only has spot metering. This is good for shots where the lighting doesn't change, like outside on a sunny day or an overcast day or if the shots will be taken in the shade, etc...

The reason why this works is that you are "mimicking" an incident light meter and using its reading to set the exposure which is the best way to achieve proper exposure.

I put the camera in manual and use spot metering.. point it at my palm of my hand - placed in the light - and press the green exposure button. This fixes the manual exposure. I then add 1 EV to the exposure and voila! I have a perfect exposure setting.

The palm of my hand is 1 stop brighter than mid (18%) grey. So the camera's meter will fix the exposure 1 EV below proper exposure. This is why I add 1 EV to compensate.

You can try this with a grey card and you won't have to do any compensation but my hand is always with me and I don't have to carry the grey card around.

Give it a try. You won't have to worry about blown highlights ever again

[wombat2go]

gbeaton , do you mean add or subtract.
I just tried that and it works well when I stop down by 1 stop eg move from f/11 to f/16.

[nomadkng]

I'd be interested to hear what guys who use neutral density filters would say about this. Could this image have been rescued with the use of filters?

Neutral Density filters won't solve this, because all it will do is force the ISO higher or aperture more open to compensate for less light. When shooting birds or wildlife, neither of those effects are desirable. A standard ND filter affects the whole image so the dynamic range would still be as great, just the lights and darks would be darker to the camera (as if someone turned down the lights)

Norm, you defined the problem perfectly, the highlights on the bird compared to the dark background and several other dark image areas forced the camera to compromise.

This is a no chance in hell of ever getting the exposure right image without photographer knowledge/help.

This is a spot metering on brightest area of subject, +EV comp. The camera is in a lose-lose situation in this image.

Sorry to say, but this image demonstrates "user error" or at least inexperience with compensating for tough lighting conditions.
It's not the camera's fault, it's the photographer's.

BTW, film is even less forgiving, it has far less dynamic range than current DSLR sensors, so film wouldn't solve this problem either

[k5astro]

I just tried it again to see make sure I didn't get my math wrong. Yes, I have to compensate by +1 EV. (Actually, I found it was best at +2/3 EV but I didn't want to get into details until now

The +1EV compensation is for a typical caucasian. If you are dark skinned, you may have to compensate in the other direction.. but most people have light coloured palms. So the compensation will be slightly different for each person but it will always be the same. Experiment and you will know where you lie in the Zone system!

@wombat2go - "gbeaton , do you mean add or subtract.
I just tried that and it works well when I stop down by 1 stop eg move from f/11 to f/16."

[altopiet]

Neutral Density filters won't solve this, because all it will do is force the ISO higher or aperture more open to compensate for less light. When shooting birds or wildlife, neither of those effects are desirable. A standard ND filter affects the whole image so the dynamic range would still be as great, just the lights and darks would be darker to the camera (as if someone turned down the lights)

Norm, you defined the problem perfectly, the highlights on the bird compared to the dark background and several other dark image areas forced the camera to compromise.

This is a no chance in hell of ever getting the exposure right image without photographer knowledge/help.

This is a spot metering on brightest area of subject, +EV comp. The camera is in a lose-lose situation in this image.

Sorry to say, but this image demonstrates "user error" or at least inexperience with compensating for tough lighting conditions.
It's not the camera's fault, it's the photographer's.

BTW, film is even less forgiving, it has far less dynamic range than current DSLR sensors, so film wouldn't solve this problem either

I'm sure the not-to-be-mentioned-camera-who-will-make-it's-appearance-this-century will have no problem dealing with this matter...even with imbeciles like me using it...