[zantaphia]

Hi!

I've tried to search for a good tutorial on how to use the different multi exposure/ interval composite settings (Additive, Average and Bright) on the K-3. But no luck...
I went to the local water fall today, to simulate a ND-filter and a long exposure time, to make the water look like silk, and tried all of the settings, but the result was not overwhelming.

Anyone that has a good explanation on how to use the 3 different modes, incl. exposure settings (shutter time and aperture), number of shots, and some example photos? Of a waterfall or something else.

Yes, I have read the manual.

/Zantaphia

[jbinpg]

Hi. I have only experimented with Additive and Average. Additive is the well-established multi-exposure mode where each frame's exposure will be added to the previous frame and thus become increasingly brighter with each exposure. This is the one to use if you want to paint yourself in different positions in the frame, for example. Average is where an average exposure will be calculated for a series of exposures. This is the one I would use for waterfalls. Note that EV comp works with both these modes if you find the waterfall looks too dull. Bright mode is apparently similar to Additive with the diffetence being that only pixels brighter than a certain (median?) value will be added.I need to experiment with bright mode.

Jack

[Painter]

I've written several times about using multiple exposures but a quick explanation of the modes is

Average is as it suggests as each new image is added to the pile they are averaged with what is already accumulated. With this one you will tend to get a proper exposure and in the end all the images together would be equivalent to one long individual exposure.

Accumulation is that no calculation is done around exposure each image is just added to the pile. This is likely to result in blown highlights in your application

The final method I have to confess I need to explore more but basically it seems that there is a bright/dark split. Bright parts of an image are averaged while dark parts are accumulated.

[dosdan]

The final method I have to confess I need to explore more but basically it seems that there is a bright/dark split. Bright parts of an image are averaged while dark parts are accumulated.

I've not tried this, but from your description this would reduce the likelihood of blown highlights, but increase the visibility of the dark stuff. So it would seem to be a little like rendered HDR.

Dan.

One use for bright is to shoot a series of shots of the moon when it passes the frame giving you a series of moons...




Each shot 1/500 f6.3 ISO100. Sharpness on first and last shot is due to user error...

My take on this is that it takes the bright pixels and keeps them "as is". It does not seem to average.

[zantaphia]

Hi again!

I've been doing some experiments now with Interval composite.

When the "Save process" checkbox is checked: "Select to save images in the middle
of processing." : Each interval will get a unique folder with all the files for that particular interval stored there. So you can see and choose the correct file in the total interval, if you need to.

If it's un-checked, all the last files (only the last!) of each interval will end up in the same folder. All the other earlier files in the intervals are discarded.

The "Average" mode could be used to ghost/ erase out, e.g. passing cars or moving people totally. Like using a big stopper and a long exposure time on a crowded area where people are moving.

[Hornet]

After reading these posts I got interested in trying this functionality of interval composites. In order to find out what bright mode did I decided to shoot :
1) 30 f8 street scene at night
2) 10 shots x3sec f8 Additive interval 2secs
3) 10 shots x3sec f8 Average interval 2secs
4) 10 shots x3sec f8 Bright interval 2secs

First thing I noticed was that the menu item for number of shots produces exactly half the number I expected so to get ten shots at 3 secs I had to set number of shots to 20! Anybody else find this strange behaviour? The other thing I noticed is that the K3 stores each successive frame in the series so you can pick the one with the best exposure not just settle for the final result as in previous models I've used for multiple exposures (maybe this is just in the composite interval mode?).

The observations on the images were that #1 was the sharpest and best exposed overall with #2 only slightly less exposed and a tad softer (I did not compare noise). #3 & 4 amounted to 3sec exposures so were much darker overall than the base image. The Average and Bright modes looked virtually identical except that the highlights were slightly brighter (and more washed out) in the Bright mode images.

Then I tried the Multiple Exposure - Continuous Mode. There is no documentation in the manual for this but I assumed "Continuous" meant one shutter press and the camera would fire off the series continuously until done. Nope. Had to press the shutter each time until the series was done. I have no idea how this differs from standard "Multi-exposure". Using firmware 1.11

I'd be interested in other peoples experiences with these modes and any insights into the different ME modes.

[zantaphia]

After reading these posts I got interested in trying this functionality of interval composites. In order to find out what bright mode did I decided to shoot :
1) 30 f8 street scene at night
2) 10 shots x3sec f8 Additive interval 2secs
3) 10 shots x3sec f8 Average interval 2secs
4) 10 shots x3sec f8 Bright interval 2secs

First thing I noticed was that the menu item for number of shots produces exactly half the number I expected so to get ten shots at 3 secs I had to set number of shots to 20! Anybody else find this strange behaviour? The other thing I noticed is that the K3 stores each successive frame in the series so you can pick the one with the best exposure not just settle for the final result as in previous models I've used for multiple exposures (maybe this is just in the composite interval mode?).

The observations on the images were that #1 was the sharpest and best exposed overall with #2 only slightly less exposed and a tad softer (I did not compare noise). #3 & 4 amounted to 3sec exposures so were much darker overall than the base image. The Average and Bright modes looked virtually identical except that the highlights were slightly brighter (and more washed out) in the Bright mode images.

Then I tried the Multiple Exposure - Continuous Mode. There is no documentation in the manual for this but I assumed "Continuous" meant one shutter press and the camera would fire off the series continuously until done. Nope. Had to press the shutter each time until the series was done. I have no idea how this differs from standard "Multi-exposure". Using firmware 1.11

I'd be interested in other peoples experiences with these modes and any insights into the different ME modes.

Hi!

Every 2 seconds take a 3 seconds exposure? Impossible math... I think that explains why you only got half the number of shots. The camera was busy and jumped over 1 exposure due to that. Try some other setting, like every 5 second take a 3 seconds exposure.

The timer triggers every two seconds or what you choose. If the exposure is 3 seconds the second shot will be missed and the time between shot 1 and 3 will be 1 second. It would have been nice to be able to set the "paus" time but this is how all these triggers work so one has to do the math. I have a hand held intervalometer and when using that it becomes more logical.

In short: Interval time= The time you want between shots + Shutter speed. In your case: 5 = 3 + 2

When it comes to Multiple Exposure - Continuous Mode it should only be one press. Did you hold the button down all the time? What shutter speed did you use?

[Hornet]

Thanks for straightening me out! Silly me I assumed the interval was the pause between shots. To answer my other question it became obvious after my post that Continuous meant to hold the shutter down continuously until all shots were complete as opposed to one press/release would fire off the entered number of shots. Again a little info in the manual would have gone a long way. All in all I'm amazed by the abundance of shooting modes available on the K3 but I'm still choked that Ricoh removed Catch In Focus from the AF button. I can't see any valid reason for removing an existing feature like that.

[Tom G]

I have messed with these modes a bit but am not happy with the documentation or implementation. I wish they had a continuous mode where it would lock the mirror up and fire them all off as fast as possible. That might be fixable in a firmware update. The documentation is horrible - it tells you how to get into the mode but no clue as to how to use it or what it actually does. Poor form Pentax. If they don't want to spend the $ to print the manual they should at least have a .pdf or something that describes these modes.

I like the idea of using it to remove people from a landscape - keep taking pics as the people move about 'til they are averaged out. I'll have to try that.
My waterfall attempts were without a tripod, and even braced on a rock I couldn't hold still enough to make it worthwhile.

I also wish the Catch in Focus worked with the half press focus disabled - and that the AF button could wake the camera.

[maxxxx]

I have messed with these modes a bit but am not happy with the documentation or implementation. I wish they had a continuous mode where it would lock the mirror up and fire them all off as fast as possible. That might be fixable in a firmware update. The documentation is horrible - it tells you how to get into the mode but no clue as to how to use it or what it actually does. Poor form Pentax. If they don't want to spend the $ to print the manual they should at least have a .pdf or something that describes these modes.

I like the idea of using it to remove people from a landscape - keep taking pics as the people move about 'til they are averaged out. I'll have to try that.
My waterfall attempts were without a tripod, and even braced on a rock I couldn't hold still enough to make it worthwhile.

I also wish the Catch in Focus worked with the half press focus disabled - and that the AF button could wake the camera.

I think documentation is a real problem of the K-3. I just started a thread about this: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/275425-how-find-detailed-i...-settings.html

[zantaphia]

Hi!

I've made a video with an example on how to use the Interval Composite mode: "Average".

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

[jbinpg]

Thanks for this. I will try this.

Jack

[lm4187]

I believe that in the Bright mode, the final image contains the brightest pixels seen during the multi-exposure. Every time a new image is taken, the processor compares that image with the previous image. For each pixel, the brighter pixel in the two images is retained. The resultant image becomes the next 'previous' image, until all the images are taken.

The Average and Bright modes looked virtually identical except that the highlights were slightly brighter (and more washed out) in the Bright mode images.

A consequence of the Bright mode is that the background noise will be brighter than the Average mode since each bright, background pixel is retained. The bright objects will be brighter than the average brightness. This is consistent with Hornet's observations.

Cheers,
Lou