[Canada_Rockies]

A very valid point you make as stray light can indeed affect the metering in OVF mode. However in this case the OP is getting overexposure with the OVF. Stray light through the viewfinder can only serve to underexpose an image.

Good point. Thanks -- backwards thinking struck again.

[Yoda boy]

Is anyone aware of overexposure issues (both green button use with center weighted metering and with A-mode use) with K-3 and ultra wide lenses? I have a K 24 f3.5 lens which is underexposed 4-5 increments of shutter speed, on any set aperture, when green button is used. I had the chance to borrow A 20 f2.8, and it has a similar (but less intense) overexposure issue even with A mode multisegment metering. I realize these lenses were intended for full-frame sensors. They are clear and both lens' aperture systems function properly. In fact, I just had the K 24 3.5 CLA'd by Mr. E. Hendrickson. Anyways the camera meters perfectly well with F 28 2.8, and with DFA 16-50. Any thoughts / input would be much appreciated! (Incidentally, the K 24 3.5 image sharpness and lack of aberrations give it quite a distinction in comparison to the two other lenses).

I have used an A 50 1.7 lens, an A 15 3.5 Lens and an A70-210 lens and had no issues. Something else other than the lenses themselves may be a factor.

[jpmas]

As noted above, stop-down metering has its quirks. I do a lot (most?) of my K-3 photography in M mode using non-A lenses and while green button metering using the optical viewfinder is usually not too far off, it is sometimes quite bad. It depends on the lens and the chosen aperture. A given lens might be fine at f/8, but underexpose badly at narrower apertures and overexpose badly wide open. While this might be vexing, it might be noted that stop-down metering on Nikon is just as bad. The root cause has to do with the tuning to the characteristics of the stock focus screen for open-aperture metering, but that is a long and convoluted story. It is enough, probably, to say that you K-3 behaves much better than a K10D/K20D or even the K-7 or K-5.

Moving forward...There are three good solutions, one of which I mentioned in an earlier post above.

• Estimate exposure from a table of common EVs (Ultimate Exposure Computer)
• Use a hand-held meter (yes, one of those is in my bag...very handy at times)
• Meter in live view using the green button (I switch to the optical viewfinder for actual shooting.)

Of the three, the last is the most convenient, though I have found it easiest to use the old school approach I first learned in the early 1970s shooting with a stop-down metered camera. The rule goes like this:

Meter once and keep those settings until either the light or the subject changes.

Works like a charm.


Steve

Thank you for these suggestions. Agree the LV method is quick and easy and it's working out fine thus far.

[jpmas]

Do you have any other "K" or M series lenses to try?

I would suggest that if your only problem is a consistent 1.5 stop overexposure with manual lenses then that is easy to live with. Just use the histogram to confirm.

I use the histogram to review exposure with modern lenses too. It is the best tool in your camera by a long mile.

I had to pry a M-50 1.7 lens out of my daughter's hands to experiment with. The issue is barely noticeable with the 50mm focal length lens. With a 135mm and 200mm, K-3 meters accurately with either OPV or LV (same exact settings selected by camera). It seems that only shorter focal lengths 20 and 24 ( on the A ad K series lenses) gave my K-3 OVF metering challenges. With the DA 16-50, set at 20 or 24 mm, the K-3 metered just fine. Easy enough to adapt to, I guess.