[RedSky]

Hi all, just got a Pentax K-50, as I was tired of the poor pics of my point and click camera. I exited the camera world a decade or two ago, selling my K-1000 when print film died, and I was a bit above the amateur stage at that time. I seem to have forgotten most of what I knew at the time. I hear that happens past 60.

I am retired, a lover of all things dogs, especially small terriers, a hiker and acoustic musician. I want to do great pics of the outdoors, and of my wife and pup as we travel around the southern USA.

My efforts with the camera have been so far encouraging, with a couple of questions.

1. I took a pic of a civil war house under cloudy skies, with auto setting, and could not get anything except a picture that was very dark, as in past dusk dark. It was ripping hot outside, with a pup in the car, so I did not stay long enough to see what was wrong.

2. On the occasional dark situation, house with shades closed, [puppy sleeping on the bed] and using the auto function, I cannot get it to take a picture no matter what I do, it simply will not release the shutter. What gives?

3. Will this do a movie and specifically, give good enough sound for me to use to post my huge guitar talents on youtube? I tried a movie with sound at 5, then a second with sound at 3, and both had a large amount of hiss in the background--it seemed that the mic was searching for sound in a quiet room, or maybe it was picking up internal sounds of the camera itself.

Many thanks, I hope to spend many hours reading questions and answers on this forum,

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome to the forum, some of these issues you mention, could well be fixable in PP.

[RGlasel]

give good enough sound for me to use to post my huge guitar talents on youtube?

had a large amount of hiss in the background

It sounds like (pun semi-intended) auto gain on the built in microphone. Unfortunately, there isn't an external microphone jack on the K-50 and you really need a proper mike to record your guitar playing. There is software that will merge audio with video, all you have to do is line up the starting point for both. For simplicity's sake, you might want to consider getting a USB mike that you can plug directly to your computer so you don't have to do analog to digital conversion. Presumably you are going to do some editing of your videos, so recording the audio separately isn't terribly inconvenient and you don't have to worry about connecting the mike to your camera. No worries about wow and flutter or the sound getting out of sync with the video with digital technology, either.

[Unregistered User 8]

Many thanks, I hope to spend many hours reading questions and answers on this forum,

Hi RedSky. Welcome to the Pentax forums. I hope you ask and answer a few questions too !!!

[wtlwdwgn]

Welcome to the forum! Looking forward to seeing some of your images.

[Aaron28]

welcome aboard redsky that same pollen is in my air too (north Alabama) and also an owner of a K-50
1. quite possibly the metering was set to spot......
2. when focus is not achieved the camera will not shoot....there is a setting that allows release shutter.....a shutter priority thing under settings also is an assist light that can be turned through settings to help with autofocus in low light
3. I've used the video function once when drunk and playing with my dog....I don't think the sound was all that good and would not expect it be.....so you may want to do yer sound separate if possible
happy shooting!

[RGlasel]

I've used the video function once when drunk and playing with my dog...

Obviously your mind isn't as warped as mine; I'm still snickering over all the possible snide comments that could be made about those thirteen words.

[Aaron28]

all the possible snide comments

hahahaha!

[C_Jones]

Welcome to the forums.

[debakarma]

Welcome to the forum!