How can I get good results from my K100D?

Gaelen · 11-16-2007, 09:54 AM

I'm almost at 10,000 actuations on my K100D
I see you are like me and enjoy taking pictures of cars, planes, and lots of stuff like that.
A little post proccessing can go a long way(I'm learning as I'm new to that part), and as a lot of the advice on here has already stated, outdoors seems to get confused and under expose things with a sky background. The best place I have found for advice and ideas on how to solve those..is of course right here. So keep up the shots, keep trying new things and best of all...Have fun. I'm off to test some things out at another drifting event in a week, we'll see how that turns out

**Lowell Goudge** · 11-16-2007, 10:42 AM

Originally posted by JamesD

Lowell... are you making the contrast adjustment in camera on post processing? And would it matter? Just curious.

I make the contrast adjustment in the camera, after I look at the image, the histogram, and overall lighting conditions. It is really quite simple, if you are playing in and out of shadows, for example, bright sunny day in a foreign city, playing tourist, you may find too much loss of details due to the harsh shadows and high contrast situation. Just look at the exposure and details you want and adjust the contrast accordingly.

Same holds true on days with high overcast. you get very difused lighting, no shadows and usually no contrast. Shots look flat, so just dial in a little more contrast and continue shooting.

Generally, the way I shoot is to assess the lighting, and take a few test shots to be sure of the settings, and then continue shooting with these settings until the lighting changes, or there is a need to do something special and different. Every so often, I look at a few shots in camera, to make sure conditions have not changed without notice. If minor adjustments are necessary they are made then and there. The same concept holds true for white balance. The K10D makes this a snap

Note
- that while it is easy, even with JPEG to add contrast in post processing, I am generally lazy, and don't want to spend a lot of time doing so.
- while it is easy to add contrast with JPEG, it is much harder to get good shadow detail after the fact. what is lost is lost forever.

As a result I try to get it right the first time.

code4code5 · 11-16-2007, 06:20 PM

I've been experimenting with the Pentax Photo Lab software recently, and it seems as though the contrast, saturation, and sharpness settings are all just software interpretation of the same data. I only shoot in PEF, and with the Pentax software there are three sliders that serve the same function as the in camera settings. Histogram adjustments are also easy, but I don't like the noise reduction from that software.

mattdm · 11-16-2007, 08:01 PM

Originally posted by code4code5

I've been experimenting with the Pentax Photo Lab software recently, and it seems as though the contrast, saturation, and sharpness settings are all just software interpretation of the same data.

Yes, of course they are. I mean, really, what else could they be?

code4code5 · 11-17-2007, 08:54 AM

What I mean to say is that it appears as though RAW is RAW is RAW. The in camera settings seem to apply saturation, sharpness, and contrast "filters" to the image. Look at it this way. Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings make the image. There's nothing you can do to change that later. After some experimentation, I don't worry about the in camera saturation, sharpness, and contrast settings because they are all changeable in PP without effecting the original RAW data.

I by no means am an expert and am just getting started in the DSLR field. I've only had my K100D for about a month and I'm still trying to figure out what's important at the time of capture vurses what's important during PP.

Mike Cash · 11-17-2007, 03:38 PM

Originally posted by code4code5

After some experimentation, I don't worry about the in camera saturation, sharpness, and contrast settings because they are all changeable in PP without effecting the original RAW data.

Quite true, but just for the sake of clarity we should perhaps mention that they are all changeable in PP without affecting the original RAW data.....if one is shooting/saving in RAW. If shooting in JPG then the original data RAW data is converted to JPG (influenced by the in-camera saturation, sharpness, and contrast settings) and the original RAW data is then lost forever.

In the last couple of weeks I have become somewhat of a convert to shooting in RAW and leaving the JPG conversion to be done later on my home computer. I may be fooling myself, but I think it is resulting in better conversions. Especially since I convert to TIFF, do my post processing in that, then save as a JPG.

Jimsi777 · 11-30-2007, 06:50 AM

I found the K100D to be better now in detail than my old K1000 manual film, which took good pics. My take is after going digital is to learn the use of the 'Histogram' of the K100D. Before I was relying on it, my digital pics using manual modes were too bright and was full of PF.

This topic may have been brought up many times, but to me, it's a great tool in taking pics with a digital camera in manuals modes.:ugh:

Jim the hobbyist

Mike Cash · 11-30-2007, 08:12 AM

I agree with you about learning the use of the histogram.

I think it should be the very first thing people learn the basics once they have a camera which features it. Unfortunately, the nature of the thing is sort of off-putting. Something simpler that leaves out the "mountains" and just shows if the exposure is crowding either the left or right edges might be nice as an alternative. Just learning if one is drastically underexposing or clipping the highlights is really all that is needed.

**Canada_Rockies** · 11-30-2007, 04:20 PM

I don't use the histogram all that much, but I have enabled the "blinkies". I have been reading articles on ETTR (Expose To The Right) and find that I get my best, most usable RAW results with one or two very small highlight blinkies. You want the blinkies only where there is no required detail in the white space (pure white), such as a specular highlight.

This is how you turn them on and off:

[Menu], [>] (Playback), [Playback Display], [>], Bright/Dark Area [>], [Menu], [Menu]

I turned them on, and then did a check for bad pixels (30 s @ f/22) and got a bright yellow blinking square when I pulled up the playback display. So highlights that are over blink red, and underexposed black blink yellow.

In tricky lighting situations, a tiny highlight blinkie and a tiny black blinkie tells of a tonal range that is about the best you will get for that shot.

Jimsi777 · 11-30-2007, 06:02 PM

Not sure of the blinkies, is this also something a k100D user has on their camera?...thanks!

**Canada_Rockies** · 11-30-2007, 10:49 PM

Originally posted by Jimsi777

Not sure of the blinkies, is this also something a k100D user has on their camera?...thanks!

I just looked at the PDF manual I have, and in the K100D Playback Menu, it is called [Preview Display], and you seem to have the option of either the Blinking Exposure Warnings or the Histogram.

code4code5 · 12-01-2007, 09:50 AM

And the K100D won't do blinking colors, only clipped highlights flash black / white. There is no display for clipped shadows.

**Canada_Rockies** · 12-01-2007, 10:40 AM

Originally posted by code4code5

And the K100D won't do blinking colors, only clipped highlights flash black / white. There is no display for clipped shadows.

Thanks for the info. The manual does not tell one everything.

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11-16-2007, 09:54 AM	#31
Gaelen Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Coquitlam, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 749	I'm almost at 10,000 actuations on my K100D I see you are like me and enjoy taking pictures of cars, planes, and lots of stuff like that. A little post proccessing can go a long way(I'm learning as I'm new to that part), and as a lot of the advice on here has already stated, outdoors seems to get confused and under expose things with a sky background. The best place I have found for advice and ideas on how to solve those..is of course right here. So keep up the shots, keep trying new things and best of all...Have fun. I'm off to test some things out at another drifting event in a week, we'll see how that turns out

11-16-2007, 10:42 AM	#32
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,886	Originally posted by JamesD Lowell... are you making the contrast adjustment in camera on post processing? And would it matter? Just curious. I make the contrast adjustment in the camera, after I look at the image, the histogram, and overall lighting conditions. It is really quite simple, if you are playing in and out of shadows, for example, bright sunny day in a foreign city, playing tourist, you may find too much loss of details due to the harsh shadows and high contrast situation. Just look at the exposure and details you want and adjust the contrast accordingly. Same holds true on days with high overcast. you get very difused lighting, no shadows and usually no contrast. Shots look flat, so just dial in a little more contrast and continue shooting. Generally, the way I shoot is to assess the lighting, and take a few test shots to be sure of the settings, and then continue shooting with these settings until the lighting changes, or there is a need to do something special and different. Every so often, I look at a few shots in camera, to make sure conditions have not changed without notice. If minor adjustments are necessary they are made then and there. The same concept holds true for white balance. The K10D makes this a snap Note - that while it is easy, even with JPEG to add contrast in post processing, I am generally lazy, and don't want to spend a lot of time doing so. - while it is easy to add contrast with JPEG, it is much harder to get good shadow detail after the fact. what is lost is lost forever. As a result I try to get it right the first time.

11-16-2007, 06:20 PM	#33
code4code5 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 438	I've been experimenting with the Pentax Photo Lab software recently, and it seems as though the contrast, saturation, and sharpness settings are all just software interpretation of the same data. I only shoot in PEF, and with the Pentax software there are three sliders that serve the same function as the in camera settings. Histogram adjustments are also easy, but I don't like the noise reduction from that software.

11-16-2007, 08:01 PM	#34
mattdm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,948	Originally posted by code4code5 I've been experimenting with the Pentax Photo Lab software recently, and it seems as though the contrast, saturation, and sharpness settings are all just software interpretation of the same data. Yes, of course they are. I mean, really, what else could they be?

11-17-2007, 08:54 AM	#35
code4code5 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 438	What I mean to say is that it appears as though RAW is RAW is RAW. The in camera settings seem to apply saturation, sharpness, and contrast "filters" to the image. Look at it this way. Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings make the image. There's nothing you can do to change that later. After some experimentation, I don't worry about the in camera saturation, sharpness, and contrast settings because they are all changeable in PP without effecting the original RAW data. I by no means am an expert and am just getting started in the DSLR field. I've only had my K100D for about a month and I'm still trying to figure out what's important at the time of capture vurses what's important during PP.

11-17-2007, 03:38 PM	#36
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	Originally posted by code4code5 After some experimentation, I don't worry about the in camera saturation, sharpness, and contrast settings because they are all changeable in PP without effecting the original RAW data. Quite true, but just for the sake of clarity we should perhaps mention that they are all changeable in PP without affecting the original RAW data.....if one is shooting/saving in RAW. If shooting in JPG then the original data RAW data is converted to JPG (influenced by the in-camera saturation, sharpness, and contrast settings) and the original RAW data is then lost forever. In the last couple of weeks I have become somewhat of a convert to shooting in RAW and leaving the JPG conversion to be done later on my home computer. I may be fooling myself, but I think it is resulting in better conversions. Especially since I convert to TIFF, do my post processing in that, then save as a JPG.

11-30-2007, 06:50 AM	#37
Jimsi777 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 75	I found the K100D to be better now in detail than my old K1000 manual film, which took good pics. My take is after going digital is to learn the use of the 'Histogram' of the K100D. Before I was relying on it, my digital pics using manual modes were too bright and was full of PF. This topic may have been brought up many times, but to me, it's a great tool in taking pics with a digital camera in manuals modes.:ugh: Jim the hobbyist

11-30-2007, 08:12 AM	#38
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	I agree with you about learning the use of the histogram. I think it should be the very first thing people learn the basics once they have a camera which features it. Unfortunately, the nature of the thing is sort of off-putting. Something simpler that leaves out the "mountains" and just shows if the exposure is crowding either the left or right edges might be nice as an alternative. Just learning if one is drastically underexposing or clipping the highlights is really all that is needed.

11-30-2007, 04:20 PM	#39
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	I don't use the histogram all that much, but I have enabled the "blinkies". I have been reading articles on ETTR (Expose To The Right) and find that I get my best, most usable RAW results with one or two very small highlight blinkies. You want the blinkies only where there is no required detail in the white space (pure white), such as a specular highlight. This is how you turn them on and off: [Menu], [>] (Playback), [Playback Display], [>], Bright/Dark Area [>], [Menu], [Menu] I turned them on, and then did a check for bad pixels (30 s @ f/22) and got a bright yellow blinking square when I pulled up the playback display. So highlights that are over blink red, and underexposed black blink yellow. In tricky lighting situations, a tiny highlight blinkie and a tiny black blinkie tells of a tonal range that is about the best you will get for that shot.

11-30-2007, 06:02 PM	#40
Jimsi777 Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 75	Not sure of the blinkies, is this also something a k100D user has on their camera?...thanks!

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11-30-2007, 10:49 PM	#41
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by Jimsi777 Not sure of the blinkies, is this also something a k100D user has on their camera?...thanks! I just looked at the PDF manual I have, and in the K100D Playback Menu, it is called [Preview Display], and you seem to have the option of either the Blinking Exposure Warnings or the Histogram.

12-01-2007, 09:50 AM	#42
code4code5 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 438	And the K100D won't do blinking colors, only clipped highlights flash black / white. There is no display for clipped shadows.

12-01-2007, 10:40 AM	#43
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by code4code5 And the K100D won't do blinking colors, only clipped highlights flash black / white. There is no display for clipped shadows. Thanks for the info. The manual does not tell one everything.