Underexposed photos from my K-x

richardm · 07-19-2010, 01:19 PM

Hi all,

Your opinions on this album, please. I have quite a few outdoor shots which seem to be underexposed. In some cases (picture 9), it's clear that the camera is trying to pull the sky down to 18% and the guy behind the camera should be compensating.

In many other cases, I'm not quite sure what's happening.

Pics 10-13 are good examples of shots that I feel are underexposed. Any thoughts?

(Ignore Pic 4 - it was edited. Also ignore the night shots - those were experimental)

Last edited by richardm; 07-19-2010 at 02:00 PM.

Ira · 07-19-2010, 01:45 PM

What mode are you shooting in?

richardm · 07-19-2010, 01:59 PM

Aperture Priority and "Bright". The auto white-balance is doing a poor job but that's for a different post.

MPrince · 07-19-2010, 02:02 PM

I looked at image #10. ISO 200, Aperture priority, f4, 1/400 around 8:40 pm. I don't know what your latitude is, but I'd say it was near sunset. Call it an EV of 9 or 10. At that ev, shooting at f4 with an iso of 200, your shutter speed should be 1/60 (ev 9) or 1/125 (ev 10), so yes, the shot is underexposed.

The thing you have to understand about a camera's lightmeter is that it performs best when the scene it sees averages out to 18% grey. Scenes around sunset are not likely to average out to 18% grey, so you have to know when and how to override your camera's meter.

MPrince · 07-19-2010, 02:07 PM

Originally posted by richardm

Aperture Priority and "Bright". The auto white-balance is doing a poor job but that's for a different post.

awb has a range of 4000-8000K. When shooting scenes where the color temperature is within that range, awb usually (but not always) will perform well. When shooting scenes that are outside the range of awb it is unrealistic to expect it to perform well. The color temperature at sunrise/sunset is around 3200K, which is outside awb range.

richardm · 07-19-2010, 03:06 PM

Excellent. Thanks for your advice. I just reviewed some 50 shots taken mid-day and they seem to be nicely exposed. I also did a massive AF correction of -120um before leaving; things are looking much sharper now.

marty-0750 · 07-23-2010, 12:56 AM

Must say I had the same problem with underexposure (with K-x) when using centre-weighted mode (CW) . If I use multisegment (MS) most exposures were ok. On the other hand MS mode would over-expose in other situations.

But....

I did notice there is a difference in exposure in CW mode when shooting through the lens versus live mode. Live mode was about +1 EV higher. Try it. Put the K-x on a tripod fixed on a scene and switch between the two and watch the exposure change on the info screen.

Why should the exposures be different?

Martin

Ira · 07-23-2010, 07:50 AM

Originally posted by marty-0750

Why should the exposures be different?

This has been a subject for debate, with some people believing that since your eye isn't up to the viewfinder in LV mode, light seeps in and affects the reading.

Other people say those people are complete idiots.

So the debate continues.

Anemos · 07-23-2010, 10:57 PM

I LOVE the name of the boat in the 11th pic lol. I've used "Anemos" since I was a kid and fell in love with sailing when my family got a sailboat.

For those that are wondering what it means and why the connection to sailing.... It means Wind, which is kind of an integral part to sailing

Btw I really like the photos in your album

fekish · 07-26-2010, 08:49 PM

I suffered also during my trip severe problems with white balance, and i had to use manual mode in order to take ok photos...
Many photos were under exposed at all modes except manul.

I purchased some photo magazines during my trip in Malaysia, and they all say that the picture quality of k-x is really bad due to exposure and white balance issues. The all ranked 550 canon as an almost perfect quality.

marty-0750 · 07-27-2010, 01:42 AM

This is something that Pentax could fix with a firmware update. Are you listening Pentax?

MPrince · 07-27-2010, 02:52 AM

Originally posted by fekish

I suffered also during my trip severe problems with white balance, and i had to use manual mode in order to take ok photos...
Many photos were under exposed at all modes except manul.

I purchased some photo magazines during my trip in Malaysia, and they all say that the picture quality of k-x is really bad due to exposure and white balance issues. The all ranked 550 canon as an almost perfect quality.

Just out of curiosity, what are the names and issue dates of these photo magazines you refer to?

Wilson_Kx · 07-27-2010, 05:14 AM

Originally posted by richardm

Hi all,

Your opinions on this album, please. I have quite a few outdoor shots which seem to be underexposed. In some cases (picture 9), it's clear that the camera is trying to pull the sky down to 18% and the guy behind the camera should be compensating.

In many other cases, I'm not quite sure what's happening.

Pics 10-13 are good examples of shots that I feel are underexposed. Any thoughts?

(Ignore Pic 4 - it was edited. Also ignore the night shots - those were experimental)

i think there is not a major problem with those photos that you mentioned and that most can be fixed via post processing. im just curious but do you shoot in raw and what post processing software do you use?

Marc Sabatella · 07-27-2010, 12:38 PM

Originally posted by fekish

I purchased some photo magazines during my trip in Malaysia, and they all say that the picture quality of k-x is really bad due to exposure and white balance issues.

And yet oddly enough, every other reviewer in the world says the opposite. Could it be one Malaysian reviewer didn't happen to like the K-x but wrote the same review for multiple magazines?

Marc Sabatella · 07-27-2010, 12:39 PM

Originally posted by marty-0750

This is something that Pentax could fix with a firmware update. Are you listening Pentax?

There's nothing broken, hence nothing to fix. The camera exposes very well according to ISO standards. It makes no attempt to read minds, but it does provide exposure compensation control - like every other camera - so you can tell the camera ow you want the exposure to differ from standard.

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07-19-2010, 01:19 PM	#1
richardm Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morges, Switzerland Posts: 41	Underexposed photos from my K-x Hi all, Your opinions on this album, please. I have quite a few outdoor shots which seem to be underexposed. In some cases (picture 9), it's clear that the camera is trying to pull the sky down to 18% and the guy behind the camera should be compensating. In many other cases, I'm not quite sure what's happening. Pics 10-13 are good examples of shots that I feel are underexposed. Any thoughts? (Ignore Pic 4 - it was edited. Also ignore the night shots - those were experimental) Last edited by richardm; 07-19-2010 at 02:00 PM.

07-19-2010, 01:45 PM	#2
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	What mode are you shooting in?

07-19-2010, 01:59 PM	#3
richardm Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morges, Switzerland Posts: 41 Original Poster	Aperture Priority and "Bright". The auto white-balance is doing a poor job but that's for a different post.

07-19-2010, 02:02 PM	#4
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	I looked at image #10. ISO 200, Aperture priority, f4, 1/400 around 8:40 pm. I don't know what your latitude is, but I'd say it was near sunset. Call it an EV of 9 or 10. At that ev, shooting at f4 with an iso of 200, your shutter speed should be 1/60 (ev 9) or 1/125 (ev 10), so yes, the shot is underexposed. The thing you have to understand about a camera's lightmeter is that it performs best when the scene it sees averages out to 18% grey. Scenes around sunset are not likely to average out to 18% grey, so you have to know when and how to override your camera's meter.

07-19-2010, 02:07 PM	#5
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	Originally posted by richardm Aperture Priority and "Bright". The auto white-balance is doing a poor job but that's for a different post. awb has a range of 4000-8000K. When shooting scenes where the color temperature is within that range, awb usually (but not always) will perform well. When shooting scenes that are outside the range of awb it is unrealistic to expect it to perform well. The color temperature at sunrise/sunset is around 3200K, which is outside awb range.

07-19-2010, 03:06 PM	#6
richardm Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Morges, Switzerland Posts: 41 Original Poster	Excellent. Thanks for your advice. I just reviewed some 50 shots taken mid-day and they seem to be nicely exposed. I also did a massive AF correction of -120um before leaving; things are looking much sharper now.

07-23-2010, 12:56 AM	#7
marty-0750 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Adelaide Photos: Albums Posts: 82	Must say I had the same problem with underexposure (with K-x) when using centre-weighted mode (CW) . If I use multisegment (MS) most exposures were ok. On the other hand MS mode would over-expose in other situations. But.... I did notice there is a difference in exposure in CW mode when shooting through the lens versus live mode. Live mode was about +1 EV higher. Try it. Put the K-x on a tripod fixed on a scene and switch between the two and watch the exposure change on the info screen. Why should the exposures be different? Martin

07-23-2010, 07:50 AM	#8
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Originally posted by marty-0750 Why should the exposures be different? This has been a subject for debate, with some people believing that since your eye isn't up to the viewfinder in LV mode, light seeps in and affects the reading. Other people say those people are complete idiots. So the debate continues.

07-23-2010, 10:57 PM	#9
Anemos Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 4	I LOVE the name of the boat in the 11th pic lol. I've used "Anemos" since I was a kid and fell in love with sailing when my family got a sailboat. For those that are wondering what it means and why the connection to sailing.... It means Wind, which is kind of an integral part to sailing Btw I really like the photos in your album

07-26-2010, 08:49 PM	#10
fekish Banned Join Date: Jun 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 190	I suffered also during my trip severe problems with white balance, and i had to use manual mode in order to take ok photos... Many photos were under exposed at all modes except manul. I purchased some photo magazines during my trip in Malaysia, and they all say that the picture quality of k-x is really bad due to exposure and white balance issues. The all ranked 550 canon as an almost perfect quality.

07-27-2010, 01:42 AM	#11
marty-0750 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Adelaide Photos: Albums Posts: 82	This is something that Pentax could fix with a firmware update. Are you listening Pentax?

07-27-2010, 02:52 AM	#12
MPrince Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: WV Posts: 1,495	Originally posted by fekish I suffered also during my trip severe problems with white balance, and i had to use manual mode in order to take ok photos... Many photos were under exposed at all modes except manul. I purchased some photo magazines during my trip in Malaysia, and they all say that the picture quality of k-x is really bad due to exposure and white balance issues. The all ranked 550 canon as an almost perfect quality. Just out of curiosity, what are the names and issue dates of these photo magazines you refer to?

07-27-2010, 05:14 AM	#13
Wilson_Kx Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: SYDNEY Posts: 106	Originally posted by richardm Hi all, Your opinions on this album, please. I have quite a few outdoor shots which seem to be underexposed. In some cases (picture 9), it's clear that the camera is trying to pull the sky down to 18% and the guy behind the camera should be compensating. In many other cases, I'm not quite sure what's happening. Pics 10-13 are good examples of shots that I feel are underexposed. Any thoughts? (Ignore Pic 4 - it was edited. Also ignore the night shots - those were experimental) i think there is not a major problem with those photos that you mentioned and that most can be fixed via post processing. im just curious but do you shoot in raw and what post processing software do you use?

07-27-2010, 12:38 PM	#14
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Originally posted by fekish I purchased some photo magazines during my trip in Malaysia, and they all say that the picture quality of k-x is really bad due to exposure and white balance issues. And yet oddly enough, every other reviewer in the world says the opposite. Could it be one Malaysian reviewer didn't happen to like the K-x but wrote the same review for multiple magazines?

07-27-2010, 12:39 PM	#15
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	Originally posted by marty-0750 This is something that Pentax could fix with a firmware update. Are you listening Pentax? There's nothing broken, hence nothing to fix. The camera exposes very well according to ISO standards. It makes no attempt to read minds, but it does provide exposure compensation control - like every other camera - so you can tell the camera ow you want the exposure to differ from standard.