Remaining photos flashes and won't save picture

TeamPentax · 09-07-2010, 04:10 AM

So I thought I would try a small 20min star trail with my *ist Ds, once the picture is taken the camera won't write it to the Sd and the "shots remaining" flashes on the lcd, nothing else is responsive.

I turned it off to conserve battery power but now the lcd displays the amount of shots remaining....

While typing this the screen on the back has just lit up and the card light came on so I assume that it has written to the memory card.

Is it usual for it to take a while to write long exposures to the card ?

I enjoy taking photos of lightning so if this is how long it'll take to write a bulb mode shot then I'm gonna miss many shots.

Any tips would be great ? This is my first dslr and the dedicated bulb mode was one of the things that attracted me to this camera, I'd be a little up set if this is the norm.

Thank you for any help, I love bulb mode but I'm not sure how it works in this camera, please any help...

PENTAX *iST DS

steve1307 · 09-07-2010, 05:43 AM - **1 Like**

This sounds like "Dark Frame Subraction" which is a noise reduction feature.

If you take a 20minute exposure of the sky (plus any hot pixels, noise etc etc) then the camera takes another 20minute exposure of a closed shutter "dark frame" so this only has the noise and hot pixels etc.
It then compares the 2 and subracts out the noise from your image.

In the K-7 you cannot completely turn it off (kind of ) but only for shots of 30sec or under. This anoys the stargazers among us.

In your ist DS I think you just can set it to ON or OFF in the custom setting menu under "Noise Reduction".

JeffJS · 09-07-2010, 09:02 AM

Steve is probably correct about Why you are seeing what you see. However, once you turn your camera off, anything not written to the card, is gone as far as I know.

Does the camera still Work?

TeamPentax · 09-07-2010, 03:10 PM

I've actually been a little to quick to turn off the camera and the back lcd and the card light will stay on until it has written the file to the card. I lose nothing in turning the camera off. Which is very lucky !!!

A BIG thanks to Steve1307 for his help, now that I'm aware of it I can work my way around it or with it.

The camera works fine, I'll have to do a similar shot with the noise reducion to off and see how it compares.

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your time.

TeamPentax · 09-07-2010, 10:57 PM

Ok as I said the camera finally wrote the picture to the card, and I checked it late last night and I was very happy with the result, now with my eyes open the picture is ruined by noise, it's everywhere, I was so excited last night and had planned to drive out of the city to get better results but if this is the end result then I'll never have that.

Have I done something wrong ? The noise filter was on in the C menu so if thats the best of the noise filter I'm in trouble.

JeffJS · 09-08-2010, 12:12 AM

I would drop the ISO down to 100 and stop the lens down some. When you're doing a shot like this, there isn't a need to shoot wide open.

TeamPentax · 09-10-2010, 02:07 AM

I keep the Pentax *ist DS on the lowest ISO which is 200 all the time, I keep the F down to 5.6.
I have to experiment some more, one shot is no where enough to begin moaning about the results I'm just trying to get the most out of it.

Thanks for your help, any more tips will be most appreciated.

09-07-2010, 04:10 AM	#1
TeamPentax Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 83	Remaining photos flashes and won't save picture So I thought I would try a small 20min star trail with my ist Ds, once the picture is taken the camera won't write it to the Sd and the "shots remaining" flashes on the lcd, nothing else is responsive. I turned it off to conserve battery power but now the lcd displays the amount of shots remaining.... While typing this the screen on the back has just lit up and the card light came on so I assume that it has written to the memory card. Is it usual for it to take a while to write long exposures to the card ? I enjoy taking photos of lightning so if this is how long it'll take to write a bulb mode shot then I'm gonna miss many shots. Any tips would be great ? This is my first dslr and the dedicated bulb mode was one of the things that attracted me to this camera, I'd be a little up set if this is the norm. Thank you for any help, I love bulb mode but I'm not sure how it works in this camera, please any help... PENTAX iST DS

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09-07-2010, 05:43 AM - 1 Like	#2
steve1307 Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,130	This sounds like "Dark Frame Subraction" which is a noise reduction feature. If you take a 20minute exposure of the sky (plus any hot pixels, noise etc etc) then the camera takes another 20minute exposure of a closed shutter "dark frame" so this only has the noise and hot pixels etc. It then compares the 2 and subracts out the noise from your image. In the K-7 you cannot completely turn it off (kind of ) but only for shots of 30sec or under. This anoys the stargazers among us. In your ist DS I think you just can set it to ON or OFF in the custom setting menu under "Noise Reduction".

09-07-2010, 09:02 AM	#3
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Steve is probably correct about Why you are seeing what you see. However, once you turn your camera off, anything not written to the card, is gone as far as I know. Does the camera still Work?

09-07-2010, 03:10 PM	#4
TeamPentax Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 83 Original Poster	I've actually been a little to quick to turn off the camera and the back lcd and the card light will stay on until it has written the file to the card. I lose nothing in turning the camera off. Which is very lucky !!! A BIG thanks to Steve1307 for his help, now that I'm aware of it I can work my way around it or with it. The camera works fine, I'll have to do a similar shot with the noise reducion to off and see how it compares. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your time.

09-07-2010, 10:57 PM	#5
TeamPentax Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 83 Original Poster	Ok as I said the camera finally wrote the picture to the card, and I checked it late last night and I was very happy with the result, now with my eyes open the picture is ruined by noise, it's everywhere, I was so excited last night and had planned to drive out of the city to get better results but if this is the end result then I'll never have that. Have I done something wrong ? The noise filter was on in the C menu so if thats the best of the noise filter I'm in trouble.

09-08-2010, 12:12 AM	#6
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	I would drop the ISO down to 100 and stop the lens down some. When you're doing a shot like this, there isn't a need to shoot wide open.

09-10-2010, 02:07 AM	#7
TeamPentax Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 83 Original Poster	I keep the Pentax *ist DS on the lowest ISO which is 200 all the time, I keep the F down to 5.6. I have to experiment some more, one shot is no where enough to begin moaning about the results I'm just trying to get the most out of it. Thanks for your help, any more tips will be most appreciated.