Faulty K-x?

greatwatermelon · 12-31-2011, 03:29 PM

I'm very new to DSLR cameras and beginning to learn the various features and terminology, as I only picked up a Pentax K-x a few days ago. I've set my camera onto Auto Picture mode and ISO Auto to beginning testing the camera out. The camera usually sets the ISO at 100 or 200. I don't know if it is just me being picky or needing to attempt at tweaking the settings, but all the pictures that I have taken so far with my Pentax K-x, has come no where close to satisfying. Pictures are not very crisp or clear. I'm starting to believe that I may have a faulty camera or lens. Please help me out! Much help appreciated!

Last edited by greatwatermelon; 12-31-2011 at 04:09 PM.

aurele · 12-31-2011, 03:56 PM

Hello !

I don't think that your K-x or lens is faulty. It's very unlikely, just relax

With the picture we can't help you much without the EXIFs to tell us what were your parameters (iso, aperture, etc ...)

I suggest you, in bright days like those in this picture, is tu put your K-x in Av mode, and select f8 with auto iso between 100 and 800.
So you will have much more crispy pictures.

For the street picture, you could even go to f11 or f16 to get bigger dept of field.

Give us the exifs to get more help.

bobmaxja · 12-31-2011, 04:11 PM

GReat water melon
DSLR need to be learrn . It`s not the camera who make the photo but the person on the back of it . I will suggest a great book to read and become better at it . I started myself with a K-X

The book is

Quote:

Understanding Exposure

by Bryan Paterson

greatwatermelon · 12-31-2011, 04:11 PM

Thanks for the assurance! I needed to hear from someone that the camera is fine and just needs to be messed with.

The EXIFs are:

House:1/100 sec, F11, 18.0mm, ISO 100
Pergola: 1/100 sec, F10, 18.0mm, ISO 200
Orange: 1/50 sec, F5, 18.0mm, ISO 100

I'll pick up that book and being reading. Thanks for the help so far!

Philoslothical · 12-31-2011, 04:51 PM

I think you're doing fine for just starting out, and using auto mode (especially since imgur washes out colour and recompresses at a jpeg 6 for quality). In most circumstances it will not give you the best possible exposure. It's not telepathic, just a set of software rules that the developers thought would work in the majority of cases.

Once you learn the basics, read your manual, and get into other modes (Av being the most useful initially, imo), you'll see much better results, I think.

**jatrax** · 12-31-2011, 10:54 PM

Another thing to consider is your DOF or depth of focus. If you are used to point & shoot cameras it can be a bit of a learning curve since with a point & shoot the depth of focus is very large and the foreground, subject and background are usually all in focus. With a DSLR at wider apertures you can 'isolate' your subject by having it in focus but the background blurry. You can see this on the orange picture, the orange is acceptably focused but you have lots of leaves that are not in focus. Depending on what you were trying to achieve you can consider this a good or bad thing. It probably is not what you want for vacation snapshots but for portraits, commercial or artistic work this is the effect you try hard to achieve.

greatwatermelon · 01-01-2012, 03:23 AM

The pictures I took a picture of, did not achieve close to what I was looking for and I was being unrealistic by expecting the camera to be telepathic. I'll definitely be more patient, reading up and messin' around with the K-x to learn and improve. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement! You all have a Happy New Years!

12-31-2011, 03:29 PM	#1
greatwatermelon New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 4	Faulty K-x? I'm very new to DSLR cameras and beginning to learn the various features and terminology, as I only picked up a Pentax K-x a few days ago. I've set my camera onto Auto Picture mode and ISO Auto to beginning testing the camera out. The camera usually sets the ISO at 100 or 200. I don't know if it is just me being picky or needing to attempt at tweaking the settings, but all the pictures that I have taken so far with my Pentax K-x, has come no where close to satisfying. Pictures are not very crisp or clear. I'm starting to believe that I may have a faulty camera or lens. Please help me out! Much help appreciated! Last edited by greatwatermelon; 12-31-2011 at 04:09 PM.

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12-31-2011, 03:56 PM	#2
aurele Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Paris, France Photos: Albums Posts: 3,217	Hello ! I don't think that your K-x or lens is faulty. It's very unlikely, just relax With the picture we can't help you much without the EXIFs to tell us what were your parameters (iso, aperture, etc ...) I suggest you, in bright days like those in this picture, is tu put your K-x in Av mode, and select f8 with auto iso between 100 and 800. So you will have much more crispy pictures. For the street picture, you could even go to f11 or f16 to get bigger dept of field. Give us the exifs to get more help.

12-31-2011, 04:11 PM	#3
bobmaxja Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Laval, Quebec Canada Posts: 2,171	GReat water melon DSLR need to be learrn . It`s not the camera who make the photo but the person on the back of it . I will suggest a great book to read and become better at it . I started myself with a K-X The book is Quote: Understanding Exposure by Bryan Paterson

12-31-2011, 04:51 PM	#5
Philoslothical Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,889	I think you're doing fine for just starting out, and using auto mode (especially since imgur washes out colour and recompresses at a jpeg 6 for quality). In most circumstances it will not give you the best possible exposure. It's not telepathic, just a set of software rules that the developers thought would work in the majority of cases. Once you learn the basics, read your manual, and get into other modes (Av being the most useful initially, imo), you'll see much better results, I think.

12-31-2011, 10:54 PM	#6
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Another thing to consider is your DOF or depth of focus. If you are used to point & shoot cameras it can be a bit of a learning curve since with a point & shoot the depth of focus is very large and the foreground, subject and background are usually all in focus. With a DSLR at wider apertures you can 'isolate' your subject by having it in focus but the background blurry. You can see this on the orange picture, the orange is acceptably focused but you have lots of leaves that are not in focus. Depending on what you were trying to achieve you can consider this a good or bad thing. It probably is not what you want for vacation snapshots but for portraits, commercial or artistic work this is the effect you try hard to achieve.

01-01-2012, 03:23 AM	#7
greatwatermelon New Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 4 Original Poster	The pictures I took a picture of, did not achieve close to what I was looking for and I was being unrealistic by expecting the camera to be telepathic. I'll definitely be more patient, reading up and messin' around with the K-x to learn and improve. Thanks for all the advice and encouragement! You all have a Happy New Years!