Newbie Question.........

Chook · 04-06-2012, 11:40 PM

Hi Everyone......... New to this forum & New to Digital SLR.

I had an old Ricoh SLR Film Camera but just recently bought a second hand Pentax K10D (so I could use my old lens)

I don't know if it is just me, or a setting, or a problem with the camera I bought as every second shot I take is dark.

In single shot mode or continuous mode one shot comes out dark the next shot is good (all on the same settings)

I updated the camera bios and played with all the settings I could find but it hasn't fixed the problem.

I reset the camera settings to default for everything now and considering going back to an earlier BIOS but thought I would ask here if anyone has experienced this ????

Cheers,
Arthur

Bramela · 04-07-2012, 12:33 AM

A bit more information would help for a possible solution.
What lens are you using?
What program setting on your camera?
What settings i.e. ISO,Aperture, Speed.

Thanks.

Chook · 04-07-2012, 12:40 AM

Thanks for the reply........ I understand

It happens no matter the lens (the Pentax DA 18 - 55 that came with the camera or any of my other manual lenses)

I had all the setting to Auto....... but I have tried changing the ISO, Aperature, (haven't worked out the speed bit yet) but on all the settings the problem is still there.

No matter what the settings are one photo is dark and the next is good on exactly the same settings.

JohnX · 04-07-2012, 02:34 AM

This might sound strange, but could you post examples of a 'pair' of shots complete with exif data? Need one good and one dark.

Chook · 04-07-2012, 04:17 AM

Thanks John..........Here are two shots taken one after the other with the same settings.

JohnX · 04-07-2012, 06:17 AM

Having had a long look at the exif, the main differences are to do with AF. Did the focus lock?

Try leaving more time between shots and check you have focus lock, etc. I know at first glance no focus lock shouldn't affect exposure, but I'm sure I've read something to that effect somewhere.

Another thought is battery. Is it up to the job, or not enough 'umph' to do everything until it's had a short rest?

Chook · 04-07-2012, 10:40 AM

Thanks John for the reply.

Great idea, I don't know that I tried changing the AF yet. I have it set to AFC (and not sure how to tell if I have AF Lock) but I will try changing to MF and see if that helps.

I didn't trust the battery that came with the camera so I bought 2 new ones (one for the body, another for the grip). I might try taking the grip off & putting the original battery back in also.

With your comment about the EXIF file I looked more closely at the data & the photos to try to identify the fault. I was thinking to myself, why would one photo be dark & the other fine (in that order). Then with your reply above about the power in the camera I wondered if the flash may be part of the issue. Not the battery side because I have plenty power on board, but rather that in Auto, if the camera thinks the flash is being used, it is compensating for it and making the first image darker ????

Anyhow I have a few more things to try now to help identify this.......... Thanks again for the reply.

Cheers,
Arthur

Chook · 04-07-2012, 10:51 AM

Also, with the darker image when I "Autocorrect" it lightens up and looks the same as the other photo and is in focus the same.

Northern Soul · 04-07-2012, 12:18 PM

The EXIF suggests these both have identical exposure (1/30, f3.5, ISO 400)

Clearly they do not.

Either the shutter is closing faster than in should, or the lens is stopping down when it shouldn't. It's an odd one.

Chook · 04-07-2012, 02:02 PM

Thanks Northern Soul............ 2 more things to look at that I haven't looked at before.

Time to read up in my manual on F Stops & Shutter Speed (if for nothing else it has forced me to look more at my manual & learn my camera)

Chook · 04-07-2012, 02:48 PM

Ok did some reading on F Stop and thought I would try using MF AV & Compulsory Flash to see if that helped/hindered.

As you can see in the photos below the problem is still there.

Looking @ the EXIF setting almost the same just shutter speed difference so I guess I will look at that next.

sterretje · 04-08-2012, 01:52 AM

Sorry to say, but I think it indicates a broken camera.

Chook · 04-08-2012, 02:04 AM

Well I tried putting in the manual focus lens from my old Ricoh XR6 and while the first shot was blank, each shot after that was great.

I put back in the automatic lens that came with my K10D and with 30 odd photos since it has only missed one of them.

I am starting to think it might be a lens issue rather than the camera itself.

Thinking back to when I first saw the problem I changed the automatic lens for my old manual tele zoom lens.

This is the first automatic lens I have had, wondering if it might be the contacts between lens & camera????

Much happier now the problem has gone away. Thanks everyone for your help as it has helped me check things I might not have otherwise checked.

Tom Woj · 04-08-2012, 02:47 AM

Glad to see you got it working. If it happens again, maybe get a micro fibre cloth and just give the contacts on the body + lens a bit of a clean, never know that could have been it.

calicojack · 04-08-2012, 05:18 AM

I would suggest that you first clean the contacts (both camera and lens) with a pencil eraser and then wipe down with the microfiber cloth. Be careful not to get any of the eraser bits into the camera (blow them out with a rocket blower if you do). And stop taking pictures of the computer screen, go outside.

04-06-2012, 11:40 PM	#1
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48	Newbie Question......... Hi Everyone......... New to this forum & New to Digital SLR. I had an old Ricoh SLR Film Camera but just recently bought a second hand Pentax K10D (so I could use my old lens) I don't know if it is just me, or a setting, or a problem with the camera I bought as every second shot I take is dark. In single shot mode or continuous mode one shot comes out dark the next shot is good (all on the same settings) I updated the camera bios and played with all the settings I could find but it hasn't fixed the problem. I reset the camera settings to default for everything now and considering going back to an earlier BIOS but thought I would ask here if anyone has experienced this ???? Cheers, Arthur

04-07-2012, 06:17 AM	#6
JohnX Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London Posts: 1,116	Having had a long look at the exif, the main differences are to do with AF. Did the focus lock? Try leaving more time between shots and check you have focus lock, etc. I know at first glance no focus lock shouldn't affect exposure, but I'm sure I've read something to that effect somewhere. Another thought is battery. Is it up to the job, or not enough 'umph' to do everything until it's had a short rest? Last edited by JohnX; 04-07-2012 at 08:30 AM.

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04-07-2012, 12:33 AM	#2
Bramela Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Newcastle Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,284	A bit more information would help for a possible solution. What lens are you using? What program setting on your camera? What settings i.e. ISO,Aperture, Speed. Thanks.

04-07-2012, 12:40 AM	#3
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48 Original Poster	Thanks for the reply........ I understand It happens no matter the lens (the Pentax DA 18 - 55 that came with the camera or any of my other manual lenses) I had all the setting to Auto....... but I have tried changing the ISO, Aperature, (haven't worked out the speed bit yet) but on all the settings the problem is still there. No matter what the settings are one photo is dark and the next is good on exactly the same settings.

04-07-2012, 02:34 AM	#4
JohnX Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London Posts: 1,116	This might sound strange, but could you post examples of a 'pair' of shots complete with exif data? Need one good and one dark.

04-07-2012, 04:17 AM	#5
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48 Original Poster	Thanks John..........Here are two shots taken one after the other with the same settings.

04-07-2012, 10:40 AM	#7
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48 Original Poster	Thanks John for the reply. Great idea, I don't know that I tried changing the AF yet. I have it set to AFC (and not sure how to tell if I have AF Lock) but I will try changing to MF and see if that helps. I didn't trust the battery that came with the camera so I bought 2 new ones (one for the body, another for the grip). I might try taking the grip off & putting the original battery back in also. With your comment about the EXIF file I looked more closely at the data & the photos to try to identify the fault. I was thinking to myself, why would one photo be dark & the other fine (in that order). Then with your reply above about the power in the camera I wondered if the flash may be part of the issue. Not the battery side because I have plenty power on board, but rather that in Auto, if the camera thinks the flash is being used, it is compensating for it and making the first image darker ???? Anyhow I have a few more things to try now to help identify this.......... Thanks again for the reply. Cheers, Arthur

04-07-2012, 10:51 AM	#8
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48 Original Poster	Also, with the darker image when I "Autocorrect" it lightens up and looks the same as the other photo and is in focus the same.

04-07-2012, 12:18 PM	#9
Northern Soul Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The North of England Photos: Albums Posts: 494	The EXIF suggests these both have identical exposure (1/30, f3.5, ISO 400) Clearly they do not. Either the shutter is closing faster than in should, or the lens is stopping down when it shouldn't. It's an odd one.

04-07-2012, 02:02 PM	#10
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48 Original Poster	Thanks Northern Soul............ 2 more things to look at that I haven't looked at before. Time to read up in my manual on F Stops & Shutter Speed (if for nothing else it has forced me to look more at my manual & learn my camera)

04-07-2012, 02:48 PM	#11
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48 Original Poster	Ok did some reading on F Stop and thought I would try using MF AV & Compulsory Flash to see if that helped/hindered. As you can see in the photos below the problem is still there. Looking @ the EXIF setting almost the same just shutter speed difference so I guess I will look at that next.

04-08-2012, 01:52 AM	#12
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	Sorry to say, but I think it indicates a broken camera.

04-08-2012, 02:04 AM	#13
Chook Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 48 Original Poster	Well I tried putting in the manual focus lens from my old Ricoh XR6 and while the first shot was blank, each shot after that was great. I put back in the automatic lens that came with my K10D and with 30 odd photos since it has only missed one of them. I am starting to think it might be a lens issue rather than the camera itself. Thinking back to when I first saw the problem I changed the automatic lens for my old manual tele zoom lens. This is the first automatic lens I have had, wondering if it might be the contacts between lens & camera???? Much happier now the problem has gone away. Thanks everyone for your help as it has helped me check things I might not have otherwise checked.

04-08-2012, 02:47 AM	#14
Tom Woj Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Stafford, UK Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 163	Glad to see you got it working. If it happens again, maybe get a micro fibre cloth and just give the contacts on the body + lens a bit of a clean, never know that could have been it.

04-08-2012, 05:18 AM	#15
calicojack Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Long Island, N.Y. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,124	I would suggest that you first clean the contacts (both camera and lens) with a pencil eraser and then wipe down with the microfiber cloth. Be careful not to get any of the eraser bits into the camera (blow them out with a rocket blower if you do). And stop taking pictures of the computer screen, go outside.