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01-01-2014, 08:38 AM   #1
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Problems metering with manual lenses on K-500

Hi all,
I have three problems metering with a manual lens (a Centon 50mm f/1.7 - nice lens, but has its issues) and they are as follows:

1) The aperture is always wide open in Aperture Priority mode no matter what the setting on the lens is. (The lens does not have an "A" position on its aperture ring, does this make a difference?) However, the aperture stops down just fine in Manual mode when I press RAW/Fx which I've assigned to Optical Preview, and during the exposure.
2) When the green button is pressed in Manual mode to get a meter reading, sometimes the camera can freeze up and not respond to anything (including the power switch) which ends in a battery pull - a pain when your tripod mounting plate obstructs the battery door!
3) Flash exposure is WAY off. All of my images come out overexposed and the built-in flash seems to be firing at full power no matter what I set the flash exposure compensation to, which is annoying for portraiture and saps a fair bit of battery power when that happens.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? These issues are pretty annoying. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Toby

01-01-2014, 08:59 AM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by tobyshootspentax Quote
Hi all,
I have three problems metering with a manual lens (a Centon 50mm f/1.7 - nice lens, but has its issues) and they are as follows:

1) The aperture is always wide open in Aperture Priority mode no matter what the setting on the lens is. (The lens does not have an "A" position on its aperture ring, does this make a difference?) However, the aperture stops down just fine in Manual mode when I press RAW/Fx which I've assigned to Optical Preview, and during the exposure.
This is how it works. You must use M mode unless you plan to shoot wide open. The camera always meters ALL lenses (except for screwmounts) wide open and then calculates the proper shutter speed based on what the f setting is. Without an A ring, there is no way for the lens to provide this information to the camera, so the metering will not be correct. The camera should still USE the aperture on the ring when you shoot in AV mode, but your exposure will be incorrect.

QuoteQuote:
2) When the green button is pressed in Manual mode to get a meter reading, sometimes the camera can freeze up and not respond to anything (including the power switch) which ends in a battery pull - a pain when your tripod mounting plate obstructs the battery door!
There is something wrong with your camera. This should not happen.
01-01-2014, 09:22 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by MadMathMind Quote
There is something wrong with your camera. This should not happen.
Uh oh. I'll try and get a video of it next time it happens.
It doesn't seem as though it's completely freezing up, the shutter speed/aperture readings on the status screen flash when it happens, so it seems as though the camera is waiting on something to happen.
I've submitted a support request to Ricoh, just to verify if there is a problem with my camera.
I should also probably mention this has never happened with the kit lens.
01-01-2014, 09:29 AM   #4
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The K-500 is similar to the K-50 so some of these settings should apply. You need to enable use of the aperture ring for one thing.
Using Older Lenses on the PENTAX K-50 | Ricoh Imaging Support

QuoteOriginally posted by tobyshootspentax Quote
Hi all,
I have three problems metering with a manual lens (a Centon 50mm f/1.7 - nice lens, but has its issues) and they are as follows:

1) The aperture is always wide open in Aperture Priority mode no matter what the setting on the lens is. (The lens does not have an "A" position on its aperture ring, does this make a difference?) However, the aperture stops down just fine in Manual mode when I press RAW/Fx which I've assigned to Optical Preview, and during the exposure.
See previous posters comments.

On flagship models activating the optical preview in manual mode would stop down the iris and turn on the exposure meter bars and yo could set the exposure with the eDials and aperture ring. Non-flagship models usually do not enable the bar meter.

QuoteQuote:
2) When the green button is pressed in Manual mode to get a meter reading, sometimes the camera can freeze up and not respond to anything (including the power switch) which ends in a battery pull - a pain when your tripod mounting plate obstructs the battery door!
As noted above this is not normal behavior. Does setting the camera options as above solve the problem? Perhaps a firmware update may also solve the problem. Normally the green button will stop down the lens, take a meter reading and set the shutter speed - provided you have the program set to Tv on the green button in manual mode.

QuoteQuote:
3) Flash exposure is WAY off. All of my images come out overexposed and the built-in flash seems to be firing at full power no matter what I set the flash exposure compensation to, which is annoying for portraiture and saps a fair bit of battery power when that happens.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? These issues are pretty annoying. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Toby
In manual mode the flash is always going to fire at full power. You need to set the ISO to the GN rating, the shutter speed to flash sync speed or slower (<= 1/180th sec) and divide the guide number of the flash by the flash to subject distance and set the f-stop to around that figure.

01-01-2014, 09:51 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Not a Number Quote
The K-500 is similar to the K-50 so some of these settings should apply. You need to enable use of the aperture ring for one thing.
Using Older Lenses on the PENTAX K-50 | Ricoh Imaging Support


See previous posters comments.

On flagship models activating the optical preview in manual mode would stop down the iris and turn on the exposure meter bars and yo could set the exposure with the eDials and aperture ring. Non-flagship models usually do not enable the bar meter.
The camera is set up as per those settings.

QuoteOriginally posted by Not a Number Quote
As noted above this is not normal behavior. Does setting the camera options as above solve the problem? Perhaps a firmware update may also solve the problem. Normally the green button will stop down the lens, take a meter reading and set the shutter speed - provided you have the program set to Tv on the green button in manual mode.
That can't be good. As I've said I've submitted a support ticket to Ricoh, here's hoping it's good news.
I should probably also mention the camera is running the latest firmware version as of almost a week ago.

QuoteOriginally posted by Not a Number Quote
In manual mode the flash is always going to fire at full power. You need to set the ISO to the GN rating, the shutter speed to flash sync speed or slower (<= 1/180th sec) and divide the guide number of the flash by the flash to subject distance and set the f-stop to around that figure.
Ah, thanks for the insight. Is there any way I can set the flash power manually? I'd quite like to shoot wide open most of the time - the main reason for buying this lens was for portraiture and it's no good forgoing the flash and having shadows all over the subject's face, that's not how I like my portraits to look.
I'm thinking of buying a Yongnuo YN-560 III sooner or later which allows me to adjust flash output among other things.
01-01-2014, 10:46 AM   #6
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MF lenses on Pentax - again

QuoteOriginally posted by tobyshootspentax Quote
Hi all,
I have three problems metering with a manual lens (a Centon 50mm f/1.7 - nice lens, but has its issues) and they are as follows:
Hi Toby

Join the MF lenses on pentax conundrums club...!!

You may find these threads addressing similar/same issues informative:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/120-general-technical-troubleshooting/230...g-problem.html

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/131-visitors-center/222413-please-help-kr...en-button.html

and I have been trying to collate what I have found out on these pages:

How to use K mount manual focus lenses on Pentax (and Samsung) DSLR's: metering and other issues, hacks and tricks

I woukld be interested to hear how you get on with your K500, and whether there are exposure or other distinctions compared to what I note for my K-r (and GX20) on my pages...
01-01-2014, 10:53 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by tobyshootspentax Quote
Ah, thanks for the insight. Is there any way I can set the flash power manually? I'd quite like to shoot wide open most of the time - the main reason for buying this lens was for portraiture and it's no good forgoing the flash and having shadows all over the subject's face, that's not how I like my portraits to look.
I'm thinking of buying a Yongnuo YN-560 III sooner or later which allows me to adjust flash output among other things.
I don't think you can adjust the internal flash. Decent external flash is the only way to my knowledge.

01-01-2014, 11:00 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by tobyshootspentax Quote
Ah, thanks for the insight. Is there any way I can set the flash power manually? I'd quite like to shoot wide open most of the time - the main reason for buying this lens was for portraiture and it's no good forgoing the flash and having shadows all over the subject's face, that's not how I like my portraits to look.
I'm thinking of buying a Yongnuo YN-560 III sooner or later which allows me to adjust flash output among other things.
I don't think so. If the flash power/compensation settings from the function button do nothing then you either have to resort to ND filters, scrimming the flash or an external flash like the Yongnuo
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