[mungobrick]

We just got a K-50, our first DSLR. We're just using AF for now, until we figure out how the rest of it works (any suggestions for a good basic book we can get?). We were really happy with what we were getting, but in the last week the colors have gone all wonky. Everything seems too yellow. Here is an example (hope I actually attached it)... I realize this is a crud picture, I was just taking a comparison shot to show how much the puppy had grown. I read about white balance, but that should be taken care of in AF, shouldn't it? Since we haven't had this problem until now, I'm wondering if somehow we've accidentally changed something. Can anyone help? Thanks!

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[Giklab]

Reversal Film instead of Natural? (IIRC it's the right button on the directional pad). Or maybe the White Balance is set to a specific setting (Left button).

[devouges]

Before choosing a book, you can try out some of the online training courses... here is one....

Lesson 1 ? Intent | BestPhotoLessons

[calicojack]

Pentax K-50 & K-500 e-book

Yvonne's books are great, informative, easy to read, and written by a Pentaxian. I bought his K10D book immediately after buying the camera. I actually have a hard copy paperback, spiraol bound book. When I just recently upgraded to a K5II, I bought his book on it before the camera arrived. Of course now they are E-books only. Certainly worth the couple of dollars he charges for the book.

P.S. I have no connection to /. with Yvonne other than as a satisfied customer.

---------- Post added 03-16-14 at 10:10 AM ----------

OBTW,
It looks to me like it is definately a white balance problem. You probably changed away from "Auto White Balance" by accident.

[Just1MoreDave]

It's two light sources competing, each with different color characteristics. One is the room light, tungsten incandescent or something that color temperature. That's something like 2800K. The other light is from the camera's flash, which is 5000K to 5500K, like daylight. The camera was actually trying hard to create a nice exposure here, using settings to let in a lot of ambient light and adding just enough flash to light up the kennel. It is recording the scene accurately but your eyes adjust to the room color temperature so it doesn't look that way to you.

The camera's JPEG conversion settings might be making this color worse. Bright mode, extra saturation or vibrance, or a setting called CTE (Color Temperature Enhance) can do that.

Some good news: I think the camera is working properly here. Look at the other too-yellow shots to see if they are also a combination of flash and indoor tungsten-colored light. One fix is to buy all new indoor lightbulbs that are the same color temperature as the flash. Processing software could separate the kennel from the background, change the color balance on the background, then recombine the shots. The camera could be set up to take a shot with very little ambient light, or to use only ambient light. You could convert this shot to black and white.

[geru2000]

We just got a K-50, our first DSLR. We're just using AF for now, until we figure out how the rest of it works (any suggestions for a good basic book we can get?). We were really happy with what we were getting, but in the last week the colors have gone all wonky. Everything seems too yellow. Here is an example (hope I actually attached it)... I realize this is a crud picture, I was just taking a comparison shot to show how much the puppy had grown. I read about white balance, but that should be taken care of in AF, shouldn't it? Since we haven't had this problem until now, I'm wondering if somehow we've accidentally changed something. Can anyone help? Thanks!

It seems that if you were happy before with your shots then you may have changed something?

First thing I'd check - White Balance - Make sure it's set to AWB (Auto White Balance) as you learn the ins and outs then start experimenting with custom WB

Check to make sure you're not in a scene mode, (SCN) on the dial. If for instance you were in Blue Sky your photo would look all yellow under lighting similar to your photo.

Use Auto or P if you're not familiar with Manual mode they're all on the dial. I found Auto to be better than the P mode in the beginning.

Begin by learning your camera read the manual there is a lot to learn.

Use You Tube and the internet there are plenty of Video's to help you understand how to use the camera.

One that I like is Mike Brown his videos are short and he is quite good at instruction. The link is to his play list I'd first start with camera controls then move on to exposure.

Every thing he talks about is relevant to your camera some thing like TV (shutter Priority) has a different letter designation on the dial of say a cannon than Pentax but they do the same thing.

[mungobrick]

Thank you so much for all your help, everyone- I will check out your suggestions for the camera as well as the books and courses.

[JimJohnson]

One more suggestion - see for yourself what the books are saying:
SLR camera simulator

[Ira]

Hi, Mungo--and have fun with your new toy!

One of the things that I tell people who are just learning photography is to look through the viewfinder as if you're viewing a painting. Look at EVERYTHING in the viewfinder--not just your subject in the center.

And along these lines is this:

No camera can totally fix bad lighting conditions. Yes, there are tools at your disposal, like flash, to give you more light--but that doesn't mean it's BETTER light. Other tools are faster ISO, slower shutter speed, adjusting color balance, and more open aperture to compensate for inadequate light. But again, nothing on earth beats proper natural light.

So...

If you want to get the best picture possible of your dog in his/her crate, don't expect the camera to do a better job in poor light than simply moving the crate towards the window, with natural light flowing in and painting the scene. Know what I mean?

It's the same thing when you're shooting outside. Study the light conditions around your subject before pulling the trigger on the shot.

[TER-OR]

Fortunately Post-Processing can correct a lot of errors, and lighting is one. There will be some situations with mixed light which just drive a camera nuts...