[DadsMX]

Hi Guys

I've an old SLR that came with a few of the old bayonet mount M series lenses, so I got myself a K-R to slap them on.
Now they fit fine, but I'm having a problem with the metering in manual mode in the k-r when using the viewfinder.

Basically, when I try to use stop down metering, the exposure time, and exposure reading are massively off - as if the camera seems to think the environment is WAY brighter than it is - so it will set stupidly fast shutter speeds. So black pictures ahoy.
BUT, when I switch to liveview and do stop down metering it works perfectly! Problem is I hate using liveview to frame shots and it's a massive pain in the hole to keep switching back and forth.
So does anyone have any idea what is going on here? Am I the only one experiencing this behaviour?

First a few answers to the obvious things folks will suggest:
1. I have set Use Aperture Ring to PERMITTED
2. I have entered the focal length when prompted upon turning on in M mode.
3. I have set the green button to Tv Shift. (Also used the av+/- and same issue)
4. I have tried both the lithium battery, fully charged, and brand new fully charged AA's. No difference.
5. Contacts are clean as can possibly be as I have cleaned them a few times now to be sure.
6. Lenses in question all have metal mountings and are also clean as a whistle.
7. Aperture blades are in perfect condition and aperture lever on lenses work perfectly.
8. If I change the aperture setting on the lens the camera correctly stops to whatever I've set when taking a picture ( glared down lens with torch at every f-stop to be sure). Optical preview also works perfectly.
9. When I try metering through viewfinder eye is up against it and I've tried covering it completely... no difference.


Like I said, I can live with using the liveview for metering (grudgingly) or just good old fashioned sunny 16, but it'd be more convenient if my exposure meter worked properly through the viewfinder.
So all that being said... does anyone have any idea what's causing this?


Examples:
Liveview Stopdown2.JPG
Viewfinder Stopdown2.JPG


Cheers in advance

---------- Post added 04-06-16 at 01:33 PM ----------

P.S A couple of more pre-answers:


10. Bracketing is NOT on.
11. Firmware updated to 1.14

Attached Images

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[Adam]

Did you press the green button just before capturing the photo?

Also, I would switch the camera's metering to matrix mode just in case. Center-weighted can overexpose if the subject is darker than the rest of the frame (which probably isn't the case here, but it doesn't hurt to try).

[vonBaloney]

Ok, so the obvious questions you missed are:

-- Are you in (M)anual mode (sounds like it since you say it is stopping down, but you didn't actually say so)?

-- What does "stop down metering" mean to you? The procedure is to set the aperture on the lens & hit the green button -- this will stop down the lens to the selected aperture (for a moment) and take a meter reading, and then set the shutter speed based on that. Then you hit shutter to take actual shot at that shutter speed. On some models you need to explicitly set to a fixed ISO (maybe just the K-01?).

---------- Post added 04-06-16 at 05:48 PM ----------

Did you press the green button just before capturing the photo?

Also, I would switch the camera's metering to matrix mode just in case.

Matrix mode doesn't work with green button metering -- only center and spot

[DadsMX]

Thanks for the replies.
Aye, I'm in manual (M) mode. (I do actually say that twice above!


So what I'm doing currently is:- set the aperture using ring on the lens, focus, compose, then press green button, the camera then stops down, has a look and in live view meters correctly and sets correct exposure time. I then press the shutter to take the shot with the suggested exposure time.
But if I do the exact same thing using the viewfinder, it stops down, has a look, meters incorrectly and sets a stupidly short exposure time.
ISO is fixed in all cases. No auto ISO is set.


And metering is set at centre weighted, definitely not spot, and as vonBaloney states Matrix metering isn't available in M mode using manual lenses on the K-R.


On the two comparison shots the ONLY difference is whether the stop down metering was done in liveview or viewfinder.
It's a real PITA! lol

[Adam]

Matrix mode doesn't work with green button metering -- only center and spot

Touche- never noticed that.

On the two comparison shots the ONLY difference is whether the stop down metering was done in liveview or viewfinder. It's a real PITA! lol

Do AF lenses work fine? If not then perhaps there's something wrong with the mirror or shutter.

[DadsMX]

Touche- never noticed that.



Do AF lenses work fine? If not then perhaps there's something wrong with the mirror or shutter.

Hmm, I've only got 70's M glass for the Pentax at the minute. (Been keeping my beady eye out for a 30mm 2.8 K too )
Thus far I've put a couple of hundred shots through in manual and other than the aforementioned infuriating metering issue she hasn't missed a beat. I'll need to see if I can rustle up an AF from somewhere to try.

[vonBaloney]

How about this? The viewfinder should be blocked by your eye or otherwise covered -- if you're on a tripod and just letting the sun (or other light) shine in the viewfinder that will affect metering.

EDIT: Nevermind, you covered that too.

[DadsMX]

How about this? The viewfinder should be blocked by your eye or otherwise covered -- if you're on a tripod and just letting the sun (or other light) shine in the viewfinder that will affect metering...

I refer the right honourable gentleman to pre-answer number 9

[vonBaloney]

I refer the right honourable gentleman to pre-answer number 9

Yep.

It is a different metering system through the viewfinder of course -- sounds busted. I'd go try a modern lens on a different mode and see what happens...

[DadsMX]

Yep.

It is a different metering system through the viewfinder of course -- sounds busted. I'd go try a modern lens on a different mode and see what happens...

Sounds like a good idea.

Hmm, but the only other person I know with a modern Pentax is away on holiday for a few weeks the inconsiderate bam! He should have foreseen my needs and cancelled it! Lol

Wonder if I could be cheeky enough to mosey down to the camera shop and 'test' an AF lens

[jrc5150]

Try to reset to default settings.

Menu
Tools
Page 3
Last line = Reset

This may clear a setting that might be causing your problem.

[DadsMX]

Try to reset to default settings.

Menu
Tools
Page 3
Last line = Reset

This may clear a setting that might be causing your problem.

Alas, I already tried that, and have updated the firmware too. Neither made a difference.

[Phishpot]

I'm having the exact same issue with a manual lens on my K-r.

The green button is set to do a meter reading, but the green button only does a shutter activation in live view, which is fatal. It means that unless the lens is wide open, the light meter reading with the viewfinder is totally off due to the aparture lever on the lens not being activated until taking the shot.

[southlander]

Now using a K-3 but when using a K-x which is a close relative of your K-R I used to get the occasional green button metering error with M lenses where the selected shutter speed was way off. If I cycled the camera off and on the metering came good. Never worked out what caused this but the frequency of occurrence was low enough that it wasn't a significant operating problem.

Sorry I can't offer a solution but only a degree of verification of your problem.

[Joseph464]

Well, when I first started shooting with my K-r, I had this similar experience when looking through the viewfinder: a way under exposed image for no apparent reason. But I soon figured out what was wrong. Without consciously looking, I thought I was pushing the green button, but I was actually pushing the shutter release to the half position. Once I sorted out my finger ballet over the buttons, everything worked perfectly. May I suggest putting a little piece of something with an obvious texture (duct tape?) over the green button to make it obviously different in touch from the shutter release. Maybe that will solve the mystery. Or maybe not.