Photos dark and flashing bright green in playback mode

Tish99 · 09-21-2016, 02:37 AM

HELP! I am hoping I have inadvertently reset something on my K50 and this is not something madly expensive I need to get professionally fixed. No matter what shooting mode I use all my photos are coming out really black. When I look at them in playback mode they are flashing a bright lime green. I have checked EV compensation (set to 0) and metering (set to multi). I don't know what else to look at

**seventhdr** · 09-21-2016, 03:09 AM

Tish99,

In playback mode the flashing bright lime green is showing you the areas that are TOTALLY Black - No detail at all. This indicates that your images are under exposed. You can toggle this setting on and off in the Menu. It is usually called Bright/Dark area and is in the Playback menu.

Under exposed images are usually the result of using a small aperture (read larger aperture number), fast shutter speed, or low sensitivity. Or you have left your lens cap on!!!

Try going to program mode and taking a photo. What are the shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity values for the photo?

You could also do a camera reset. You'll find this at the bottom of the third setup menu panel from the menu system.

Let us know what happens.

Regards

Chris

Stargeezer · 09-21-2016, 03:10 AM

check for sticky aperture blade or auto aperture not engaged on lens.
Joe

D1N0 · 09-21-2016, 03:41 AM

Go to the playback menu (second tab) and untick bright/dark area.

Happyman · 09-21-2016, 04:55 AM

When you look through the viewfinder, do you see everything black, too?

Medex · 09-21-2016, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by Tish99

HELP! I am hoping I have inadvertently reset something on my K50 and this is not something madly expensive I need to get professionally fixed. No matter what shooting mode I use all my photos are coming out really black. When I look at them in playback mode they are flashing a bright lime green. I have checked EV compensation (set to 0) and metering (set to multi). I don't know what else to look at

The one of reasons your pictures are underexposed is aperture block failure that is common problem in pentax k-30 and k-50. Use the lense with aperture ring. Set the aperture manually to f4 or similar and try to shoot in Av mode. If the picture is normally exposed, you have aperture block failure in camera.
Before that check if the lens is properly mounted.

Tish99 · 09-22-2016, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by Medex

The one of reasons your pictures are underexposed is aperture block failure that is common problem in pentax k-30 and k-50. Use the lense with aperture ring. Set the aperture manually to f4 or similar and try to shoot in Av mode. If the picture is normally exposed, you have aperture block failure in camera.
Before that check if the lens is properly mounted.

As far as I can tell both my lenses are properly mounted and I am having the same problems with both. I have tried using AV and F4.5. If I take a picture of the bright sunlit window I can see this in playback. Anything else is now completely black since I did the camera reset, so no more bright lime green areas.

---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:57 AM ----------

Originally posted by Happyman

When you look through the viewfinder, do you see everything black, too?

No - everything looks fine through the viewfinder. It is the playback of photos and downloading them where they are all pretty much black

---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:58 AM ----------

Originally posted by Stargeezer

check for sticky aperture blade or auto aperture not engaged on lens.
Joe

How would I do this?

Medex · 09-22-2016, 09:10 AM

Originally posted by Tish99

As far as I can tell both my lenses are properly mounted and I am having the same problems with both. I have tried using AV and F4.5. If I take a picture of the bright sunlit window I can see this in playback. Anything else is now completely black since I did the camera reset, so no more bright lime green areas.

---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:57 AM ----------

No - everything looks fine through the viewfinder. It is the playback of photos and downloading them where they are all pretty much black

---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:58 AM ----------

How would I do this?

To check for the sticky aperture unmount the lens and move the aperture lever on it with your finger. Tre aperture should open and close rapidly.
To check for the aperture block failure you should use the lens that allow you to set aperture manually on the lens, not in camera using dial. If you will set e.g. f4, tre aperture will stop closing at this value. So you should get notmally exposed picture.

Tish99 · 10-03-2016, 02:24 AM

Hi Folks. Thanks everyone who posted replies to this thread re my black and flashy (not in a good way!) K50. I eventually unearthed the paperwork and found it was still in guarantee by just 2 weeks. So off it went for repair. This is what the repair note says "Replace mechanical assembly, repair shutter and mirror mechanism" That sounds pretty serious to me! And I wondered if this is what is called aperture block? Any comments gratefully received

09-21-2016, 02:37 AM	#1
Tish99 New Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 21	Photos dark and flashing bright green in playback mode HELP! I am hoping I have inadvertently reset something on my K50 and this is not something madly expensive I need to get professionally fixed. No matter what shooting mode I use all my photos are coming out really black. When I look at them in playback mode they are flashing a bright lime green. I have checked EV compensation (set to 0) and metering (set to multi). I don't know what else to look at

10-03-2016, 02:24 AM	#9
Tish99 New Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 21 Original Poster	Resolution Hi Folks. Thanks everyone who posted replies to this thread re my black and flashy (not in a good way!) K50. I eventually unearthed the paperwork and found it was still in guarantee by just 2 weeks. So off it went for repair. This is what the repair note says "Replace mechanical assembly, repair shutter and mirror mechanism" That sounds pretty serious to me! And I wondered if this is what is called aperture block? Any comments gratefully received

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09-21-2016, 03:09 AM	#2
seventhdr Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,453	Tish99, In playback mode the flashing bright lime green is showing you the areas that are TOTALLY Black - No detail at all. This indicates that your images are under exposed. You can toggle this setting on and off in the Menu. It is usually called Bright/Dark area and is in the Playback menu. Under exposed images are usually the result of using a small aperture (read larger aperture number), fast shutter speed, or low sensitivity. Or you have left your lens cap on!!! Try going to program mode and taking a photo. What are the shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity values for the photo? You could also do a camera reset. You'll find this at the bottom of the third setup menu panel from the menu system. Let us know what happens. Regards Chris

09-21-2016, 03:10 AM	#3
Stargeezer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: sunny florida Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 128	check for sticky aperture blade or auto aperture not engaged on lens. Joe

09-21-2016, 03:41 AM	#4
D1N0 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Location: --- Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,802	Go to the playback menu (second tab) and untick bright/dark area.

09-21-2016, 04:55 AM	#5
Happyman Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 68	When you look through the viewfinder, do you see everything black, too?

09-21-2016, 08:33 AM	#6
Medex Pentaxian Join Date: May 2013 Location: Vilnius Posts: 1,023	Originally posted by Tish99 HELP! I am hoping I have inadvertently reset something on my K50 and this is not something madly expensive I need to get professionally fixed. No matter what shooting mode I use all my photos are coming out really black. When I look at them in playback mode they are flashing a bright lime green. I have checked EV compensation (set to 0) and metering (set to multi). I don't know what else to look at The one of reasons your pictures are underexposed is aperture block failure that is common problem in pentax k-30 and k-50. Use the lense with aperture ring. Set the aperture manually to f4 or similar and try to shoot in Av mode. If the picture is normally exposed, you have aperture block failure in camera. Before that check if the lens is properly mounted.

09-22-2016, 08:56 AM	#7
Tish99 New Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 21 Original Poster	Originally posted by Medex The one of reasons your pictures are underexposed is aperture block failure that is common problem in pentax k-30 and k-50. Use the lense with aperture ring. Set the aperture manually to f4 or similar and try to shoot in Av mode. If the picture is normally exposed, you have aperture block failure in camera. Before that check if the lens is properly mounted. As far as I can tell both my lenses are properly mounted and I am having the same problems with both. I have tried using AV and F4.5. If I take a picture of the bright sunlit window I can see this in playback. Anything else is now completely black since I did the camera reset, so no more bright lime green areas. ---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:57 AM ---------- Originally posted by Happyman When you look through the viewfinder, do you see everything black, too? No - everything looks fine through the viewfinder. It is the playback of photos and downloading them where they are all pretty much black ---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:58 AM ---------- Originally posted by Stargeezer check for sticky aperture blade or auto aperture not engaged on lens. Joe How would I do this?

09-22-2016, 09:10 AM	#8
Medex Pentaxian Join Date: May 2013 Location: Vilnius Posts: 1,023	Originally posted by Tish99 As far as I can tell both my lenses are properly mounted and I am having the same problems with both. I have tried using AV and F4.5. If I take a picture of the bright sunlit window I can see this in playback. Anything else is now completely black since I did the camera reset, so no more bright lime green areas. ---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:57 AM ---------- No - everything looks fine through the viewfinder. It is the playback of photos and downloading them where they are all pretty much black ---------- Post added 09-22-16 at 08:58 AM ---------- How would I do this? To check for the sticky aperture unmount the lens and move the aperture lever on it with your finger. Tre aperture should open and close rapidly. To check for the aperture block failure you should use the lens that allow you to set aperture manually on the lens, not in camera using dial. If you will set e.g. f4, tre aperture will stop closing at this value. So you should get notmally exposed picture.