K50 ISO and aperture flashing red at me

Aluckydenvermint · 03-08-2017, 07:45 AM

Okay,

I've had my K50 about 2 years and haven't had the time I hoped to dedicate to learning like I should, what with 2 small kids and all. Up to now it's worked great though and I've had no trouble. Buuut, now seemingly out of nowhere the ISO and aperture flash red at me when I try shooting in low light. It seems to work fine when outdoors with plenty of light but not indoor. I have tried all I can think to do, updated firmware, reset all setting to factory conditions, cleaned the sensor nothing had helped. I'm using the DA L 18-55mm lens that came with the camera. I attached a photo I took of the live screen while trying to take a picture of my bookcase so show what I mean as I'm not sure I'm explaining well haha. Any ideas for noob who's only prior photo experience is an old film manual K 1000 in high school eons ago?

Kristie

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**suraswami** · 03-08-2017, 09:17 AM

Can you change shooting mode dial to 'P' and change the focus lever on the left of the camera to AF.S and see if this goes away.

Aluckydenvermint · 03-08-2017, 11:23 AM

Ugh. Just tried it no luck.

**Crooski** · 03-08-2017, 12:00 PM

You are in manual focus, red numbers mean you are out of range. change to AV and lower your Aperure

Aluckydenvermint · 03-08-2017, 12:11 PM

Originally posted by Crooski

You are in manual focus, red numbers mean you are out of range. change to AV and lower your Aperure

They do go away when I change to manual focus the problem however is that it is always flashing red even in auto mode and with the lens set at the AF.S setting. Manual focus seems to be the only time I can get the red away other than pointing the lens at a bright object such as the computer screen or out the window.

**pepperberry farm** · 03-08-2017, 12:20 PM

perhaps a factory reset, just on the off chance there was an inadvertent settings change?

Aluckydenvermint · 03-08-2017, 12:37 PM

No dice. I've tried that in vain several times. Thanks though!

**Just1MoreDave** · 03-08-2017, 12:58 PM

Flashing makes me think either the meter is out of range or hitting some sort of limit. I can't tell from the display but if the ISO is only 3200 and in Auto then you may have set that as a limit, and the camera is telling you that's too low. Or some other setting is fixed so the camera can't change it enough to get a correct exposure.

schnitzer79 · 03-09-2017, 03:32 AM

did you try cleaning the lens and camera contacts? or maybe try a different lens if you have one

dont mean to discourage you but when I had my K-50, I recall that happening a couple of times on mine as well. Not long after, the aperture block failed....common problem on the K30/K50, so i dont know if its connected to your problem...hope not though! good luck

Aluckydenvermint · 03-09-2017, 06:33 PM

So if the aperture block fails how do I fix it? Right now I seem to be able to "trick" it into taking pictures if I focus on light and them move to real target.

**suraswami** · 03-09-2017, 06:54 PM

Does it do the same outdoors too?

**grog85361** · 03-09-2017, 10:09 PM

I can force my K50 to do the same thing, but I have to have the lens cap on! I believe the exposure is out of range of adjustment. Page 92 of the K50 manual reads"The exposure value blinks red when the difference from the proper exposure is +- 3.0 or larger." This is in M mode, though. Does the camera behave normally in daylight outside situations?

stevebrot · 03-10-2017, 12:04 AM

Flashing exposure settings means that either the available light is out of range for the meter (lens cap on?) or the indicated exposure is out of range for the camera/lens/ISO as set up.

Steve

**Just1MoreDave** · 03-10-2017, 01:39 PM

The K50 meter has a lower limit of Ev 0. The display photo has settings that work out to 1 2/3 stops darker than that, if I counted on my fngers correctly. The display is telling you that all three exposure parameters add up to a light level where the meter can't measure accurately. Or it can't adjust those parameters enough for a good shot.

I think you must be in a completely auto mode - where the camera can control aperture, ISO and shutter speed. That's why they are all red. If I use a fixed ISO on my K5IIs, Av mode and keep setting smaller apertures (larger f numbers), the shutter speed increases until 30 seconds, then it starts flashing red. In this case the red means that's the limit of the shutter speed. I've told the camera it only has control of shutter speed, and the camera is saying I am doing something dumb which keeps the camera from doing its job.

My wife's car is like that. It tells her the fuel level is low, it offers to locate gas stations on the navigation system, it lights up a little gas pump on the instrument panel in yellow, then it turns red... eventually it probably sighs, calls a tow truck and makes an appointment at the dealer to replace the fuel pump.

GolNat · 03-10-2017, 01:50 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Aluckydenvermint

So if the aperture block fails how do I fix it? Right now I seem to be able to "trick" it into taking pictures if I focus on light and them move to real target.

If this was the problem it would also do it outdoors.

Bump up the ISO and lower your aperture. At the current settings it cant get a proper exposure. Your ISO ceiling is probably set at 3200 so the camera wont increase it past that.

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03-08-2017, 09:17 AM	#2
suraswami Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 419	Can you change shooting mode dial to 'P' and change the focus lever on the left of the camera to AF.S and see if this goes away.

03-08-2017, 11:23 AM	#3
Aluckydenvermint New Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 5 Original Poster	Ugh. Just tried it no luck.

03-08-2017, 12:00 PM	#4
Crooski Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Rozenburg , Zuid-Holland Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,683	You are in manual focus, red numbers mean you are out of range. change to AV and lower your Aperure

03-08-2017, 12:11 PM	#5
Aluckydenvermint New Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 5 Original Poster	Originally posted by Crooski You are in manual focus, red numbers mean you are out of range. change to AV and lower your Aperure They do go away when I change to manual focus the problem however is that it is always flashing red even in auto mode and with the lens set at the AF.S setting. Manual focus seems to be the only time I can get the red away other than pointing the lens at a bright object such as the computer screen or out the window.

03-08-2017, 12:20 PM	#6
pepperberry farm amateur dirt farmer Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 41,751	perhaps a factory reset, just on the off chance there was an inadvertent settings change?

03-08-2017, 12:37 PM	#7
Aluckydenvermint New Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 5 Original Poster	No dice. I've tried that in vain several times. Thanks though!

03-08-2017, 12:58 PM	#8
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	Flashing makes me think either the meter is out of range or hitting some sort of limit. I can't tell from the display but if the ISO is only 3200 and in Auto then you may have set that as a limit, and the camera is telling you that's too low. Or some other setting is fixed so the camera can't change it enough to get a correct exposure.

03-09-2017, 03:32 AM	#9
schnitzer79 Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,248	did you try cleaning the lens and camera contacts? or maybe try a different lens if you have one dont mean to discourage you but when I had my K-50, I recall that happening a couple of times on mine as well. Not long after, the aperture block failed....common problem on the K30/K50, so i dont know if its connected to your problem...hope not though! good luck

03-09-2017, 06:33 PM	#10
Aluckydenvermint New Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 5 Original Poster	So if the aperture block fails how do I fix it? Right now I seem to be able to "trick" it into taking pictures if I focus on light and them move to real target.

03-09-2017, 06:54 PM	#11
suraswami Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 419	Does it do the same outdoors too?

03-09-2017, 10:09 PM	#12
grog85361 Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Phoenix Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 894	I can force my K50 to do the same thing, but I have to have the lens cap on! I believe the exposure is out of range of adjustment. Page 92 of the K50 manual reads"The exposure value blinks red when the difference from the proper exposure is +- 3.0 or larger." This is in M mode, though. Does the camera behave normally in daylight outside situations?

03-10-2017, 12:04 AM	#13
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Flashing exposure settings means that either the available light is out of range for the meter (lens cap on?) or the indicated exposure is out of range for the camera/lens/ISO as set up. Steve

03-10-2017, 01:39 PM	#14
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	The K50 meter has a lower limit of Ev 0. The display photo has settings that work out to 1 2/3 stops darker than that, if I counted on my fngers correctly. The display is telling you that all three exposure parameters add up to a light level where the meter can't measure accurately. Or it can't adjust those parameters enough for a good shot. I think you must be in a completely auto mode - where the camera can control aperture, ISO and shutter speed. That's why they are all red. If I use a fixed ISO on my K5IIs, Av mode and keep setting smaller apertures (larger f numbers), the shutter speed increases until 30 seconds, then it starts flashing red. In this case the red means that's the limit of the shutter speed. I've told the camera it only has control of shutter speed, and the camera is saying I am doing something dumb which keeps the camera from doing its job. My wife's car is like that. It tells her the fuel level is low, it offers to locate gas stations on the navigation system, it lights up a little gas pump on the instrument panel in yellow, then it turns red... eventually it probably sighs, calls a tow truck and makes an appointment at the dealer to replace the fuel pump.

03-10-2017, 01:50 PM - 1 Like	#15
GolNat Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: USA-Delaware Posts: 134	Originally posted by Aluckydenvermint So if the aperture block fails how do I fix it? Right now I seem to be able to "trick" it into taking pictures if I focus on light and them move to real target. If this was the problem it would also do it outdoors. Bump up the ISO and lower your aperture. At the current settings it cant get a proper exposure. Your ISO ceiling is probably set at 3200 so the camera wont increase it past that.