[MrB1]

The evidence of your random shots, some of which are quite difficult because of the bright sky over a dark scene, appears to show that the camera is doing what it is designed to do. In an auto or semi-auto mode, it will meter the scene and attempt to move the tones to an overall average level.

For example, the first photo in Post #12 has over two thirds very bright sky and less than a third dark trees, so the camera has shifted the overall brightness down towards an overall average. This has resulted in the clouds looking dull and the trees almost a silhouette. This sort of scene needs positive exposure compensation to be set in the camera to restore the realism.

An opposite example is the last photo in Post #13 which has over two thirds dark trees and less than a third bright sky, so the camera has shifted the overall brightness up towards an average. This has blown out the sky (all maximum white, from which nothing can be recovered) and made the trees rather pale. Negative exposure compensation here might have been able to reveal some cloud detail (as shown in the previous example) while giving more realism to the trees. (If the trees become too dark, they can usually be brightened successfully in post-processing).

If you are getting random very over-exposed images, when carefully considered exposure settings have been thoughtfully applied, it might suggest a problem with the lens rather than the camera - the aperture mechanism might have become stiff and sluggish with age (just like me!), so that it is not closing down to the required f-stop when the shutter fires.

Attached Images

 

[MarkJerling]

I hope you mean over-exposes. These are all too bright except the top one.

I agree, they mostly seem overexposed.

So, I'm confused by your comment:

..... the exposure which is almost black.

[mikesbike]

The green mode will provide the same exposure values as the "P" mode. Both are full-program operation according to the program line. Green mode probably uses auto-only ISO set by the camera. The green mode disallows many of the adjustment alterations that are available with the "P" mode, so using it has been suggested to see if one of those settings has been activated by accident and is causing your problem. It looks like that is not the case. It seems you are getting some cases of overexposure even using green mode. Don't set your ISO so high as 2000 for outdoor daylight shooting, even if cloudy. ISO 2000 is way too high for a shot where most of the frame is the sky during daylight, even if cloudy. ISO 100 to 400 would do well, depending on how dark the clouds are. ISO 200 to maybe 800 for your other scenes in daylight cloudy weather should be plenty, unless you are in a really dark woods and shooting longer telephoto shots. They shooting at much lower ISO settings.

You don't need to engage any user setting for cloudy. Leave the user settings off. They are for alterations geared for special shooting circumstances that you pre-set yourself, having tested those circumstances to get good results, and want to have at hand just for those circumstances. Your "P" program mode and matrix metering will handle the cloudiness, although tricky lighting is something you must learn to compensate for.

I see no reason whatsoever within the frame for some of those woodsy scenes with washed-out grass, etc to account for being overexposed. I was not there, so I could speculate that it was a very shadowy area, and the camera meter reacted to open up the darkness a bit too much, not knowing which part of the frame you wanted to expose for.

The sky shots with unbroken clouds and a significant part of the frame including trees, will lose detail in the gray clouds due to the fact the camera's meter is trying to achieve a balance that would impart detail in the trees. If the clouds were exposed for more detail, the trees would have to be much darker. The shots where the clouds were broken with a lot of blue sky are better because the blueness of the sky and the green of trees are matched closer to one another in light value, so the camera meter was able to strike a better balance for this scene. Remember, with a DSLR you are the boss. If you see that the gray clouds, for instance, are being overexposed (due to darker trees in the frame), and you are in "P" mode, use the exposure comp button and reduce exposure to get what you want.

The only other variable would be the lens not functioning properly. (a long shot but possible)

[Kombivan]

I know that stuff but with this DSLR I am not the boss its now on strike everything is washed out no matter what settings I use this should be some sort of clue to someone whom has also experienced this and I have two cameras like this. The only thing I can say is don't buy a s/h k5 from ebay you need to try the camera atleast 300 consecutive shots altinerating the settings then if every shot is proper exposure on if some are incorrect don't buy it.

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 03:14 PM ----------

I am thinking it might be the light meter? Good thing is I have one k5 left that has good exposure but the flash dosen't work compliments of ebay again.

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 03:18 PM ----------

Could a focus screen interfer with the light meter reading?

[Kombivan]

The evidence of your random shots, some of which are quite difficult because of the bright sky over a dark scene, appears to show that the camera is doing what it is designed to do. In an auto or semi-auto mode, it will meter the scene and attempt to move the tones to an overall average level.

For example, the first photo in Post #12 has over two thirds very bright sky and less than a third dark trees, so the camera has shifted the overall brightness down towards an overall average. This has resulted in the clouds looking dull and the trees almost a silhouette. This sort of scene needs positive exposure compensation to be set in the camera to restore the realism.

An opposite example is the last photo in Post #13 which has over two thirds dark trees and less than a third bright sky, so the camera has shifted the overall brightness up towards an average. This has blown out the sky (all maximum white, from which nothing can be recovered) and made the trees rather pale. Negative exposure compensation here might have been able to reveal some cloud detail (as shown in the previous example) while giving more realism to the trees. (If the trees become too dark, they can usually be brightened successfully in post-processing).

If you are getting random very over-exposed images, when carefully considered exposure settings have been thoughtfully applied, it might suggest a problem with the lens rather than the camera - the aperture mechanism might have become stiff and sluggish with age (just like me!), so that it is not closing down to the required f-stop when the shutter fires.

There are two different scene's in those four photo's with different settings and in different directions to the sunlight could I be frying somthing in the camera because I like sunrise and sunset shots? The Camera is fried now over exposes all the time.

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 04:52 PM ----------

OK found part of the problem, If I leave it off for a while it works perfect then it starts to over expose with too long a shutter speed here's the weird part if I pull my face away from the camera body it works properly again if i put my face up to the camera body it malfunctions again I conclude it must be my magnetic personality effecting the magnetic aperture control thingy. Or I could be overcharged from when I was hit by lightening 6/12/2016. Wonder if the eye piece has somthing to do with it I will change it back to standard and try it again.

[MarkJerling]

Are you using Green mode, factory settings?

[Kombivan]

Got It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In setting menu ----Camera 4 .... Electronic level must be ticked.


Got It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In setting menu ----Camera 4 .... Electronic level must be ticked.

Got It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In setting menu ----Camera 4 .... Electronic level must be ticked.

Pentax got this setting arse about should be electronic level for using the display instead of the viewfinder. View finder in a logical world this would be unticked.

---

Last edited by Kombivan; 03-02-2018 at 11:58 PM.

[MrB1]

Got It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In setting menu ----Camera 4 .... Electronic level must be ticked......

? ? ?

[Kombivan]

Can't wait to get my K-5ii back with the updated firmware and have a go of using it It did look a little impressive. These K-5's look good now.
Photo one wrong setting face to camera
Photo 2&3 face away from camera
Photo 4 think setting has changed
Photoi 5 settings changed and face on camera looking through view finder - this setting is the light control for the exposure with or without use of the view finder.

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 06:23 PM ----------

Now I can go back to messing with the settings again in the bright natural vibrant etc.

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 06:28 PM ----------

Thank you adam for the feedback without critism That green mode really confused me as I couldn't work out why iT worked then didn't as soon as I hit program or aperture modes. so clackers look out now. I am going to have to get a handle on this now I will have to establish a consistant method of camera in face before I mess with the other settings.

[Kombivan]

So Happy now, I could eat 2....

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 07:04 PM ----------

The best part is no more computer enhancements so I got these 3 camera's dirt cheap because of an unknown setting

[MrB1]

Got It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In setting menu ----Camera 4 .... Electronic level must be ticked.
Pentax got this setting arse about should be electronic level for using the display instead of the viewfinder. View finder in a logical world this would be unticked.

These K-5's look good now.
Photo one wrong setting face to camera
Photo 2&3 face away from camera
Photo 4 think setting has changed
Photoi 5 settings changed and face on camera looking through view finder - this setting is the light control for the exposure with or without use of the view finder.....

.....That green mode really confused me as I couldn't work out why iT worked then didn't as soon as I hit program or aperture modes. so clackers look out now. I am going to have to get a handle on this now I will have to establish a consistant method of camera in face before I mess with the other settings.

So, I'm confused by your comment:

Is anything posted here by Kombivan making any sense?

If there is anyone else who understands and can explain what he has described, please contribute some clarity to this thread.

[MarkJerling]

Is anything posted here by Kombivan making any sense?

If there is anyone else who understands and can explain what he has described, please contribute some clarity to this thread.

Hell, I hope it makes sense to someone! I'm still confused!

[Kombivan]

Thats like 1-4, Electronic Level; Tick

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 10:24 PM ----------

OK somtimes we use the lcd screen to take photo's and somtimes we use the View finder. In the Menu 1(little camera image) list 4, in this list is a switch called Electronic Level; This reads the amount of exposure light in the viewfinder during exposure assessment. This is because if you use the LCD screen more light enters the view finder (remember the little black things we use to use to block light entering the view finder when using tripod and remote) this switch controls this adjustment of light value entering the view finder. My problem was because this was not ticked it exposed for an open viewfinder but with me looking into the view finder this caused an incorrect reading and over exposed the image by about 2.7 stops. I know this measurement as this is how much I had to underexpose to get a proper exposure with my K5ii. and a little more with the k5 possibly about -3. The faster the exposure required the bigger the stuff up hence the all over the place effect when in fact it was being very consistent. Hope its all clear to you now as thats the best I can explain it. [OK it's like taking a photo on tripod without the black eye viewer blank off plastic thingy when using a remote. - I think in this case the image would under expose because there is more light entering the viewfinder this is the opposite of what happened to me.]

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 10:43 PM ----------

Is that more understandable?

---------- Post added 03-03-18 at 10:45 PM ----------

What no likes and I just solved the biggest K5 mystery on the planet.

I didn't solve the issue here only Identified some side effects. The camersa was confuses by multipul focal length for a single lens ID caused by x converters the solution is to reset the camera.

[Kombivan]

How's this off that same k5 camera.

[MrB1]

The Electronic Level is like a spirit level - it indicates whether the camera is tilted left or right instead of being horizontal. It has nothing to do with exposure - the camera comes supplied with "one of little black things we use to use to block light entering the view finder" for when the optical viewfinder is not being used.

Here is the relevant page from the K-5 user manual -