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10-10-2020, 04:55 PM   #1
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K-x. Photos underexposed in Automatic mode.

The other day I was out and shooting great fall photos. Everything looked fine in the viewfinder. After a while I wanted to check my photos so I reviewed them on the LCD screen. I was appalled to find that they were all horribly underexposed. I was shooting in the Auto Pic mode. What the hell is going on here? I will attach one of the photos.

I have fooled around with the camera a little bit since. When I turn the camera on and view through the LCD images are very underexposed. Looking at that image on the LCD I see on the bottom it is flashing in red 0.5" F4.0 ISO800. I have found that if I turn mode dial to something like TV or AV at some point it seems to go back to normal exposure (and shoots a normal photo) in all modes. Second photo is what I got after I did this.

Pretty odd.

I will say that a couple years ago I had a different type of problem. Pentax K-x will not go to movie mode. - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com

In that case I was tutored through the process of opening up the camera and cleaning contacts. It worked. This problem seems quite different but still involves the mode dial.

Anyway. Any ideas? I am very much a novice. The last cleaning I did with the contacts was way beyond my skill level, but I did it.

Oh yeah, is there a way (software?) that I can undo those photos/files that are underexposed?

Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-x  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-x  Photo 

Last edited by agrolingua; 10-10-2020 at 05:13 PM.
10-10-2020, 05:01 PM   #2
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accidental exposure compensation set to the negative when in that mode? have done a bunch of stuff only to realize later i somehow had -3 ev
10-10-2020, 06:00 PM   #3
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Any chance you were shooting RAW, or RAW+? Raw records ALL of the data at each pixel, which allows more opportunity for editing. JPEG records the same data, then discards what it doesn't use. Raw doesn't discard anything.

Kirk B.
10-10-2020, 07:37 PM   #4
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The Auto Pic mode is where the camera will pick out what it "thinks" is the best of the "Scene" modes to apply according to what you are shooting. Evidently, for whatever reason, it has been making some bad choices. What happens if you decide on a particular "Scene" mode appropriate to your subject matter?

Irregardless, at some point it is best to learn what to do on your own when dealing with various particular needs and circumstances. If you are just looking to have the camera set to automatic exposure so it will determine both the shutter speed and the aperture, use the "P" (Program) mode. If you wish to control the lens aperture setting, then switch to Av, choose your aperture, and the camera will automatically set the proper shutter speed. If you want to control shutter speed, then switch to Tv, choose your shutter speed and the camera will automatically set the appropriate aperture. If you need full control of your exposure, use the "M" (Manual) mode to set both your shutter speed and your aperture.

10-11-2020, 12:01 AM - 1 Like   #5
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Did you ever fix this issue?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/58-troubleshooting-beginner-help/377803-more-k-x-problems-post4494268.html

10-11-2020, 03:55 AM   #6
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"Looking at that image on the LCD I see on the bottom it is flashing in red 0.5" F4.0 ISO800."

Only thing I can think of that auto-iso is used in that A-setting and that the high iso is set too low. Unless you always take your pictures at 800iso. Turning to another exposure method disables auto iso and than the manual setting of the iso sets in. And what was the time lapse between the two pictures? If I look at the pictures the first one must have been taken when it was dark hence jeff and renee neon is quite good to see. When it flashes red it meant that you have to open the aperture wider or to set the iso higher so that the red flashing stops. As you used auto-picture auto-iso might have caused the problem.

Last edited by Unregistered User; 10-11-2020 at 04:01 AM. Reason: additonal information/question added
10-11-2020, 06:19 PM   #7
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Both photos were taken mid afternoon. Minutes apart.

Yes, I did sort out the previous problem mentioned. Cleaned the contacts as described in that post.

This happens in whatever mode the camera is set when I turn it on. Tv, AV, P, etc.

Don't think it is exposure compensation.

As I mentioned, turning the mode dial to different settings will bring the exposure back. But, I have not yet detected a specific routine or pattern. If I turn the camera off and then back on within a short time (minutes) the exposure will be OK.

Probably totally unrelated to this is that I have noted what when the LCD is on there is a small noise emanating from the innards of the camera. Hard to explain the sound. Goes off when the LCD is turned off.

10-11-2020, 06:53 PM   #8
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At first I thought errant exposure compensation. However, using the sunny 16 rule (you can google it) for comparison, the exif suggests #1 should be perhaps 1-2 stops overexposed though it is several stops too dark, (and pretty close on #2).

Not sure if auto even allows exposure compensation. But, if you don't find the simple solution (and even if you do), I would recommend at least using P mode as it does allow EC (a good thing) and shooting in raw (also a good thing).
10-11-2020, 08:50 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by agrolingua Quote
Probably totally unrelated to this is that I have noted what when the LCD is on there is a small noise emanating from the innards of the camera. Hard to explain the sound. Goes off when the LCD is turned off.
This during Liveview? You are probably hearing the shake reduction mechanism in operation.
10-11-2020, 11:54 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by agrolingua Quote
Both photos were taken mid afternoon. Minutes apart.



Yes, I did sort out the previous problem mentioned. Cleaned the contacts as described in that post.

Well the problem referred to in that thread was nothing to do with cleaning the contacts. In the first post you mention that being a previous issue. The issue in that thread was dark images and although a battery issue was suspected there was no conclusion.

10-12-2020, 12:41 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by agrolingua Quote
I was shooting in the Auto Pic mode. What the hell is going on here? I will attach one of the photos.
I was thinking it was this way.
10-12-2020, 12:43 AM   #12
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Has the camera ever got wet? Maybe the electronics are dying. If you here strange noises when the LCD is on, this might be a hint.
10-12-2020, 12:43 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by agrolingua Quote
This happens in whatever mode the camera is set when I turn it on. Tv, AV, P, etc.
But actually it can be any mode you have previously set to when you turn on the camera?

---------- Post added 10-12-20 at 12:45 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by agrolingua Quote
As I mentioned, turning the mode dial to different settings will bring the exposure back.
So this means when you turn the mode dial round to different settings than the one it happened to be on already, the problem clears up? Then it is the mode dial.

Last edited by mikesbike; 10-13-2020 at 07:02 PM.
10-13-2020, 05:01 PM   #14
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Camera has never been wet to my knowledge.

Not sure about the noise. I can hear it whether shake reduction is on or off. Not very loud as you have to have your head near the camera to hear it.

Still not sure about the underexposure problem and the mode dial. No other clues. Don't know if I want to open the camera up again, clean the contacts and see if that works.
10-21-2020, 09:15 AM   #15
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strange work around

I have found with trial and error that when I turn the camera on and turn on the LCD display and find it underexposed that if I change the setting on the mode dial and hit the menu button the view will come back to normal exposure. If I don't turn the dial mode and only hit the menu button doesn't seem to work. Flipping between settings on the dial mode alone without hitting the menu button does not seem to work either.

I have no idea why this works. I also find that if I turn the camera off and then back on within a short period of time (minutes not hours) the exposure will remain OK.

Maybe I can live with this for a while. I would like to know what the problem is and if there is a fix.
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