Pentax K1-II images are too bright

**Sakura** · 11-07-2021, 03:00 PM

Since some time all my pictures are to bright, i have to use -1 compensation as default. It is lens independent so it really is the camera itself.

It isn't really a big problem as long as i keep the compensation at -1, then all the pictures are spot-on, but of course it isn't as it should be.

Anyone has noticed this problem?

AfterPentax Mark II · 11-07-2021, 03:47 PM

What lens did you use when the pictures are to bright? What are the settings on the camera, manual exposure and so on. If it came up suddenly maybe an accidental setting change might be the culprit.

Sandy Hancock · 11-07-2021, 03:56 PM - **3 Likes**

Some sample photos with full EXIF data would be helpful.

**Bob 256** · 11-07-2021, 04:22 PM

Over brightness can be caused by lens malfunctions (unlikely cause if it's across a range of lenses) and by subject material which biases the camera auto exposure system. Also, your camera could be set wrong such as being set on spot metering and it's metering a dark area in the scene which doesn't represent other areas of the shot.

As suggested, provide more information on this issue and the forum may be able to help solve it. I might suggest you shoot a gray scale on an 18% gray background and include that in your samples.

Last edited by Bob 256; 11-07-2021 at 04:28 PM.

**clackers** · 11-07-2021, 04:45 PM

Sample pictures, Sakura?

This may be more to do with your shooting style.

'Auto' exposure is based on a dull grey. If your subjects are not dull grey there will always be compromises - the shadows too dark, the highlights blown, so that's why as photographers we take over and use manual exposure if practical. It's just turning dials.

MarkJerling · 11-07-2021, 05:03 PM

Originally posted by Sakura

Since some time all my pictures are to bright, i have to use -1 compensation as default. It is lens independent so it really is the camera itself.

It isn't really a big problem as long as i keep the compensation at -1, then all the pictures are spot-on, but of course it isn't as it should be.

Anyone has noticed this problem?

Which metering mode are you using?

normhead · 11-07-2021, 05:50 PM

I always shoot at -.7 so, it's not much different from what I shoot all the time. Find the if there are bright areas or backlit I can set it at 0, but 98% of the time, I'm at -.7.
I wouldn't worry about it.

In my last 20 shots, I did find one at -1 EV.
ON sunset I've gone as low as -3 EV. If there's nothing bright in the image, sometimes 0 is needed.

biz-engineer · 11-07-2021, 11:09 PM - **1 Like**

Use a grey card, or a light meter to check if your camera exposure is wrong or not.

To check if the problem comes from the camera light meter or lens aperture or camera shutter time, take the same picture in LV mode, LV doesn't use the DSLR light meter, check the histogram.

Other things to check:
- outdoor view settings of the LCD, in case you used the back display instead of histogram to evaluate the exposure
- digital exposure compensation dialed in JPEG style you are using, maybe you dialed +1 but forgot to reset it to default

**BigMackCam** · 11-08-2021, 12:33 AM

Originally posted by biz-engineer

Use a grey card, or a light meter to check if your camera exposure is wrong or not.

Agreed. Spot metering off an 18% grey card and shooting at wide open aperture is a quick and easy way to test whether there is an exposure issue with the camera. If exposure with these settings looks good, but at other apertures there is under or over-exposure, it could indicate an issue with the camera or lens stop-down mechanism.

I suspect the OP's issue is due to a combination of the scenes being photographed and the metering mode used...

C_Jones · 11-08-2021, 03:18 PM

It could be a matter of your white balance being set to Bright. There are also choices such as Natural. or Daylight. You may also want to set your metering to "Spot" to make sure that what you are focusing on specifically may be where you want to have the light metered by your camera.

**Ron Boggs** · 11-08-2021, 04:23 PM

Using Matrix Metering and shooting a subject that fills most of the frame with either fir or pine trees almost always requires -.7 compensation...this through several dozen different Pentax bodies over the years. Learned this shooting totally unforgiving slide film in the equally unforgiving Fuji Velvia recipe. Basically, forest shot with "needled" trees, expose down in most cases.

**cdd29** · 11-08-2021, 07:00 PM

Does it do it with one lens or multiple?

**Henrico** · 11-09-2021, 01:12 PM

I often shoot around -1 also. I try to position the base of the curve far left in the histogram. There is more to recover in the highlights (most often sky's) than in the shadows. Some real blacks in your shots also give more punch for my taste.

normhead · 11-09-2021, 01:15 PM

Originally posted by Henrico

I often shoot around -1 also. I try to position the base of the curve far left in the histogram. There is more to recover in the highlights (most often sky's) than in the shadows. Some real blacks in your shots also give more punch for my taste.

Bottom line, there is more natural contrast in the lower end of the curve. An over-exposed image kills contrast. An under-exposed image accentuates it.

**Sakura** · 11-09-2021, 01:43 PM

Indeed with all lenses with all kinds of metering settings.
It is very cloudy today so i couldn't take pictures right now that clearly shows the effect. Tomorrow should be a clearer day, so maybe i can take some sample shots then.

But i see at Normhead has kinda the same thing. It would be nice if there was a camera setting to compensate it.

11-07-2021, 03:00 PM	#1
Sakura Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Netherlands Photos: Gallery Posts: 438	Pentax K1-II images are too bright Since some time all my pictures are to bright, i have to use -1 compensation as default. It is lens independent so it really is the camera itself. It isn't really a big problem as long as i keep the compensation at -1, then all the pictures are spot-on, but of course it isn't as it should be. Anyone has noticed this problem?

11-07-2021, 04:45 PM	#5
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	Sample pictures, Sakura? This may be more to do with your shooting style. 'Auto' exposure is based on a dull grey. If your subjects are not dull grey there will always be compromises - the shadows too dark, the highlights blown, so that's why as photographers we take over and use manual exposure if practical. It's just turning dials. Last edited by clackers; 11-07-2021 at 08:49 PM.

11-08-2021, 12:33 AM	#9
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,705	Originally posted by biz-engineer Use a grey card, or a light meter to check if your camera exposure is wrong or not. Agreed. Spot metering off an 18% grey card and shooting at wide open aperture is a quick and easy way to test whether there is an exposure issue with the camera. If exposure with these settings looks good, but at other apertures there is under or over-exposure, it could indicate an issue with the camera or lens stop-down mechanism. I suspect the OP's issue is due to a combination of the scenes being photographed and the metering mode used... Last edited by BigMackCam; 11-08-2021 at 01:15 AM.

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11-07-2021, 03:47 PM	#2
AfterPentax Mark II Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2021 Posts: 1,467	What lens did you use when the pictures are to bright? What are the settings on the camera, manual exposure and so on. If it came up suddenly maybe an accidental setting change might be the culprit.

11-07-2021, 03:56 PM - 3 Likes	#3
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,276	Some sample photos with full EXIF data would be helpful.

11-07-2021, 04:22 PM	#4
Bob 256 Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,379	Over brightness can be caused by lens malfunctions (unlikely cause if it's across a range of lenses) and by subject material which biases the camera auto exposure system. Also, your camera could be set wrong such as being set on spot metering and it's metering a dark area in the scene which doesn't represent other areas of the shot. As suggested, provide more information on this issue and the forum may be able to help solve it. I might suggest you shoot a gray scale on an 18% gray background and include that in your samples. Last edited by Bob 256; 11-07-2021 at 04:28 PM.

11-07-2021, 05:03 PM	#6
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,423	Originally posted by Sakura Since some time all my pictures are to bright, i have to use -1 compensation as default. It is lens independent so it really is the camera itself. It isn't really a big problem as long as i keep the compensation at -1, then all the pictures are spot-on, but of course it isn't as it should be. Anyone has noticed this problem? Which metering mode are you using?

11-07-2021, 05:50 PM	#7
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	I always shoot at -.7 so, it's not much different from what I shoot all the time. Find the if there are bright areas or backlit I can set it at 0, but 98% of the time, I'm at -.7. I wouldn't worry about it. In my last 20 shots, I did find one at -1 EV. ON sunset I've gone as low as -3 EV. If there's nothing bright in the image, sometimes 0 is needed.

11-07-2021, 11:09 PM - 1 Like	#8
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,252	Use a grey card, or a light meter to check if your camera exposure is wrong or not. To check if the problem comes from the camera light meter or lens aperture or camera shutter time, take the same picture in LV mode, LV doesn't use the DSLR light meter, check the histogram. Other things to check: - outdoor view settings of the LCD, in case you used the back display instead of histogram to evaluate the exposure - digital exposure compensation dialed in JPEG style you are using, maybe you dialed +1 but forgot to reset it to default

11-08-2021, 03:18 PM	#10
C_Jones Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,086	It could be a matter of your white balance being set to Bright. There are also choices such as Natural. or Daylight. You may also want to set your metering to "Spot" to make sure that what you are focusing on specifically may be where you want to have the light metered by your camera.

11-08-2021, 04:23 PM	#11
Ron Boggs Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MT Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,350	Using Matrix Metering and shooting a subject that fills most of the frame with either fir or pine trees almost always requires -.7 compensation...this through several dozen different Pentax bodies over the years. Learned this shooting totally unforgiving slide film in the equally unforgiving Fuji Velvia recipe. Basically, forest shot with "needled" trees, expose down in most cases.

11-08-2021, 07:00 PM	#12
cdd29 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Southern Indiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 963	Does it do it with one lens or multiple?

11-09-2021, 01:12 PM	#13
Henrico Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Utrecht Photos: Gallery Posts: 255	I often shoot around -1 also. I try to position the base of the curve far left in the histogram. There is more to recover in the highlights (most often sky's) than in the shadows. Some real blacks in your shots also give more punch for my taste.

11-09-2021, 01:15 PM	#14
normhead Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Near Algonquin Park Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 40,451	Originally posted by Henrico I often shoot around -1 also. I try to position the base of the curve far left in the histogram. There is more to recover in the highlights (most often sky's) than in the shadows. Some real blacks in your shots also give more punch for my taste. Bottom line, there is more natural contrast in the lower end of the curve. An over-exposed image kills contrast. An under-exposed image accentuates it.

11-09-2021, 01:43 PM	#15
Sakura Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Netherlands Photos: Gallery Posts: 438 Original Poster	Indeed with all lenses with all kinds of metering settings. It is very cloudy today so i couldn't take pictures right now that clearly shows the effect. Tomorrow should be a clearer day, so maybe i can take some sample shots then. But i see at Normhead has kinda the same thing. It would be nice if there was a camera setting to compensate it.