Need some help with my K100D and shadows

photolady95 · 01-27-2010, 04:56 PM

Alfisti, yes, I was going by the little red light inside the viewfinder.

Vincent, this lighting is a problem because the trees have very little leaves and lots of light behind them. I guess it's like you said, the meter is reading more light than what is actually there where I'm shooting, the tree branches and birds.

I went back outside and set the camera on auto everything except metering. The below shot was "spot" and it came out fairly well.

And this one is center weighted metering:
And as you can see the female cardinal isn't bright enough to tell what she is:

Damn Brit · 01-27-2010, 05:37 PM

You could also try bracketing with those difficult lighting shots. I assume the K100 has that ability.

photolady95 · 01-27-2010, 05:49 PM

Gary, it has does have "auto bracketing."

Damn Brit · 01-27-2010, 05:57 PM

Originally posted by photolady

Gary, it has does have "auto bracketing."

Good, then that will give you two extra chances of getting it right first time and if the worst comes to the worst you can use all three exposures and play around with combining them with your PP software.

GeneV · 01-27-2010, 06:01 PM

Originally posted by photolady

Alfisti, yes, I was going by the little red light inside the viewfinder.

Vincent, this lighting is a problem because the trees have very little leaves and lots of light behind them. I guess it's like you said, the meter is reading more light than what is actually there where I'm shooting, the tree branches and birds.

I went back outside and set the camera on auto everything except metering. The below shot was "spot" and it came out fairly well.

And this one is center weighted metering:
And as you can see the female cardinal isn't bright enough to tell what she is:

The squirrel is not backlit, but the cardinal appears to be strongly backlit. The second shot is one that I would expect to need backlight compensation regardless of the meter mode if the bird is to be visible.

photolady95 · 01-27-2010, 07:00 PM

That's because the sun is at it's west position and the birds are in a tree. But this also happens when the sun is in it's east position. My house sits facing east. My backyard of course is on the west side of the property. So......in order to shoot the birds in the back yard, I need to compensate for the bright background. As far as I know using my cameras other controls are not available in manual mode.

Alfisti · 01-27-2010, 07:17 PM

Hang on, what do you mean the little red light? That's the focus confirmation light, I am talking about the exposure meter display, are you using it as a reference?

GeneV · 01-27-2010, 07:21 PM

Originally posted by photolady

That's because the sun is at it's west position and the birds are in a tree. But this also happens when the sun is in it's east position. My house sits facing east. My backyard of course is on the west side of the property. So......in order to shoot the birds in the back yard, I need to compensate for the bright background. As far as I know using my cameras other controls are not available in manual mode.

Just give it one stop more exposure than indicated by opening the aperture or decreasing the shutter speed. That's the beauty of manual control.

photolady95 · 01-27-2010, 07:38 PM

Alfisti, what exposure meter display? All I see when looking in the viewfinder is shutter speed, shake reduction hand, and number of photos I can take, plus on the left side is MF. F stop doesn't show in manual mode.

Thanks Gene, I'll try that tomorrow.

Alfisti · 01-27-2010, 07:46 PM

Originally posted by photolady

Alfisti, what exposure meter display? All I see when looking in the viewfinder is shutter speed, shake reduction hand, and number of photos I can take, plus on the left side is MF. F stop doesn't show in manual mode.

Damn I don't have the 100D anymore to look through the viewfinder but I know there is an exposure meter on the top LCD, are you using that? Let me put it another way, what are you basing your exposure on? How are you deciding what aperture, shutter speed and ISO to use?

photolady95 · 01-27-2010, 08:02 PM

Actually, I'm guessing. I guess also I'm not seeing what you're talking about because even in the manual it doesn't say anything about an exposure meter. Only about exposure metering.

Alfisti · 01-27-2010, 08:08 PM

OK I suspected this was the issue, I had a feeling f/11 and 1/250 was NOWHERE near enough ligh light for birding. Birds hide under trees and one usually need way more light than that.

You need to use the little exposure indicator on the top LCD, it will shift left if it thinks you are underexposing and right if over exposing.

Are you using this or are you totally guessing what you need? I know I keep asking but it is important we sort this out as it will save you a ton of grief.

photolady95 · 01-27-2010, 08:36 PM

That setting came from the autofocus I was using to try and meter the area. I usually shoot at f8 or lower and at 1/500s to 1/750s. Actually at one time the autofocus metering gave me an f13 and I was wondering why it did that. I thought that seemed too closed down for the shade.

The only thing I can see in the manual about this is there is supposed to be a flashing light to say it is under or over exposed before I shoot. But I've never seen that either.

This top LCD is that the one that's on top of the camera or are you talking about looking through the viewfinder? I can't see the LCD on the top of the camera while I'm focusing because I'm looking through the viewfinder.

What I usually do is set aperture to f8, the set shutter speed to 1/500s, then I take a test shot. If it's too dark, I adjust it. I do this at sometime before the birds show up. I have a bird feeder in the tree these birds come to. You saw it in the photo above.

If I had my other p&s I'd take a photo of the top LCD but I sold that one.

Alfisti · 01-27-2010, 08:44 PM

Ok I am on my bberry so cannot reply properly, needless to say you are doing it all wrong ....... Really, really wrong.

Ill leave it to someone else to clear it up for you and we'll get you shooting again.

My first suggestion is use Av mode not manual. First thing first you're confusing metering with af.

photolady95 · 01-27-2010, 08:50 PM

I'm not confusing metering with autofocus. I just wanted to see what auto focus (as in auto everything, as opposed to all manual) shot those photos at, or what settings it decided to use. But most of them were all wrong anyway.

But not all my photos come out this way. I've got several BIF that are great captures. And when I shot film, I've got loads of photos that are correctly exposed. It's just this shade and light that's throwing my shots off.

I'll try to get a photo of the LCD tomorrow. I sold that other camera to my brother and he's coming here in the afternoon and he usually carries that camera with him.

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01-27-2010, 04:56 PM	#16
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712 Original Poster	Alfisti, yes, I was going by the little red light inside the viewfinder. Vincent, this lighting is a problem because the trees have very little leaves and lots of light behind them. I guess it's like you said, the meter is reading more light than what is actually there where I'm shooting, the tree branches and birds. I went back outside and set the camera on auto everything except metering. The below shot was "spot" and it came out fairly well. And this one is center weighted metering: And as you can see the female cardinal isn't bright enough to tell what she is:

01-27-2010, 05:37 PM	#17
Damn Brit Guest	You could also try bracketing with those difficult lighting shots. I assume the K100 has that ability.

01-27-2010, 05:49 PM	#18
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712 Original Poster	Gary, it has does have "auto bracketing."

01-27-2010, 05:57 PM	#19
Damn Brit Guest	Originally posted by photolady Gary, it has does have "auto bracketing." Good, then that will give you two extra chances of getting it right first time and if the worst comes to the worst you can use all three exposures and play around with combining them with your PP software.

01-27-2010, 06:01 PM	#20
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by photolady Alfisti, yes, I was going by the little red light inside the viewfinder. Vincent, this lighting is a problem because the trees have very little leaves and lots of light behind them. I guess it's like you said, the meter is reading more light than what is actually there where I'm shooting, the tree branches and birds. I went back outside and set the camera on auto everything except metering. The below shot was "spot" and it came out fairly well. And this one is center weighted metering: And as you can see the female cardinal isn't bright enough to tell what she is: The squirrel is not backlit, but the cardinal appears to be strongly backlit. The second shot is one that I would expect to need backlight compensation regardless of the meter mode if the bird is to be visible.

01-27-2010, 07:00 PM	#21
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712 Original Poster	That's because the sun is at it's west position and the birds are in a tree. But this also happens when the sun is in it's east position. My house sits facing east. My backyard of course is on the west side of the property. So......in order to shoot the birds in the back yard, I need to compensate for the bright background. As far as I know using my cameras other controls are not available in manual mode.

01-27-2010, 07:17 PM	#22
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	Hang on, what do you mean the little red light? That's the focus confirmation light, I am talking about the exposure meter display, are you using it as a reference?

01-27-2010, 07:21 PM	#23
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by photolady That's because the sun is at it's west position and the birds are in a tree. But this also happens when the sun is in it's east position. My house sits facing east. My backyard of course is on the west side of the property. So......in order to shoot the birds in the back yard, I need to compensate for the bright background. As far as I know using my cameras other controls are not available in manual mode. Just give it one stop more exposure than indicated by opening the aperture or decreasing the shutter speed. That's the beauty of manual control.

01-27-2010, 07:38 PM	#24
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712 Original Poster	Alfisti, what exposure meter display? All I see when looking in the viewfinder is shutter speed, shake reduction hand, and number of photos I can take, plus on the left side is MF. F stop doesn't show in manual mode. Thanks Gene, I'll try that tomorrow.

01-27-2010, 07:46 PM	#25
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	Originally posted by photolady Alfisti, what exposure meter display? All I see when looking in the viewfinder is shutter speed, shake reduction hand, and number of photos I can take, plus on the left side is MF. F stop doesn't show in manual mode. Damn I don't have the 100D anymore to look through the viewfinder but I know there is an exposure meter on the top LCD, are you using that? Let me put it another way, what are you basing your exposure on? How are you deciding what aperture, shutter speed and ISO to use?

01-27-2010, 08:02 PM	#26
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712 Original Poster	Actually, I'm guessing. I guess also I'm not seeing what you're talking about because even in the manual it doesn't say anything about an exposure meter. Only about exposure metering.

01-27-2010, 08:08 PM	#27
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	OK I suspected this was the issue, I had a feeling f/11 and 1/250 was NOWHERE near enough ligh light for birding. Birds hide under trees and one usually need way more light than that. You need to use the little exposure indicator on the top LCD, it will shift left if it thinks you are underexposing and right if over exposing. Are you using this or are you totally guessing what you need? I know I keep asking but it is important we sort this out as it will save you a ton of grief.

01-27-2010, 08:36 PM	#28
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712 Original Poster	That setting came from the autofocus I was using to try and meter the area. I usually shoot at f8 or lower and at 1/500s to 1/750s. Actually at one time the autofocus metering gave me an f13 and I was wondering why it did that. I thought that seemed too closed down for the shade. The only thing I can see in the manual about this is there is supposed to be a flashing light to say it is under or over exposed before I shoot. But I've never seen that either. This top LCD is that the one that's on top of the camera or are you talking about looking through the viewfinder? I can't see the LCD on the top of the camera while I'm focusing because I'm looking through the viewfinder. What I usually do is set aperture to f8, the set shutter speed to 1/500s, then I take a test shot. If it's too dark, I adjust it. I do this at sometime before the birds show up. I have a bird feeder in the tree these birds come to. You saw it in the photo above. If I had my other p&s I'd take a photo of the top LCD but I sold that one.

01-27-2010, 08:44 PM	#29
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	Ok I am on my bberry so cannot reply properly, needless to say you are doing it all wrong ....... Really, really wrong. Ill leave it to someone else to clear it up for you and we'll get you shooting again. My first suggestion is use Av mode not manual. First thing first you're confusing metering with af.

01-27-2010, 08:50 PM	#30
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712 Original Poster	I'm not confusing metering with autofocus. I just wanted to see what auto focus (as in auto everything, as opposed to all manual) shot those photos at, or what settings it decided to use. But most of them were all wrong anyway. But not all my photos come out this way. I've got several BIF that are great captures. And when I shot film, I've got loads of photos that are correctly exposed. It's just this shade and light that's throwing my shots off. I'll try to get a photo of the LCD tomorrow. I sold that other camera to my brother and he's coming here in the afternoon and he usually carries that camera with him.