[Niki27]

I just got a Pentax K100D Super and I have a couple questions about it. I'll just start with one question right now. This question might seem stupid, but I just can't figure this out! I apologize in advance.

I would like to take a picture of my dog running/playing but I can't put my shutter speed high enough to make the picture not blurry. I put it on the TV setting and I have the flash on, but the shutter speed won't go above 180 when the flash is on, so the picture is blurry. When I turn the flash off, the shutter speed goes all the way to 4000, but then the picture is so dark you can't see what's in it. I am outside, in part sun, mostly shade, is that why it's too dark? This is the only fenced in area I have where my dog can run, so I can't go to a more sunny area. Here is a picture my dad took with the same camera and his settings were: Speed 250, F-Stop 5.60, ISO 800, focal length 180 mm.



Here is what I got with my dog and here is the settings: Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 50.0mm (35mm equivalent: 75mm...
Exposure Time: 0.0056 s (1/180) Aperture: f/4.5
ISO Equiv.: 800 Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: matrix Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)





Then this one: Flash Used: No Focal Length: 50.0mm (35mm equivalent: 75mm...
Exposure Time: 0.0056 s (1/180) Aperture: f/4.0
ISO Equiv.: 400 Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: matrix Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)



It says I didn't use the flash on either photo, but I thought I did! See how confused I am!

I've read over the manual and I'm still having difficulty figuring out how to change some of my settings. Again I apologize for my stupid question, but I really want to get this! For some reason the 2 pics of my dog aren't very dark, but still fuzzy. Can anyone help me? Please be gentle, I am a bit slow :ugh: How do I get pictures like what my dad took?

[Lowell Goudge]

There are a couple of things you need to know, so here goes.

1) flash only works when the shutter is fully open, and on the latest pentax DSLRs this is 1/180 of a second, or slower

Flash can, however, still freeze an object, but not as "fill flash" where the natural lighting is making up most of the exposure. WIth your ISO at 800, natural lighting is too strong relitive to flash. Set the ISO down to 200,

Also, you can switch to manual, and set your apature (along with shutter (to 1/180 or less and ISO settings) so that the natural lighting gives you about 3-4 stops under exposed, then pop up the flash and the flash will provide all the light and freeze the image.

[Niki27]

Thanks for your help. I'm still having problems because I don't know how to change my settings to what you said. I got some fairly good pics of my dog inside, but when I went outside and did the same thing, it was horrible.

Inside



Outside



Any advice on how I can change my settings? Anyone have the same camera as me and could tell me how?

[egordon99]

Read Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" Get a grasp on the interaction between shutter speed/f-stop/ISO.

Most of this is basic photography stuff and NOT specific to any particular camera.

[Peacekeeper]

Another option is buy an external flash, like the Pentax AF-540 which allows High Speed Sync on the K10D and K20D. Not sure on the K100D though.

High Speed Sync means you can bump your shutter speed up above 1/180sec and use the flash to fill in the underexposure you are currently getting.

PK

[Niki27]

Thanks for the info. I would like to do this without having to buy anything else for the camera. Thanks again

[thear]

The camera is metering the ground when your camera is set at spot metering, which, is why the photo is underexposed.

Point the red dot at the dog's face while using spot metering and center focus, don't use the flash anymore.

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Last edited by thear; 05-13-2008 at 12:51 PM.

[joefru]

I have a hypothesis. Now, I've never used a K100DS, only my K10D, but does the K100 have an auto flash mode? In the K10, it's only in green mode, and you certainly weren't using green mode. But if the flash is set to auto, then in the first photos, it may have decided that the scene was well lit enough that you didn't need the flash. Which would be why it didn't fire even though it was raised.

If you want to freeze motion, you really have two options:

1) shoot the photo in low light, making your flash be the only light that matters. The actual duration of a flash pulse is something like 1/10000 sec, so that will definitely freeze motion. I've taken some cool water-splash photos this way.

2) Turn off the flash and shoot outside on a really bright, sunny day. Open up as far as you can (smaller f-number) and bump up the ISO as high as you're willing to go. Shutter speeds of 1/1000 should freeze it pretty well.

The only thing your built-in flash is going to help with outdoors is to throw a little fill into the shadows. Otherwise, your photo will be frozen and blurry at the same time, if you can believe that.

[Lowell Goudge]

Thanks for your help. I'm still having problems because I don't know how to change my settings to what you said. I got some fairly good pics of my dog inside, but when I went outside and did the same thing, it was horrible.

Inside



Outside



Any advice on how I can change my settings? Anyone have the same camera as me and could tell me how?

I think you need to spend some time and read the manual.

I don't have the K100 therefore I cannot tell you exactly which diles to change etc, but the manual will show youo all of that.

You should have a switch on the top, probably top left side which has Tv, Av, M etc.

The manual will tell you how to change shutter speed and apature using the controls in M (Manual) for what you want. If it were the K10D, I could give you song and verse, sorry

Go and buy the Magic Lantern Guide for your camera, it will give you step by step instructions as to what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

[Emmanuel]

There are a couple of things you need to know, so here goes.

1) flash only works when the shutter is fully open, and on the latest pentax DSLRs this is 1/180 of a second, or slower

Flash can, however, still freeze an object, but not as "fill flash" where the natural lighting is making up most of the exposure. WIth your ISO at 800, natural lighting is too strong relitive to flash. Set the ISO down to 200,

Also, you can switch to manual, and set your apature (along with shutter (to 1/180 or less and ISO settings) so that the natural lighting gives you about 3-4 stops under exposed, then pop up the flash and the flash will provide all the light and freeze the image.

Thats the best advice I've seen.
Need someone who really knows the K100D to help.....

[jdg]

Try to shoot in the morning and late afternoon when the sunlight is not to harsh so that the subject will be well lit but not to bright and you dont have to use your flash. Btw try to set the camera to P mode and see what happens.

[Kayaker1]

Here is an alternative to using flash. If you've got a good bit of sunlight to work with, use Tv as you tried, but adjust the shutter speed with the wheel to a level that will give proper exposure. 1/4000 is appartently too fast, even with the lens wide open, giving you dark photos. Try kicking it down to a slower speed, perhaps 1/500 or 1/1000 - if your speed is too fast for the aperature, I think the f number should blink on the LCD panel on top of the camera. It may blink in the viewer as well.

When all else fails, read the book!

Have fun with it - Alan

[Niki27]

Thanks everyone! I'll try all those things I've read the manual, I just don't get it, lol.

[user440]

Most of the advise has already been said, just to underscore two points:

1.) I disagree with the above poster about getting an off-board flash. That is not your problem right now. You may want to add one eventually, but that is not the cause of your problem.

2.) Get the 'Understanding Exposure' book suggested earlier in this thread. It really outlays the basics very well. I highly recommend it.