[tgags]

I was wondering if someone could possiblt shed some light on this (no pun intended).

I have a Pentax istDS SLR, and a lot of times, when I shoot pics in broad daylight, they look OK on the little viewfinder but come in very dark. Like the example below, that was a cristal clear daylight shot, there were NO shadows down by the train track like it appears in the photo.

The camera has the standard "auto, night, landscape, closeup, portriat, sport" settings, then also "P, Tv Av, M and B". I try with the "Auto", landscape and "P" modes. I have not experimented with the manual shutter speed and aperature. I would think on a perfectly lit day scene I could capture the shot close to how it looks to the naked eye (my old cheap Kodak 3500 could do that perfectly).

This happens often, even when I am shooting on a georgous crystal clear day with the sun behind me, on a perfectly even-lit scene.
I don't want to have to manually adjust the shutter and aperature for every picture I take. These are plain, everyday shots in most cases. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thx.
TG

[MacMan4000]

Set it too overexpose by about a half stop. Do that by holding the button in the picture below while spinning the wheel until the number on the screen (the top screen, not the back screen) says anything close to "+0.5". it might be "+.07" on that one, I can't remember exactly. If that doesn't work then let me know. I have a few other ideas too.


click to enlarge

[waxcrash]

As you've learned, you can't trust your LCD for correct exposure. I'm not familiar with Pentax camera's (I use Nikon), but I'm sure you can view a histogram of your picture after you shoot it. The histogram is the best tool to determine correct exposure of your highlights, mid-tones, and shadows.

[misc]

It looks like your camera is either trying to do an auto level or it's under exposing the picture for some reason. Bringing your sample picture into Photoshop, I was able to correct the exposure by playing with the levels. There's gotta be a setting on your camera to help. Follow MacMan's advice. Good luck!

[MrForgetable]

i think the metering is exposing for the sky/daylight.

so just dial in some overexposure like MacMan says, and maybe even shoot RAW and you can save the sky in post processing if it decides to blow out.

[RAILhead]

Yup, your level are teh screwed:





Grab your manual and read-up on how to manipulate the exposure and try repeating shots at different settings until you get it the way you like it.

[MrForgetable]

poor histogram.



2 minutes on photoshop. a lot of the grass detail is gone from being underexposed. so i dunno.

[pathogen]

Kudos on the DS! ...I LOVE that camera. I might get one if I ever see a good deal.

First of all, playing in Photoshop afterwards can help (try playing with the Adjustments>Exposure>Gamma levels, but you can try to avoid that kind of work by just trying two things: auto-bracketing (look it up in the manual) or getting the camera to meter in a darker area of the scene and locking it there before you raise it towards more light.

I think the problem is that your eye might be telling you it's an evenly lit scene when it's not, and then you're trusting the LCD, which is NOT a true preview of the exposure you're about to make, and it's also not adequate to see dark detail on reviewing. The lens viewfinder on the DS is reflected off a really bright internal prism, one of the best ever for amateur DSLRs (brighter than the Canon Eos D20), and it's a marvelous tool. You really have to try look through the viewfinder, see what the lightmeter says, and play around with manual aperture and manual shutter speeds to get a feel for the available light in various parts of the picture. The average light reading might be skewed too high because one portion (usually sky or a window) is far brighter than anything else, so it's good to point into the medium or darker portions of your scene to see what the meter recommends for adequately exposing that detail.

Expose for at least a bit of detail in the shadows by metering there, but don't overexpose the lighter stuff or it's going to be too white and the details will get blown out.

[tgags]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I was fishing thru the manual last night and I read about "meetering" (seems that's how the camera determines the exposure, so that should help). There are 3 kinds of meetering settings (multi-sgment (default), center, and spot), so I could play with those. I can also linkt the auto focus point to the meetering...hmmm, perhaps I will get out and try it today. I also eventually want to experiment with the manual aperature and shutter settings, but just no time lately.

I can do some Photoshop work, but don't think a lot should be that necessary with the perfectly lit scenes I am shooting.

Pathogen, I like the DS, but to be honest, I think my dads Nikon D70 takes noticibly nicer quality pics (The Pentax is about 40% smaller, perhaps that's why?). I'm now wishing I went the $300 more and got that one in stead, or even the D50 that is coming out.

Thanks,
TG

[MrForgetable]

i'd say the DS is very close to the D70 is "quality pics", if not equal or better. just learn how to use the DS now and you'll get the nicer quality pics you are seeing.

[tgags]

I think it was the meetering, went back today and took the shot with the two other meetering settings. I also shot in "normal" mode (the happy face icon), as opposed to "auto pic". I also found out how to adjust the exposure.

I guess my expertise will develop through experience, what's thay saying 'knowledge is accumulative"? (should have assumed - like when I worked in DTP, there was no color calibration better than 'knowing' your monitor)





Anyway, thanks again for all the input.
In the next few weeks i'll be putting up a site of my pics from this summer (I did manage to get some good ones)

TG

[pathogen]

Originally Posted by tgags

Thanks for all the feedback.

I was fishing thru the manual last night and I read about "meetering" (seems that's how the camera determines the exposure, so that should help). There are 3 kinds of meetering settings (multi-sgment (default), center, and spot), so I could play with those. I can also linkt the auto focus point to the meetering...hmmm, perhaps I will get out and try it today. I also eventually want to experiment with the manual aperature and shutter settings, but just no time lately.

I can do some Photoshop work, but don't think a lot should be that necessary with the perfectly lit scenes I am shooting.

Pathogen, I like the DS, but to be honest, I think my dads Nikon D70 takes noticibly nicer quality pics (The Pentax is about 40% smaller, perhaps that's why?). I'm now wishing I went the $300 more and got that one in stead, or even the D50 that is coming out.

Thanks,
TG

Judging by your more recent photo, you're on the right track.

I'm sorry to hear you're wishing for the D70 you nearly bought versus your Pentax. The DS has the same sensor as the Nikon D100, which makes it pretty decent, but where the two cameras probably diverge is that the Nikon Kit lens is a lot better than the Pentax Kit lens (if you bought the kit). The Nikon also has some default settings to process saturation and color that seem a bit nicer, but you can increase the pentax's sharpness and saturation default settings (+1 and +1) in your camera, too. Getting a cheap lens can pretty much make any DSLR look bad (soft, low contrast pictures with poor detail), and while the Pentax zoom lens in the kit is pretty good (much better than cheap Sigmas or Vivitars), it's still not as good a deal as the relatively decent Nikon zoom kit lens. The better Pentax lenses run about $300 or more, for a good prime lens or a fast zoom. Nikon lenses are really great, too, but they can get really expensive. But if you ever want try a new lens, you should look for a good deal on used KAF Pentax lens on ebay before you plunk down more than $150 on a new lens.

Here are some links for the DS that I thought were good:

http://www.photo.net/equipment/pentax/istds/
http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column65/

and the photo.net forum for Pentax cameras: http://www.photo.net/bboard/forum?topic_id=1901

There are a lot of people still enthusiastic about the DS versus even the newer DS2 and they're getting mighty fine images. I hope this can help you feel a bit better about the prognosis of you rnew camera! I'm jealous, you see, 'cause the best I could do lately was to buy a used manual SLR with some nice Pentax Super Takumar lenses for about $100 last month.

[tgags]

Cool, thanks Pathogen for the encouraging words and those links. Good to know about the Pentax forum, definitely a good resourse for me.

One thing that influenced my decision to get the DS (besides the more affordable price) was that I have a Promaster manual 35mm film (bought for college course), and it uses the Pentax lenses. Over the years I ultimately got an 18-35 wide angle and a 100-300 zoom for it (they are AF, but also work on manual). They said I would be able to use those lenses on the DS (though there would be the 1.5x difference). I haven't tried them yet on it, just like I haven't tried playing with the manual aperature and shutter settings... I'm easing into it
But I like the range the stock lens offers. My to fav things with digital is not having to be concerned with how many pics left on the roll, and I also love the color saturation digital offers.

As far as the DS v the D70, perhaps it is the lens, just seems that my dads pics are more clear (like when viewed at 100% in photoshop). I'm just not sold on the DS image quality comparitively. Also, I used to work in DTP and I am used to seeing high quality digital photos for print, and I feel like the shots I am getting are not of that caliper. But again, it may be due to my inexperience. I've used a tripod with it, but I may have to play with manual shutter, apeature, focus, and even the sharpness, as you mentioned. Perhaps I'll eventually even get a better quality lens, I have the other 2, but I really love the 18-50 range. It's perfect for the shots I like to take.

Here is one of my favorites from this summer. Happened to have my camera with me on this backroad one day, one of those lucky times...



Regards,
TG