Pentax Weakness:Mult- Metering & Saturations

[P3ntx]

I feel Pentax still have weakness in Metering ...under multi-sectments. Does K20 address the issues? Autocus ..my FA lens hunts quite often, that I cant missed shots (candid) at times and these are fast lenses and saturations can be too yellowish ..and sometimes the it under or over explose ... have to control EV quite often, but I need to say I used a K100D, never used K10D. How would the K20D be like? My feeling is that better wait for the next after K20D ...http://flickr.com/photos/nc_chia

[Zenten]

Originally Posted by P3ntx I feel Pentax still have weakness in Metering ...under multi-sectments. Does K20 address the issues? Autocus ..my FA lens hunts quite often, that I cant missed shots (candid) at times and these are fast lenses and saturations can be too yellowish ..and sometimes the it under or over explose ... have to control EV quite often, but I need to say I used a K100D, never used K10D. How would the K20D be like? My feeling is that better wait for the next after K20D ...http://flickr.com/photos/nc_chia

WB issue of yellow cast will be addressed in the K20D as it is using a CMOS sensor which has a tendency for pics towards blue cast (opposite end of yellow).

AF issue does not seem to be resolved as it is still using the same af sensor .... only thing here is that the new body allows correction for front and back focusing. But this has nothing to do with your AF tracking ..........

Metering not as accurate as N/C and rather inconsistent (btw, I am using K10D) ......

But then I still like the K10D for some unknown reason.

[southernoise]

yup, guess I'm not the only with metering issues but I work around it and there's always photoshop.

[fengwei]

To me, I think Pentax' weakness is the AF system under low light, and probably less fps (max at 3fps in current dSLR line). All the rest are okay, and easy to handle.

[creampuff]

One needs to understand that multi-segment metering bases exposure off a grid of 16 segments of the screen and compares it to the camera's programmed exposure algorithmn.

It can be fooled if there are very dark or very bright areas visible in the viewfinder. Please note that multi-segment or matrix metering from other manufacturers don't always get it right too. That's why there is exposure compensation to override the camera's exposure setting for any auto exposure mode.

Frankly I rarely have problems using any of the metering modes from my K100D. The secret is being able to pre-judge exposure and knowing situations where one's camera's metering might not come up with a correct exposure. Imo it has nothing to do with the camera. Just use the camera until you know intimately the ins and outs of what it is capable of.

[NoMoney]

Right now I am using spot metering after recommendation by my friend. I feel that it is better than the multi-segment metering.

[sbc]

I have never liked matrix metering because I never know what the camera is 'thinking'. Some times it compensate for back light, some times it doesn't.
So I have always used center weighted metering.

[P3ntx]

When either spot or centre-weight is used ..AF C- may not be feasible if your subject is moving under complex lighting environment. Not sure if I am right, So does you guys use spot/centre weight with AF-S or AF C..? AF-S you can focus first hold half the shutter and re-compose but you can't do this with AF-C to hang on to what had been metered.

[alanswan]

That's why I disabled the half shutter to focus and use the AF button...

[danster]

At first I also thought my GX10 had a yellow cast and blown highlights based on what I saw on my LCD screen but when I downloaded the pics to my calibrated laptop it was perfect. In fact, I'm amazed by the sharpness, colour and contrast of the output...it needed no further post-processing (will post pics someday). then again my in-camera settings were pretty aggressive cos I'm too lazy to do post-processing (sharpness+2, bright curve). My conclusion is that the LCD screen tends towards yellow and overexposure. Go ahead, try it and see.

AF in low light, even with my humble "kit" lens, probably hunts a bit more than my 40D but it still finds focus relatively quickly. The trick is to use the centre AF point and foucs on higher contrast areas. Or maybe I just got a good copy of the camera!!

Agree with bro Zenten, my Canon gears have not seen much use since I got my hands on the GX10, to the extent that I "downgraded" from a 40D to a 30D to free up funds to buy Pentax lenses. For me, at least, the in-camera OPS works wonders....somehow the IS on my Canon lenses give me headaches...but that's just me..

Pentax rocks!!!

[night86mare]

Originally Posted by P3ntx I feel Pentax still have weakness in Metering ...under multi-sectments. Does K20 address the issues? Autocus ..my FA lens hunts quite often, that I cant missed shots (candid) at times and these are fast lenses and saturations can be too yellowish ..and sometimes the it under or over explose ... have to control EV quite often, but I need to say I used a K100D, never used K10D. How would the K20D be like? My feeling is that better wait for the next after K20D ...http://flickr.com/photos/nc_chia

every camera that i have seen and used gets fooled by certain situations. pentax's metering has a tendency to underexpose slightly, but that's basically based on the technical fact that shadow details are easier to recover than highlight details. i don't think there will ever be a day where any camera body is going to render a spot on 100% sure fire metering system, multi-segment or not. your best bet is spot metering, perhaps, if you must have it right all the time. otherwise, there is always digital preview with histogram, use it, light in landscapes doesn't change that fast. can't say the same about candids, but there is also RAW.

i have nothing to say about AF, since i do not really need quick candids, but it works reasonably fine for my street shots, when i need it to, but there isn't really much action in those type of shots.

the yellow issue has been mentioned a long time ago, and honestly this isn't something you can't overcome with the proper homework, or shooting in raw.

if you are attempting to fight the bbb virus, i understand though. but i have given up. unless there are many complaints from the people who get the k20d upon release, i will definitely get it this summer..

[P3ntx]

Yeap, I still feel that somehow, maybe I overlook the kit len.. been using large aperture FA ... giving me unpredictable output at wedding dinner shots, some of them even though shutter tiggered, quite a lot of them turn out blurred I am not without the knowledge of white ballance. Maybe K100D is good for training..sometimes to use it seriously, especially when I cannot omit the AF-C ...it can disappoint. K100D is good, the main problems is missed, blurred missed ...that's what make me drools and tired of my K100D ... or is it the trick of different lens behaiviour & characteristics.

I considering upgrading to a body, which I can speedily change the Whitebalance/ISO/Metering on split secs. K20D still haven't got the kick on me, maybe it is with the AF or something which I am looking for isn't the there, or until I am able to recall at the backyard of my mind. Pentax still makes greats SLR and lens...even it's not meant for sport, at least it should be good for wedding, especailly low/complex lighting with ergonomic handling.

I hope that K20D would have already the answers, and that we are underestimating it. if it at times missed blurred missed, then maybe I am right about wait, wait and wait.


Pentax forum is a wonderful community for photographers. there is so much team problems solving, that is the thing that make me upbeat about pentax.

I am still glad, that I choose Pentax.


Lets check out what on PMA 2008...