Pentax K-x help thread

[woefulwabbit]

You should try to understand the basic of exposure in photography. The less available light there is in the scene, the more you need to compensate. Afterall photography is about getting light onto the film or sensor, and to get good photos you need to get good amount of light in. So shutter speed will always be lower when there's less light, so that there will more time for more light to get onto the sensor.

 

[ranchy]

i got prob too, dunno why during night shots or even in Auto mode, sometimes the shutter speed sooo slow! its like press-2seconds later then snap! ahh i feel so noob!

You should try to understand the basic of exposure in photography. The less available light there is in the scene, the more you need to compensate. Afterall photography is about getting light onto the film or sensor, and to get good photos you need to get good amount of light in. So shutter speed will always be lower when there's less light, so that there will more time for more light to get onto the sensor.

If you are taking night shots without flash and setting to Auto, the DSLR would detect/estimate base on the amount of light it can get onto the sensor to get a good shot. If you are using auto, with kit lens,it will auto set the aperture at most the F3.5 for 18mm, then your shutter speed if there is inadequate light (slower shutter speed) and ur iso to allow more light in. (most of the time it would blink u to pop up ur flash if i am not wrong )

Using woefulwabbit above quote, since you are using Kx, iso can be set higher, using sensitivity Priority.

Assuming you are shooting night landscape where the scene doesn't change very much to cause motion blur (or intending motion blur to be part of the scene), you can switch to Sensitivity Priority and select the highest ISO with a noise level that you are comfortable with. Take note of the shutter speed that the K-x selects, then hold as steady as possible with whatever support you can get when you take your shot (if you've gone through live firing training in NS before, you use the same principles).

But if you trying to capture a night scenery with the lights. that's a different story, work best with a tripod
Hope this helps.

 

[watchthewaves]

I'm wondering whether anyone has played around enough in P mode to figure out roughly what algorithm the K-x uses in choosing the shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity?

Of the times I've been in P mode, I remember this one instance which puzzled me. Indoor available light shooting, the camera had set sensitivity to 1600 already and I got the blinking flash show up. So I thought, open the pop up flash. Then when the pop up flash was ready to fire and I half pressed the shutter, I saw that sensitivity was still at 1600.

I thought, at that point, that the algorithm used must be a bit wonky to not bring the sensitivity down. Thoughts anyone?

 

[woefulwabbit]

Yes I've noticed that too. So I always use Sensitivity Priority or Manual when I use the flash.

 

[Gengh]

I'm wondering whether anyone has played around enough in P mode to figure out roughly what algorithm the K-x uses in choosing the shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity?

Of the times I've been in P mode, I remember this one instance which puzzled me. Indoor available light shooting, the camera had set sensitivity to 1600 already and I got the blinking flash show up. So I thought, open the pop up flash. Then when the pop up flash was ready to fire and I half pressed the shutter, I saw that sensitivity was still at 1600.

I thought, at that point, that the algorithm used must be a bit wonky to not bring the sensitivity down. Thoughts anyone?

Maybe the P mode actually thinks that the scene is good for slow-sync flash? Keeping the ISO high will give maximum exposure to the background without slowing down the shutter speed.

But I don't use P mode, so it's all a guess.....

 

[soesan801]

I have a few questions only regard to K-x.

1. Minimum ISO
when I first got the white toy, the minimum ISO can be set down to 200. Without extended mode. Now minimum ISO can only be set down to 400.
What is the advantage of lower ISO?
How can I set back to 200?
Although most of my shotS set at 400-4000 range and it does ok.

2. Filtering
do we really need the filter? I seeing some post about adding filter to get the blue sky background. I like to shot landscape but do not like too artistic colour, but I want naturally bright. If need, what type of filter is good for what? I also use it for friend's wedding dinner and parties. Recommendation please.

3. Auto lens correction
does it really help? I turn it on using pentax DAL 15-55.
I heard that function will slow down the save time, and I think it true as mine normally takes 3s to save 6MP super fine photo and have a quick display.
The memory chip should not be the issue as I can slip review as I do in iPhone

from first time DSLR owner

PS hop mod could remove pages 5-8 as it all talks about SD cards

 

[cleonbus]

I have a few questions only regard to K-x.

1. Minimum ISO
when I first got the white toy, the minimum ISO can be set down to 200. Without extended mode. Now minimum ISO can only be set down to 400.
What is the advantage of lower ISO?
How can I set back to 200?
Although most of my shotS set at 400-4000 range and it does ok.

2. Filtering
do we really need the filter? I seeing some post about adding filter to get the blue sky background. I like to shot landscape but do not like too artistic colour, but I want naturally bright. If need, what type of filter is good for what? I also use it for friend's wedding dinner and parties. Recommendation please.

3. Auto lens correction
does it really help? I turn it on using pentax DAL 15-55.
I heard that function will slow down the save time, and I think it true as mine normally takes 3s to save 6MP super fine photo and have a quick display.
The memory chip should not be the issue as I can slip review as I do in iPhone

from first time DSLR owner

PS hop mod could remove pages 5-8 as it all talks about SD cards

Haha this thread title is 'Pentax K-x help thread' so SD card questions also can ask:sticktong

 

[Gengh]

I have a few questions only regard to K-x.

2. Filtering
do we really need the filter? I seeing some post about adding filter to get the blue sky background. I like to shot landscape but do not like too artistic colour, but I want naturally bright. If need, what type of filter is good for what? I also use it for friend's wedding dinner and parties. Recommendation please.

I'll just say something about the filters since I don't have a K-x and can't answer your other two questions.

You don't need filters, but they will enhance your landscapes if you use the right ones at the right time.

Circular polarisers (CPL) can give the sky a deeper blue colour if the sun is more or less to your side. You can turn to CPL to get the amount of darkening you want, so it's not necessarily going to be "too artistic". It will also help to cut glare off the ground and off vegetation and any reflective surface, and will increase contrast and colour saturation. In cityscapes, it can also help reduce (and sometimes almost completely remove) reflections off glass (and other highly reflective) surfaces. CPL effects are always tunable just by turning the filter, so you choose how much you want. Be careful when shooting wide angle, as the effects may not be uniform over the full FOV. If you're only getting one filter for general use, get this one.

ND filters cut back on the amount of light entering the camera, allowing you to use a much slower shutter speed with any given ISO and f-stop. You can use it to blur out waves (see night86mare's wonderful examples of this effect), clouds (darrrrrrrrrr has some nice examples in one of the sticky threads recently), waterfalls, and even people in bright daylight.

Graduated ND (GND) is a special type of ND filter that is clear on one side and gets darker towards the other. Mostly used when the scene is very bright on one side, and dark on the other. Eg. sunset, where the sky could be blown out while the ground is underexposed. Helps to even out the exposure in the whole scene, so that you won't have that problem, or at least have less of it. If you shoot sunset/sunrise a lot, choose this over the CPL.

For indoor weddings and parties, best is to not use a filter at all (IMHO), not even a UV filter for protection. Too many bright light sources that will give a lot of ghosting problems, and you're already hard-pressed to get good light and a sufficiently fast shutter speed, why make it harder? Unless you know that you're going for a particular effect with whatever filter, then I'd say go for it.

 

[watchthewaves]

I have a few questions only regard to K-x.

1. Minimum ISO
when I first got the white toy, the minimum ISO can be set down to 200. Without extended mode. Now minimum ISO can only be set down to 400.
What is the advantage of lower ISO?
How can I set back to 200?
Although most of my shotS set at 400-4000 range and it does ok.

I don't recall being able to adjust the minimum of the sensitivity range up to 400. Or are you talking about sensitivity fixed at 400 and never changing? If so, press the ISO button - take a look at the screen - you probably switched the sensitivity from ISO auto to ISO fixed at 400. Switch back to auto if that is what you want.

3. Auto lens correction
does it really help? I turn it on using pentax DAL 15-55.
I heard that function will slow down the save time, and I think it true as mine normally takes 3s to save 6MP super fine photo and have a quick display.
The memory chip should not be the issue as I can slip review as I do in iPhone

from first time DSLR owner

PS hop mod could remove pages 5-8 as it all talks about SD cards

It corrects for pincushion/distortion and lateral CA, but if you don't see these in your photos or are OK with them, then can turn off. Anyway, these can also be adjusted in your PC. So your choice between speedier camera response or a correction "just in case" you need it and don't want to do post processing in your PC.

 

[iise7en]

Hi,
Recently I bought Pentax cool black K-X with dual lens of 18-55mm and 50-200mm. Lately I had been shooting with my K-X using Program but how to make my photos look crisp clear instead of looking "soft"?

 

[iise7en]

You can buy 4xAA Sanyo eneloop batteries at $19.00 at Mustafa. Hope this information would help. :-D

 

[woefulwabbit]

Hi,
Recently I bought Pentax cool black K-X with dual lens of 18-55mm and 50-200mm. Lately I had been shooting with my K-X using Program but how to make my photos look crisp clear instead of looking "soft"?

You should probably post some pictures to illustrate what you mean by "soft"

 

[iise7en]

Thanks, woefulwabbit, for your prompt reply. ok here you go for some images of mine.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48692607@N05/

 

[woefulwabbit]

Problem seems to be with your subject. In such low light, it's harder to get sharp pictures.

 

[iise7en]

Hmmm..look like I have to practise more. Practise makes perfect right? Hmmm when the Pentaxians would have outing? I am still "L"earning. Anyway, thanks for your time replying my post,woefulwabbit! Really appreciate it!

 

[ItWasntMe]

u can sharpen the images in the image modes.

 

[pentax]

1. Minimum ISO
when I first got the white toy, the minimum ISO can be set down to 200. Without extended mode. Now minimum ISO can only be set down to 400.
What is the advantage of lower ISO?
How can I set back to 200?
Although most of my shotS set at 400-4000 range and it does ok.

Turn off the highlight correction option.

 

[ranchy]

Hmmm..look like I have to practise more. Practise makes perfect right? Hmmm when the Pentaxians would have outing? I am still "L"earning. Anyway, thanks for your time replying my post,woefulwabbit! Really appreciate it!

Look at this link http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=673245
this is Pentaxians April Outing - Morning in the Zoo on 10/04/2010

 

[ItWasntMe]

Turn off the highlight correction option.

thanks too.
just know this.

 

[Zeroplus1]

just gotten my kx last thurs

not sure if it's a problem with AF, but my AF dun really work on walls/clear sky etc. (objects with large patch of same color)
or is this a common problem when using center/5pt AF?