*ist D L2 exposure problems

If in the picture I am taking there is a light background (even when it is only a very small portion of the whole image!) the main subjects come out always very dark, regardless of the use of spot metering and/or the amount of daylight available.
Furthermore, I have not been able to find a way to re-calibrate the metering system in the "Auto Pict" mode either, so I have to fiddle a lot with the manual exposure etc...not too useful when trying to do some fast reportage!
Does anyone have any tips on how to overcome this problem?!?
Thanks!!!

Ahhh, I think this is the old 'spot metering' dilemma again.

Q: When you aim your 'spot', is it measuring a middle toned subject, like a grey card, fresh grass, etc. Or are you just pointing at the main subject of your pic, and clicking.

If the latter and the subject that you are taking the spot reading from is not middle toned, that'll be why your exposure is incorrect.

When using spot metering, the initial target MUST be of a middle tone. A grey card is designed exactly for this purpose. Essentially you are telling the camera that you have your spot on a middle toned target, make a reading, then recompose and take the pic. You might find it easier to use fully manual mode when using spot metering as the camera doesn't then reset the aperture/shutter speed the next time you press the shutter release. You might also try bracketting if the DL2 will do it. Then at least you stand a better chance of getting the shot right, and you'll learn more about your cameras tendencies to under/over expose in certain situations.

There are many discussion about spot metering on this forum, have a browse and I'm sure you'll find a more in-depth answer to your problem.

With regard to Auto pic mode, you have a very versatile and innovative piece of camera technology at your finger tips. Why then, turn it into a point 'n hope camera

Your camera should be able to tolerate a moderate amount of backlight, in the multi segment metering mode. ( green mode, access thru menu)
a+.5 to +1.5 ev compensation adjustment should help with more pronounced to severe backlight with +1.5 to +2 for severe backlight plus water/snow reflections.
I don't have the same model as you but my camera has a little Av button beside the shutter hold that down and scroll the wheel on the camera back left or right to increase/decrease the ev compensation.
I'm a big fan of spot metering, but not when i'm in a hurry. I prefer to use spot meter for taking multiple readings and averaging them out, as opposed to using the spot meter for rapid shots.
bracketing shots should solve your problem also. acess thru the Fn button on back.

Even with whiz-bang computerized metering, there's nothing like pointing the meter at a Zone V object (grass works well) in the same light as your subject. Even easier with a spot meter!

Don't forget, that if you use spot metering in "P" mode, you must lock the exposure! i.e. point the spot at the Zone V area (palm of your hand is a good one too), then lock the exposure and reframe.

If you use spot-metering, it's a good idea to use the "M" mode. That way you can just press the green button to get a good exposure (assuming you've pointed it at a Zone V area first!) - and then the exposure will stay. On the *ist-D it will also show you in the viewfinder bargraph just how much over, or under exposed the scene is - that way you can move the spot around the view to guage the level of exposure for each element and adjust the manual settings appropriately.

If you're shooting fast and in auto - shoot RAW. Then you have quite a bit of lattitude after the shoot at the RAW processing stage

Matt

I recently took a few backlit portrait shots with fill-in flash (probably out of effective range though) and I must say that I don't think the DL handles those situations in auto mode as well as my Z1-P does.
The subjects were very dark but I was shooting in RAW and as Matt said, they lightened up very nicely.

I have to admit that I normally leave the camera in Auto-pict mode (to be fair, the camera is pretty clever) and usually only switch modes when using my MF lenses. This is a shameful habit that I developed after discovering that the Z1 was usually smarter than me and more often than not, rather than risk wasting valuable film, I'd just let it get on with it!

When I flick through my old photos, there is a much higher percentage of good quality shots from the Z1 than from my SFX - mainly down to the metering systems but also through my laziness (I used to get plenty of good results from my ME Super, where I played a more active role in the picture taking process).

With the DL, there's absolutely no excuse and I shall endeavour to use more of it's functions - please consider my wrist slapped .

Anna, I'll have to check the book but I don't think you can recalibrate the metering or alter many settings in Auto-pict mode because you've given full control to the camera - as Mannesty said "point 'n hope"

Kimbo, Matt your points are taken. As a former film shooter, I don't think my camera handled the difficult shots as much as "print film" lattitude, which I considered as another tool, when doing weddings. The switch to digital meant going back to "slide film" rules and techniques.
Perhaps the digital cameras are switching to err on the side of underexposure- and computer software fixes as opposed to blowing out highlights. I'm not sure. I as a matter of habit I add the +-ev adjustment and use flash for fill, when snapshooting, and a flashmeter for important shots, so I've not really come up against that problem.

From my personal point of view, speaking purely as an amateur, I think that the 'AFE' (Auto Flipping Everything - I tidied that up a bit) capability of modern digital cameras has limited use. With all auto features turned on, you will be relying on the camera to automatically choose focus (even the focus point), exposure (both aperture and shutter speed) white balance, and ISO speed. Even anti-shake systems are becoming affordable, thankfully not with the Pentax name on them . . . yet.

I accept that there is probably an envelope of conditions where the camera will get all of these parameters almost spot on (near as dammit anyway) resulting in a pleasing 'snapshot'. I think that 'envelope' is way too small for anybody who values photography as a hobby and the creative possibilities that might be missed are countless. The camera can't possibly get all of these parameters right all of the time. Where would the creativity be anyway ?

To do the job properly, and hence develop a better understanding of photography as an art form, I believe it is necessary for us to take much more control where we at least set WB, ISO, focus (maybe, at least choose the focus point), and either aperture or shutter speed to create the image, leaving the camera to merely try and produce a correct exposure. I do admit to almost always using spot focus on auto, my eyesight ain't so good nowadays, and I mostly shoot Av leaving the camera to set the shutter.

That said, I try to always reset my camera's dials and switches etc. to fully auto before putting it back in its bag with the sole objective of being able to 'snap' the odd opportunist shot that might present itself. Trouble is I don't always remember to do it.

I introduced my 26 year old son to 'proper' photography only a few months ago when I gave him my ist-DS to play with. He had only used P&S cameras before that. For about a week he shot everything auto and .JPG. He read a couple of books, I taught him everything I knew (only took 10 minutes), now he shoots mostly manual and RAW. He has some commissions from some amateur bands to take some marketing shots too. Point made, I think . . . and I haven't seen the DS since

Lets be honest, digital images don't cost anything whilst experimenting and through experimentation comes knowledge. It's certainly a heck of a lot faster learning photography skills in the digital age than it ever was with film, especially if you did the developing and printing yourself. Nowadays you might take a number of shots of a subject, changing the settings a bit here and there and be almost sure of a perfect shot because you can see it, and you've got a histogram to prove its a good exposure. Not so with film, is it? You might take 100 shots on film and still not know if you've got a good one.

Point 'n shoot has it's place I agree, but there are lot cheaper cameras for snapshots. Fully auto is for folk who haven't got time to take their hobby/art seriously enough to do it properly.

Vacates soap box next please ! ! !

With a light backgroud it woudl be useful to make use of the auto bracketing wherein three frames are shot. You can then choose the one you like. this can be done by going to the menu mode and selecting the last one in the exporsure frames.