Dark shots from a Casio P600 Pro

[GerryM]

Hi...

I'm new so be gentle with me... I'm a point & click photographer and I have a Casio P600 digital camera. Recently, some of the pictures that I take are coming out very dark...

Even if I take 2 shots at the same location in the same light, usually with "Best Picture" setting, one of the images will be fine and the other very dark.

Is there a setting that I can use to sort this? It an Exilm Pro-P600 Casio camera.

Best regards and thanks from Ireland.

Gerry

[readingr]

Try posting two photos for comparison with the EXIF data which the camera captured. That way we may be able to hint at things you can try.

Roger

[another view]

If you're not sure what that is, the EXIF data has the settings in it and we'll be able to see it in something like Photoshop. I think as long as you just re-size the images it should still be there in the file. There are some ways of doing it that will get rid of it.

This data as well as seeing a shot (or better yet two) will help us figure out what's going on. Just to take a "shot in the dark", (pun intended), are the two shots with the flash on? If so, are you waiting long enough for the flash to re-charge before shooting the second one? It's easy enough to miss this...

[WesternGuy]

My limited understanding is that even in "Best Picture" mode, there are 25 different , preset scene modes. I am not sure if this is part of the problem or not, but it is something you might look at. I agree with the insight from the previous folks as well.

WesternGuy

[GerryM]

Thanks guys... I'm going to try your suggestions...

Watch this space, I'll be back.

Gerry

[GerryM]

Hi Guys

These 2 images explain exactly what I mean... they were taken within 30 seconds of each other using the "Best Picture" option for Portrait + Scenery.

And yes, if you're a rugby union fan, the guy on the left is All Black full back, Christian Cullen.

Thanks for taking the time.

Gerry

[readingr]

Gerry,

Whatever software you used to resize for the web removed all the EXIF/Camera data from the pics. Can you use the software that came with the camera and look at the data and add it to this post. That will allow us to see what the camera thought it should do when taking the photo.

Roger

[GerryM]

Hi Roger

Nice to hear from you... I resized (resampled) the images with Corel PhotoPaint.. I don't have any Casio software...

Is there a way that I can see the files if I use the original images? (They're over 1mb each)

I'm only a casual photographer but I've noticed recently that a lot of my images are quite dark.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Gerry

[GerryM]

Hi again Roger

I've just had a look at your photo gallery... brilliant stuff...

A different class to my efforts...

Well done.

Gerry

[Xia_Ke]

Gerry, before you resize or edit the pics, trying opening them with this program http://www.opanda.com/en/iexif/index.html . It's a freeware download and should give you all the information needed.

[readingr]

Hi again Roger

I've just had a look at your photo gallery... brilliant stuff...

A different class to my efforts...

Well done.

Gerry

Gerry,

Thank you very much - glad you like my work.

Sorry it takes so long to respond but work is hectic at the moment. Xia has pointed you to a tool that you need to use on the original image copied from the camera before any editing. Then copy that information identifying the photo it goes with and hopefully that will then tell us how we can help.

Just out of curiosity have you checked the troubleshooting guide which you normally find in the back of the manual?

Roger

[GerryM]

Hi again

Thanks Xia... I've downloaded the software as you suggested.

There are 3 major differences in the EXIF files.

Dark Image Normal Image

Exposure 1/640 Exposure 1/100

F Number F4 F Number F2.8

Gain Control None Gain Control Low Gain up

I don't understand why the settings should differ so dramatically as the camera was set to "Best Shot" > Portrait & Scenery. There was 17seconds between the 2 shots with the dark image taken first.

Once again my thanks to you all. I'm beginning to enjoy this little bit of detective work.

:thumbsup:

Gerry

[Xia_Ke]

Well Gerry, I'm going to venture a guess and this is just a GUESS. I would say that the auto mode is having a hard time deciding which part of the frame to meter off of. In the dark shots I would say it's taking the brighter spots in the frame causing everything else to be dark. Just a thought. Let us know if you figure this one out

Aaron

[readingr]

Gerry,

The only difference I can spot is the one person has a dark shirt and the other light shirt so the camera has not componsated properly. so it could be the exposure meter in the camera which is not setting things up properly.

Try an experiment. Get a sheet of plain white A4 paper and prop it up against something and fill the viewfinder with it and take two pictures a couple of seconds apart. If both photos look the same then the camera could be working properly. Then move it from bright light to shade and do the same and the two shots again should look the same.

If that works, is there a function on the camera which allows you to half depress the shutter to set the AF and exposure. If there is then take the same experiment and photo the paper (try coloured paper this time) in bright light by half depressing the shutter with the viewfinder pointing to the sky and then while holding the shutter halfway down recompose with the paper and the sky in view. Then do the same with paper being focused on for exposure and recompose to the same shot again. Does this cause the same effect as what you've been getting?

Otherwise take it to a photo shop and ask them.

Roger

[GerryM]

Thanks Roger... I'll let you know how I get on with the "White Paper" experiment.

Gerry

:thumbsup: