What went wrong?

[Steve Cifra]

I took these pictures about 10-15 seconds from each other. Both from the same spot. Only difference I could see in the EXIF data was that the first pic is F2.5 and the second is F3.5. I have another set of pics the same way. This is from a Sony F717. It had been fixed with the recall before this happened. Any ideas? I don't trust the camera right now.

[JLV]

When you take a photo, half depress the shutter button and wait for the camera to set the aperture speed and focus. You may pressing to fast.

[John_Reed]

I took these pictures about 10-15 seconds from each other. Both from the same spot. Only difference I could see in the EXIF data was that the first pic is F2.5 and the second is F3.5. I have another set of pics the same way. This is from a Sony F717. It had been fixed with the recall before this happened. Any ideas? I don't trust the camera right now.
In particular, if you were using "spot" metering, and pointed the spot directly at the Buffalo for locking exposure (exposure gets locked depending on where you're pointing the spot when you half-depress the shutter button), since it's dark colored, the camera would try to compensate for that by lightening up the exposure. Conversely, if you were pointing the spot anywhere else besides at the Buffalo when locking exposure, you'd get a normal contrast, as the correctly exposed scene demonstrates. Try using a "matrix" or "averaging" metering method, avoid "spot" metering for this kind of shot. Or, point at the lighter parts of the scene to lock exposure, and then re-frame the shot with the shutter button half-depressed.

[Rhys]

It depends largely on where the camera was metering from.

[Steve Cifra]

Metering mode was "pattern" in both shots.

[Rhys]

Well, it's interesting. I get that sometimes with compact cameras. This is why I review so often. With a dSLR there's more lattitude although I chimp quite a bit.

[John_Reed]

Metering mode was "pattern" in both shots.I'd suggest, next time you're outside with the camera, just change the framing as you view it on the LCD, and see how the metering varies. I brought up spot metering since I've seen this exact same behavior on some of my older Panasonic cameras, before they "divorced" the metering from the AF choice, as they have in their latest cameras. (From FZ15/20 onward)

[Steve Cifra]

Thanks for the info. I lost all my pictures from Christmas Eve because of the CCD issue with the camera. Sony fixed it for free, then this happened. I guess I am being paranoid. I stopped using it it June, and just thought of posting these. I will start using it again and see what happens.