D50 is stumping me!

[surfergirl]

Hi Everyone!

I was wondering if someone out there could help me. I have the Nikon D50 and until recently I was just fine shooting in auto mode (or portrait etc). :o Well, the more that I am learning, the more control I want over my camera. I am trying to shoot in either Aperture, Shutter or Program mode. My problem is that everything turns out really dark. (Im not using my flash- just natural light from really big windows) When I switch back to the preset options, the picture turns out fine. Im sure it is in my settings, but I am not really sure what to look for. (Also, somehow my manual has sprouted legs and walked away from my house. I used to just read the manual online at Nikon's website until recently when I got that lovely error- page cannot be displayed!)

I hope that this makes sense- and Im sorry if it is a really dumb question. I just dont know enough about photography yet. :confused:

Thanks!
Jen

[Jennifer]

Try this.... Take a photo on the auto mode, that you feel is properly exposed. Look at the camera settings that it choose and then switch in to manual mode and dial in those same numbers. Is the photo still underexposed? Report back, I'm interested in your observations.

As far as the manual goes, you can go to www.cameratown.com and they have all the manuals posted for all the cameras. Just save the .pdf file to your desktop and read it whenever you want :) http://www.cameratown.com/manuals/index.cfm/hurl/mfg|Nikon

[surfergirl]

Jennifer- thank you so much!!! I realized my shutter speed was set to as high as it goes. I wish I had more time to learn about my camera. I dont think I completely understand the shutter concept. :S Do you usually shoot in manual mode? Or do you keep yours on Shutter or Aperture? And thank you for the link to the manual. I saved it to my desktop and Im good to go. Thanks again!! :)

[carolyn d]

Surfergirl... like you I tend to have manuals that sprout legs ..so.. I have an extra for the D50. If you would like it, pm your address and I will mail it to you. I keep one in the bottom of my camera bag at all times, so I know it won't run away. I shoot alot in program mode. I choose the aperture and the camera chooses the rest. Another thing that is helpful..and check your pdf manual on this.. is the exposure compensation..This will help too. But it takes some patience and experimentation. I too am just learning the "guts" of the D50 and am liking it more and more.

[Jennifer]

Do you usually shoot in manual mode? Or do you keep yours on Shutter or Aperture?
I have the most HORRIBLE luck shooting Aperture priority mode! I shoot 98% of the time in manual mode. It's really the only one I ''get''.... for some reason my Ap. mode photos are always exposed wrong, I'm sure it's me, it's just that I like M mode the best. :) I have a set starting point and only have to make a minor adjustment so for me it's very quick. I ask one question before I start... "Is my subject moving?" If it is, I dial in the shutter speed first, very quickly, then I only have to meter to get my aperture correct. If my subject is NOT moving, I dial in my aperture first; depending on lighting and how much I want in focus, then quickly meter for shutter speed.

Indoors with my flash, I just drag my shutter most often. (80% of my indoor shots are with flash!!!) I start at about 1/60 but will go down to 1/40 a lot, and f/4-5.6 and direct my flash to bounce either from the ceiling or towards my light source to bounce light back in to enhance the natural light and just get a better exposure. Keeps me from having to up the ISO too much and makes flash photos not look like flash.

[surfergirl]

Carolyn- thanks so much! I sent you a PM. I need to read/understand more about the exposure compensation. I am confused about metering. Can someone explain this to me in very simple terms? Im reading about it in the manual, but it just says the types of metering offered. I think I need D50 for dummies!! ;)

Jennifer- you use the SB-800 right? DH said he would get me the SB-600 for my birthday... However, I am a little reluctant considering I dont know much about my camera to begin with! :D Is it hard to use? When you say you drag the shutter- you are slowing the shutter speed to let more light in- is that right? I have been googling (is that a word?) that and trying to learn more of how to do it.

Thanks everyone for all your help!! :) Im learning so much.

[Jennifer]

Jennifer- you use the SB-800 right? DH said he would get me the SB-600 for my birthday... However, I am a little reluctant considering I dont know much about my camera to begin with! :D Is it hard to use?

Here is a thread about this flash: http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21329

When you say you drag the shutter- you are slowing the shutter speed to let more light in- is that right? I have been googling (is that a word?) that and trying to learn more of how to do it.
That's exactly right! You slow the shutter speed down to let in more ambient light. The flash will freeze the action and the shutter staying open will help to expose the background more. It avoids that black background and bright subject flash look. http://www.planetneil.com/faq/flash-techniques.html is where I learned this technique.

[bridget.withers]

Here's a couple more things that I have found very useful when I was first trying to learn my D50

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d50/d50-settings.htm

Also using the sunny F16 rule.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y178/bridget260559/SunnyF16Rulejpg.jpg

[surfergirl]

Thank you all so much. I am now shooting in Manual mode and loving it. I'll have to post some pictures when I get some time. Sometimes my pictures still turn out a bit dark, but then I set it to Auto mode and cheat. :D Im leaving for Oregon for a week, and cant wait to try my camera out at the Coast. Things are really starting to 'click'. Im so glad I have all of you out there!! You are all wonderful! Thanks again! :)

~Jen~

[Emma]

I usually use Aperture or Speed/Time mode, but for me the key is being ABLE to shoot in manual. I use what the camera chooses as a "meter." I still check both numbers, and if I don't like them I will switch to manual to dial in the other number. But since what it chooses is either the best choice or it's telling me I need more light, I will usually use what it wants or get more light via window, overhead lights, flash, etc. Since I usually shoot non-moving subjects like taking portraits, I dial in the aperture I want, and it almost always uses the lowest shutter speed anyway since I'm indoors. If I can find a spot to get it up to 1/60 with no flash, I'm pretty lucky. Usually it's like 1/8 and I find more light!
So the metering you want would be something like center-weight. I'll depress the shutter release partly and look at the meter in my viewfinder. If the arrow is zero or almost at zero I'm happy. If it's not, then I'll adjust the settings until it's at zero. Again, to me, if I know one setting like aperture, the camera will choose the other setting to get the meter to zero.

But comparing two shots' EXIF data to see w hat the camera chose compared to what you chose is really the best way to determine what happened with over or under exposed images. You'll begin to see what numbers affect the image in what ways. Digitally, that's so easy! No more writing down settings in a notebook :)