D80 overexposing??

[tahmail]

Just curious if others think their D80's are overexposing in almost all situations?

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[Alex_B]

strange enough we had a similar post regarding the 5D yesterday!

tried spot metering? if the object you meter on with spot metering gets overexposed, then it is probably a camera problem.

In case you come from a film background, keep in mind that with today'S sensors it is harder not to lose the shadows and highlights since dynamic range is very limited.

[Sw1tchFX]

The D80's meter is more concerned about darker areas and what's in the center of the frame. I noticed the same thing when I was using one a few weeks ago. You should be bracketing your shots anyway.

[fmw]

Cameras do not overexpose, photographers do. Once the photographer has adjusted to the behavior of the light meter, then he or she can make proper exposures as long as the knowledge is there. If your images are overexposed then you need to do some study on how to get proper exposures. There are many books written on the subject so I won't try to write one here.

Exposure is not an automatic thing. Automatic camera features should be an aid to getting good exposures. They should not be a substitute for knowledge and thinking.

I use a D80. I get proper exposures. I never bracket and never have - even in the film days when I had to wait for processing to see the images.

[tahmail]

Excellent comment FMW - and you are correct. I need to get out more and shoot, shoot, shoot using various settings, and better understanding what to use when. Thanks.