A real newbi question to do with M mode

[SteveSkarratt]

Hi all
I am hoping someone can give a newbie some advice. I have a Nikon 5000, and when it is in manual mode, I change the shutter speed or aperture as necessary so that the indicator bar in the light meter in the camera is set in the middle - but my pictures are still gloomy and appear to be underexposed. I thought that once the indicator bar was moved back to the middle that meant it was the correct exposure?
Any help appreciated as I want to try to use the M setting as much as possible, but at the mo I seem to be making a bit of a mess. I would prefer to get it as right as possible with the camera, rather than having to do lots of post picture editing.

 

[Lucryster]

You need to learn the light triangle (aperture, shutter speed, iso) to really be able to use manual mode appropriately.

 

[Derrel]

Maybe a bit of "Minus Exposure Compensation" has accidentally be dialed in, and the setting left engaged. This is VERY easy to do with the one-wheel type Nikon control system! I have done this myself many times with the Nikon D40! This is a frequent mistake that occurs with all of the smaller Nikons: pressing down on the WRONG little button and spinning the control wheel does not change the f/stop or shutter speed, but instead dials in exposure compensation. I think there's a 90% chance this is what is happening.

 

[dennybeall]

Derrel hit the nail on the head. I have a D5300 and do it all the time. Look in the bottom right hand corner of the info screen and if it's not 0.0 you have found the problem. In Manual the control changes aperture but in anything else it changes compensation and that stays that way when you go to Manual

 

[wfooshee]

And if you ask, "But I'm in manual! How would exposure compensation affect the meter?"

It affects it by making it lie to you. If you have, say, -2.0 exposure compensation, then the meter will read 0 at 2 stops underexposed, and you get a dark picture.

 

[KmH]

The meter doesn't lie to you. The meter has been told (biased) by the amount of EC set, to offset it's display.
Being able to do that is a way to fine tune and compensate for each individual cameras propensity to under or over expose.

I notice the OP doesn't mention which of the three selectable D5o00 light metering modes is being used.
Understanding Camera Metering and Exposure

Also refer to pages 88 - 95 (Exposure) of the D5000 Reference Manual.

 

[wfooshee]

Figure of speech, and I perfectly understand what you're saying. The meter says, "This is the correct exposure to get the compensation you've asked for."

But if I was being told by the meter that the exposure was correct, not realizing that compensation had been dialed in, I would feel lied to.

 

[chuasam]

Are you shooting snowy scenes?

 

[fjrabon]

Why are you shooting in manual mode if all you're doing is centering the built in light meter? If that's all you're doing, you're just shooting in auto mode, but making yourself push buttons unnecessarily.