HELP! My photos are still too dark.....

[Forever Asia]

I am needing help with my camera. I have a Nikon D7000. I am wanting to shoot with natural lighting on Manual but all my pictures come out extremely dark. I have tried setting my ISO higher even to the highest setting but it's still too dark! What am I doing wrong?

A little background here. I have been doing photography sine 2009, am self taught and sometimes have trouble understanding some photog lingo. I know there is still a lot I can learn about what my camera can do for me. Please be patient with me. Thanks.

 

[The_Traveler]

There are four possibilites

1. the light is OK and your aperture is too small (f8, f 11, f16) or your shutter speed is too fast
2. the light is quite dim and no combination of wide aperture, slow shutter speed and high iso will expose correctly.
3. the light is ok and you are making some mistake.
4. your camera is malfunctioning

Does the lightmeter in the camera indicate that the exposure is correct? If that is pointing somewhere around the correct exposure your camera may be malfunctioning.

If you shoot on P, are the exposures good? If not that indicates a camera malfunction.

Please post an example and all the exif data associated with it.

 

[astroNikon]

Yes, follow Travelers advice above.
Post some pictures with the EXIF - or provide us your settings and if it's dark what time of day it was and how the lighting was. I had a d7000 and it was a wonderful camera. It has a lot of professional features and was groundbreaking when it first came out.

 

[photo1x1.com]

I am needing help with my camera. I have a Nikon D7000. I am wanting to shoot with natural lighting on Manual but all my pictures come out extremely dark. I have tried setting my ISO higher even to the highest setting but it's still too dark! What am I doing wrong?

A little background here. I have been doing photography sine 2009, am self taught and sometimes have trouble understanding some photog lingo. I know there is still a lot I can learn about what my camera can do for me. Please be patient with me. Thanks.

You've already received the best advice.

To make sure it is not your camera: If you are out on a sunny day at noon, try to set

• aperture to f16
• shutter speed to 1/100th
• and ISO to 100

if that doesn't give you a somewhat correct exposure, your camera should be the problem.

 

[table1349]

Digital Photography Tutorials

 

[mckownphotography]

Your camera should have an Exposure Level Indicator in the viewfinder .. very simple concept and would be a great starting point for you.

 

[Braineack]

your manually setting your camera up with unrealistic expectations, despite whatever ISO you're choosing.

cameras aren't magic.

 

[dennybeall]

Without a photo, and the exif data to go with it, the possibility of useful help is nonexistent.
photo1X1's advice is useful.

 

[table1349]

your manually setting your camera up with unrealistic expectations, despite whatever ISO you're choosing.

cameras aren't magic.

Your right, Photoshop is magic, it fixes everything.

 

[astroNikon]

your manually setting your camera up with unrealistic expectations, despite whatever ISO you're choosing.

cameras aren't magic.

Your right, Photoshop is magic, it fixes everything.

View attachment 128470

I was going to mention that Green AUTO option turns a camera into a "magic" box.

 

[vintagesnaps]

To use the camera set for Manual settings you'll need to keep working on learning how to set the aperture and shutter speed. That's how some of us learned, at least I did, with a mechanical film camera. It was either learn how to set it since there were no auto settings, or get a point 'n shoot. If you post some more info. you could get some suggestions on what to try next.

 

[480sparky]

Buy a copy of Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure.

 

[table1349]

Buy a copy of Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure.

To add to what sparky said, after you buy it read it.

 

[480sparky]

Buy a copy of Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure.

To add to what sparky said, after you buy it read it.

And to add to that, if, after reading it, you still don't understand, we're still gonna be here to help!

 

[Bebulamar]

FYI! If you buy the 4th edition of the book which is in store now you will find that the "Exposure Triangle" is now the "Photographic Triangle".