Nikon D5100 problems

[MTVision]

All pictures, those of today, are eather taken on A or S , not on automatic (except for the iso mode).
And i kept all the metering in the middle , at the 0
So if you find my aperture small it's the camera that calculated it in combination with my chosen shutterspeed or visa versa.

So , its to high for one person and to low for another one ?
You say 800-1600 and cgipson said 100 for nightshot
MTVision thinks its to high also.btw , at iso1250 i even get the "object to dark" notification , so if i go lower (less light).............

I've read the manual but nothing there about ISO numbers and if i look at the camera it points out 100-400 daylight and 640-1000 night , so like the camera (or manual as you want) tells me i have to stay between that , so i took 800. Does that makes sense ? If i got an f29 with iso800 (calculated by the camera) when I take a shutter of 13" , I just wonder how high i needed to set the Iso for a normal (lets say) f11? Am I wrong to think that i would have set my aperture first (f.e.) on f29 I would have gotten also 13" as shutterspeed ?
If I'm correct , if I crank up the Iso , I get a faster shuttertime, not ?
I can see the "more light-more speed" logica.

-> Only thing i really dont understand is :
I choose shutter 1/160 and the camera gives me an f36 aperture , iso 1250 and LW -1.7 ? On daylight conditions

so is it correct (as i translate a dutch website) :
keep the ISO down , you dont want to influence the picture negativ. Mostly you change it last, if you see that the wanted aperture or shuttertime isnt enough to get the wanted shuttertime.

Metering MODES - how your camera reads the scene and figures out what would be close to a proper exposure. If you are on S or A then you aren't keeping the meter at 0. There is spot metering, center weighted, and evaluative. Do a search online and read up on them.

At night - I've found it's better to shoot manual. You never know what the camera will choose for you. I usually set my ISO to 100 (never keep it on auto) and then set my aperture to what I want it to be. I then adjust my shutter speed. If my shutter speed isn't fast enough then I may choose a larger aperture (smaller f #) and/or raise my ISO.

Your aperture is ridiculously small! The camera didn't really choose it - even in Shutter priority. What you choose for a shutter speed affects the aperture - that's why you have to understand how they all work together. Raisin your ISO can give you a faster shutter speed but you still should understand how everything works. Look up ISO on the Internet or the exposure triangle.

On A mode inside my poorly lit house - I set ISO to 800 and my aperture to f/16 (which is the smallest aperture of my lens) and I get a shutter speed of 30". F1.4 is my largest aperture and I am still getting a shutter speed of 2 full seconds. In S mode at ISO 800 and choosing a shutter speed of 1/100 my photo will be very underexposed. To keep my shutter speed at 1/100 I would have to boost my ISO to Hi1. My lens opens up really wide whereas yours doesn't. The kit lens isn't the best in low light.

 

[fjrabon]

You have to understand the metering modes as well. The reason you are gettin such slow shutter speeds is because the aperture is so small. Why is your ISO changing so much? Take your ISO off auto and your camera off auto. Your camera is going to set it to whatever it wants on automatic.

All pictures, those of today, are eather taken on A or S , not on automatic (except for the iso mode).And i kept all the metering in the middle , at the 0So if you find my aperture small it's the camera that calculated it in combination with my chosen shutterspeed or visa versa.

. No idea why you are setting your ISO so high. If you don't understand exposure then your pictures aren't going to come out right.The manual for this camera comes on a CD. Read it - it's like 300 pages and it is very easy to read.

all I know is that every picture you've shown us that looked bad, the ISO was way too low for the shooting conditions.

So , its to high for one person and to low for another one ?You say 800-1600 and cgipson said 100 for nightshotMTVision thinks its to high also.btw , at daylight with iso1250 i even get the "object to dark" notification , so if i go lower (less light).............I've read the manual but nothing there about ISO numbers and if i look at the camera it points out 100-400 daylight and 640-1000 night , so like the camera (or manual as you want) tells me i have to stay between that , so i took 800. Does that makes sense ? If i got an f29 with iso800 (calculated by the camera) when I take a shutter of 13" , I just wonder how high i needed to set the Iso for a normal (lets say) f11? Am I wrong to think that i would have set my aperture first (f.e.) on f29 I would have gotten also 13" as shutterspeed ?If I'm correct , if I crank up the Iso , I get a faster shuttertime, not ?I can see the "more light-more speed" logica.-> Only thing i really dont understand is :I choose shutter 1/160 and the camera gives me an f36 aperture , iso 1250 and LW -1.7 ? On daylight conditionsso is it correct (as i translate a dutch website) :keep the ISO down , you dont want to influence the picture negativ. Mostly you change it last, if you see that the wanted aperture or shuttertime isnt enough to get the wanted shuttertime.

You're kind if being an a-hole to people who are genuinely trying to help you. Just take your camera back and go back to your Olympus.

 

[cgipson1]

sorry, but you need to RTFM.. and also read the books I mentioned earlier!

Bye!

I should have listened to myself!

 

[MTVision]

You're kind if being an a-hole to people who are genuinely trying to help you. Just take your camera back and go back to your Olympus.

I agree ^^^^ With apertures like f/29 you probably would get the "it's too dark" notification. I was not in any way disagreeing with what frjabon said - your ISO shouldn't be jumping all over the place like that. At night you usually do need higher ISO but in daytime you probably don't need an ISO of 1250. But that's what you get when YOU don't set the ISO. Cameras aren't super beings - they may give you settings that will take te picture but it won't always give you the best settings. You still have to know how everything works together to use aperture and shutter priority properly to get the best possible image. I have pictures that were shot on auto in the daytime with a high ISO. It's not needed but that's what the camera does. I can almost guarantee that there is nothing wrong with your camera - its user error. The Internet has tons of information, you were given some great book recommendations. Learn the camera - how it works, how exposure works, what the metering modes are.....

 

[marcdax]

It's not that I"m not greatful , where do you get this ? Maybe it comes over that way by expressing in an other language.
Honestly , I do understand the things all of you are saying. And I've read a book(s).
I know some questions seems irritating, but was everybody born with the knowledge ?
And a manual or book doens't answer when you ask a question .
Maybe it's more difficult to express the question so you members don't understand me wrongly

The only other thing that i can think of that my spotmeeting isnt correctly set (by me). Could that be the reason it doesn't give a descent picture on the other modus also ?
I could expect that i get a sharp and descent picture on Automode or another preset ?

MTVision or another member who knows the answer ;
In daytime
On S : I set 1/160 , the camera gives me an f/29 and sets my iso 1250. It's like you said , doesn't always give the correct setting , but all of you noticed that it is mostly not correct or far off.
If than i want to set my shutter higher (faster) i get a notification "object to dark"
If I lower my ISO , less light.
To get more light in , I have to lower my aperture n°. , so I have to switch to A(perture)mode.
If I set f.e. an f7.1 I get a shutterspeed of 3" with an ISO1250.
That's what I'm trying to explain, if I set my A(perture) higher than f/6 i'm getting "to dark" and my shutterspeed is going up like a rocket.
You should be able to take a picture handheld in the daylight

My question , how do I solve this ? As soon as I know this I can try to "fix" it.
And thanks again for the answers !

 

[fjrabon]

It's not that I"m not greatful , where do you get this ? Maybe it comes over that way by expressing in an other language.
Honestly , I do understand the things all of you are saying. And I've read a book(s).
I know some questions seems irritating, but was everybody born with the knowledge ?
And a manual or book doens't answer when you ask a question .
Maybe it's more difficult to express the question so you members don't understand me wrongly

The only other thing that i can think of that my spotmeeting isnt correctly set (by me). Could that be the reason it doesn't give a descent picture on the other modus also ?
I could expect that i get a sharp and descent picture on Automode or another preset ?

MTVision or another member who knows the answer ;
In daytime
On S : I set 1/160 , the camera gives me an f/29 and sets my iso 1250. It's like you said , doesn't always give the correct setting , but all of you noticed that it is mostly not correct or far off.
If than i want to set my shutter higher (faster) i get a notification "object to dark"
If I lower my ISO , less light.
To get more light in , I have to lower my aperture n°. , so I have to switch to A(perture)mode.
If I set f.e. an f7.1 I get a shutterspeed of 3" with an ISO1250.
That's what I'm trying to explain, if I set my A(perture) higher than f/6 i'm getting "to dark" and my shutterspeed is going up like a rocket.
You should be able to take a picture handheld in the daylight

My question , how do I solve this ? As soon as I know this I can try to "fix" it.
And thanks again for the answers !

the lower your f stop number the more light you get in. Take a shot outside in the daylight with something around ISO 200 and f/8. Your shutter speed will be plenty fast then. Take ***handheld shots at night*** with something around ISO 1600 and aperture of f/4. Your shutter speed should be fine with that as well.

For general shooting think of it this way, the brighter the ambient light, the lower you want your ISO set. FInd your manual and figure out how to set your fn button so that it allows you to control ISO with it. You'll need to change your ISO quite often if you shoot at night, so you want that setting as convenient as possible.

Here is how I approach most shots I take:

1) What DOF do I want for this shot? This will help me decide what aperture I want to use. The more DOF I want, the higher f/stop number I want. THe shallower I want the DOF, the lower f/stop number I want. However, be advised that especially at night you should avoid extremely high f/stop numbers. This was your number one problem, along with the low ISO you were shooting your night pictures at. For night, you generally will need both a low f/stop number and a high ISO.

2) Given the aperture I want to use on the shot, what ISO fits the lighting conditions? If it's daylight and I'm using anything under f/11, I probably want ISO 100. If it's inside, I probably want ISO 400. If it's dark, I probably want ISO 1600. So on and so forth.

3) Once I've set the aperture and ISO, I check to see if the exposure time it's giving me will be fast enough. The general rule of thumb for handheld is the reciprocal of the focal length you're shooting at. So, if you're shooting with a 50mm lens handheld, you generally want a a 1/50 of a second shutter speed, or faster. If I've correctly judged parts 1 & 2, then the number it gives me should be acceptable, but sometimes I'm wrong, and there's no reason not to check before you get blurry shots for no good reason.

That's a very simplistic guide, but it should correct all the problems you seem to be having.

edit: also, turn off auto ISO. Just turn it off, never go back. auto ISO is the devil.

 

[marcdax]

Okay , tried it this afternoon , was already dark yesterday.
Conditions : cloudy
- I first (to try) set my shutterspeed 1/125 , i got F5 , Iso 640 and the notification "to dark"
- second one (something different) , set my Aperture on F11 , Iso 800 and got 1/40.
To get at the 1/50 (minimal requirement) i had to go to Iso 1000
- 3rd shot (again something different) , F11 i had to go to Iso 1250 to get an 1/100
Is this normal ? Because MTVision said i dont need 1250 at daytime , but i'm not far away from it (or sometimes on it to get a "descent" shutterspeed)
And the shutterspeed isnt extremely high , so if i want to photograph an "fast" moving vehicle i have to go even higher ?

pictures with exif (iso choosen by me to get atleast 1/50 shutter / S or F picked first is told at the exif)


PS what do you think of the sharpness ?

set A at f/11 , Iso 1000 and got 1/80 , to go higher i had to set Iso 1250 and got 1/100

F/11 , Iso 1000 got 1/80
=>On a simular picture i tried to take : F11 (set by me), iso 800 got 1/40
F11 , iso 1000 gave me 1/50

This one is set my shutter first
S 1/125 , Iso 640 , got F5 and "object to dark" (lightmeter not in the middle (at zero)

set Aperture on f13 , iso 800 and got 1/60

 

[fjrabon]

heavily overcast is different from daylight. You shouldn't really need 1200 in cloudy most of the time, but you may from time to time if you're using f/11 or or more closed apertures.

The sharpness seems a little soft to me, but obviously nowhere near as bad as what you had been posting, and also it's gotten hard to tell here, as the forum seems to be softening everything that is posted to it, many have remarked on this. I think everything is probably fine with these sharpness wise if I was looking at the actual JPEG file.

Definitely I'd say 90% of your problems have been fixed though.

 

[EchoingWhisper]

You need to thoroughly understand the EXPOSURE TRIANGLE. I've learned it before I bought the Nikon D5100 and I've never experience any problem with exposure. Sharpness is defined by the lens, amount of motion blur, the focus point and the aperture, but the most important factor is still the focus point. Click the 'i' button on the back of your camera, then select AF-S as the AF mode, choose the AF point where you want in focus later. Nikon D5100 is one of the best camera for its price, don't worry, you've bought the right gear.

I have a suggestion for you, if you want to ensure right exposure for almost every single shot and you don't want to think about exposure, set your kit lens at its widest aperture, set the shutter speed so that it is 1/(focal length) and set the ISO at auto, it'll ensure you have the right exposure in almost all condition.

 

[fjrabon]

You need to thoroughly understand the EXPOSURE TRIANGLE. I've learned it before I bought the Nikon D5100 and I've never experience any problem with exposure. Sharpness is defined by the lens, amount of motion blur, the focus point and the aperture, but the most important factor is still the focus point. Click the 'i' button on the back of your camera, then select AF-S as the AF mode, choose the AF point where you want in focus later. Nikon D5100 is one of the best camera for its price, don't worry, you've bought the right gear.

I have a suggestion for you, if you want to ensure right exposure for almost every single shot and you don't want to think about exposure, set your kit lens at its widest aperture, set the shutter speed so that it is 1/(focal length) and set the ISO at auto, it'll ensure you have the right exposure in almost all condition.

well, the issue is that he seems to really like having everything in the entire frame in focus, which I guess is his preference, hence the very closed apertures. THough it's hard to tell sometimes with the language barrier.

 

[o hey tyler]

I'm surprised that new DSLRs do not calculate shutter speed based on the focal length being used in full auto, especially even when the ISO is on Auto. It could have brought it from 1/4s @ ISO 100 to 1/60s @ ISO 1600 and got the same exposure, and mostly eliminate that camera shake.

I guess consistent exposure, and negating camera shake are all the reasons I need to shoot on manual.

 

[o hey tyler]

Also, OP, when you say you "set your shutter speed first" does that mean that you put your camera mode dial on "Tv", or "S" and set your shutter speed, and then put it on "A" or "Av" to set your aperture? If so, that's not doing a thing for you.

When you camera is set you Tv or S, you are selecting the Shutter speed and that is the only variable you can control while in that mode (other than ISO, but yours is on auto). Changing the mode dial to "A" or "Av", you are only using the aperture value as your variable, so the shutter speed you chose on "S" is not going to reflect in the aperture priority mode.

What it SOUNDS like you are trying to do is set your camera manually, as if it were in manual mode. Which is what I suggest you do.

Get your camera out on a tripod during mid-day. Turn your ISO to 100, and take it off Auto ISO. Put your camera on "M" (for manual). Look through your viewfinder and look at your light meter (-2...-1...0...1...2). It will probably have the line flashing on one side or the other, indicating under, or over exposure. Zoom your lens out to the widest setting (probably 18mm), and set your aperture on f/4. Now, by only adjusting the SHUTTER SPEED in manual mode, you should change the shutter speed until the line is directly underneath the 0 on the light meter. Now, take your picture. Your settings will be ISO 100, @ f/4 with 1/XXXseconds for your shutter. Make sure you do this during mid-day or while there is adequate light just to achieve a proper exposure with more ideal settings.

 

[MTVision]

There are 6+ correct exposures for every scene so just because you get 1 setting doesn't mean that's the only one that will work for that scene.

 

[o hey tyler]

There are 6+ correct exposures for every scene so just because you get 1 setting doesn't mean that's the only one that will work for that scene.

Is this directed at me? You realize I am just getting the OP to properly expose a photo with more ideal settings, correct? Trying them to do an exercise in manual mode to learn a little bit about the exposure triangle rather than continue on the same trend of "small aperture, slow shutter speed, high ISO". I didn't once say that ISO 100, f/4, 1/xxx seconds is the only exposure for the scene, but it's a lot better than 55mm, ISO 1600 @ f/7.1, 1/40s. As a matter of fact, I calculated a different exposure at a higher ISO to eliminate camera shake in the post before last, so it's pretty clear I myself understand exposure.

If that wasn't directed at me, please disregard.

 

[EchoingWhisper]

There's no point shooting smaller than f/16, diffraction will be so wild that the entire picture will become soft, the extra depth of field will be non-existent in landscape shots.