Please Help

bakstreet · Oct 23, 2007

My wife took these pictures with a Nikon D80 using a Nikon DX 18-135 lense. She took the pictures in automatic mode and there was a little bit of an overcast. How did the pictures still turnout blurry in automatic mode? I have my theories but I wanted some expert opinions. I'm guessing there was still not enough light or something and that caused the images to blur with movement? But in automatic mode shouldn't it have made for a crisp image?

LaFoto · Oct 23, 2007

Well, they were taken shortly before 5 in the afternoon, which means dusk is already falling in the northern hemisphere at this time of the year (and if only a bit) ... and I can see that the camera decided (automatically) to go for f5 and only 1/13th of a second of shutter speed for the first photo, and to go for f5.6 and a shutter speed of only 1/8th of a second for the second photo. With children moving (in the way children do), those times are way too long to still get an unblurred photo. It surprises me that the camera did not decide to automatically fire the flash if it was set to FULL AUTO!?!?

Amphoteric · Oct 23, 2007

ok, laPhoto, how do you know that stuff?

LaFoto · Oct 23, 2007

Huuaaaaah ... big, big secret!

(Digital photos come with their exif data, and those tell me all this).

Sw1tchFX · Oct 23, 2007

The solution to this is to set the camera OUT of full auto (You don't spend over $1000 for a fully auto piece of equipment) set it to Aperture Priority (A), bring your ISO up to 1600, open the aperture as wide as it goes, and shoot.

If you don't know what any of that is or how to do it, read the manual.

You can also balance your flash with the ambient light with good results by setting your flash sync to the ambient exposure.

AUZambo · Oct 23, 2007

Sw1tchFX said:
The solution to this is to set the camera OUT of full auto (You don't spend over $1000 for a fully auto piece of equipment) set it to Aperture Priority (A), bring your ISO up to 1600, open the aperture as wide as it goes, and shoot.

If you don't know what any of that is or how to do it, read the manual.

You can also balance your flash with the ambient light with good results by setting your flash sync to the ambient exposure.

Isn't 1600 a little high for these pics...unless that kid is the fastest running kid ever? I usually use aperture priority mode, and will bump ISO up as needed in poor lighting conditions...but I generally avoid anything higher than 400.

Jestev · Oct 23, 2007

AUZambo said:
Isn't 1600 a little high for these pics...unless that kid is the fastest running kid ever? I usually use aperture priority mode, and will bump ISO up as needed in poor lighting conditions...but I generally avoid anything higher than 400.

All depends on the lighting, the largest maximum aperture of your lens, and the shutter speed you want.

bakstreet · Oct 23, 2007

So, even with it in fully automatic, we could have done better ourselves? I would have thought with it in automatic it would have made the necessary adjustments to get a good pic.

JerryPH · Oct 23, 2007

I think the camera could have done a little better in P mode, however even it has it's limits, and better pics could be made in S or A mode. It takes very little practice, but a good understanding of the basics to make a big leap in your picture quality.

I say it a lot... the camera doesn't take the pictures, it's the person behind the lens.

LaFoto · Oct 23, 2007

Well, in AUTO I would actually have expected the camera to switch on and fire the flash for you much rather than go down to 1/13 or even 1/8, for - assuming as you did yourselves, too - to help you produce the best possible photo under the given circumstances and light situation would have required the flash. That is the point I don't get ... and when it is set to AUTO, you can't do anything about the flash being added. You can switch if off in P-mode, there you have the option to "tell" your camera "no flash, ever!", but not in AUTO. That is the point that I don't understand here.

sabbath999 · Oct 23, 2007

Sw1tchFX said:
If you don't know what any of that is or how to do it, read the manual.

You are my hero.

sabbath999 · Oct 23, 2007

LaFoto said:
Well, in AUTO I would actually have expected the camera to switch on and fire the flash for you much rather than go down to 1/13 or even 1/8, for - assuming as you did yourselves, too - to help you produce the best possible photo under the given circumstances and light situation would have required the flash. That is the point I don't get ... and when it is set to AUTO, you can't do anything about the flash being added. You can switch if off in P-mode, there you have the option to "tell" your camera "no flash, ever!", but not in AUTO. That is the point that I don't understand here.

If she were holding down the flash (physically) keeping it from popping open when it tried to pop up, then it wouldn't fire in full auto, instead just "trying its best" with the light available.

I will bet that is what happened.

chris_arnet · Oct 23, 2007

beacause in automatic it doesnt know what your shooting at, only proper exposure. so it set the shutter speed too low and thats why your pictures are blurred. also why i ALWAYS shoot in manual.