What the heck did I do wrong here?

[myfotoguy]

"So you're saying that my lens will prevent me from shooting in an aperture outside f/3.5 - f/5.6? Is that correct? I only ask because in the past i've taken pictures and the Exif data shows f/10and f/11. So it's a bit confusing. Enlighten me if you will."

Read part 2 of my article series for more, I am not sure I am articulating very well right now. But start with part 1: Myfotoguy: The Exposure Triangle (Myfotoguy Series on Exposure Part 1 of 5)

The smaller the aperture number is, the larger the opening of the lens is.
The larger the aperture number is, the smaller the opening of the lens is.

Your lens will not open any larger beyond 3.5-5.6 (it won't go to a smaller number). F/11 is a smaller aperture, the lens can go to smaller size openings, it's just limited in how big the opening will be.

I think you may want to read some basic stuff to lay some groundwork and foundation before getting too confused by short replies in a forum. Like i said, I'm probably not explaining it well right now.

------

"how would I have seen this? What meter should I be looking at in the viewfinder?"

I think there should be an illustration in your manual. It has a zero in the center, a "+" on one side of the meter and a "-" on the other side.

 

[dcook22]

Your lens will not open any larger beyond 3.5-5.6 (it won't go to a smaller number). F/11 is a smaller aperture, the lens can go to smaller size openings, it's just limited in how big the opening will be.

I think you may want to read some basic stuff to lay some groundwork and foundation before getting too confused by short replies in a forum. Like i said, I'm probably not explaining it well right now.

.

I highlighted and bolded the confusing part in your reply. Funny thing is, you're the second person who has explained it that exact way. This leads me to believe it's my lack of fundamental understanding that is really the problem, not your explanation. I greatly appreciate the time you've taken to reply to my posts. I'll read your article and come back with whatever is still unclear.

Thanks again.

Dan

 

[katy625]

Your shutter speed was evidently too slow for the harsh light and was allowing way too much light in. I have a canon and only use manual....when I start shooting I do a few test shots then adjust everything hat needs to be adjusted. If I feel the ISO is good and the fstop works then my finger would automatically be turning my shutter speed dial to 1/500 then adjusting up or down until the lighting looked right then shoot. Then as I move I constantly adjust as needed depending on the lighting.

 

[dcook22]

And the moral of this story? Your camera contains a tremendous amount of photographic knowledge in its circuitry and programming, and there is no shame in taking advantage of it. Your Mode Dial has a “Child” setting right on it...USE IT! Trust me...at this point the camera knows more about photography than you do...a LOT more. Let it do its job. In the mean time, you can learn about exposure and modes and all the other things you need to know about taking pictures. Your family will thank you!

Touche' sir. Fair enough. I only thought I'd be OK since the pics from the previous day looked fine. Again, it turns out I didn't know how much i didn't know. When the picture matters I'll let the camera take the lead for the time being. But I will not be turned away! I'll learn. And then I'll show that camera! It will do my bidding! Mine alone! MUHUHUHAHAHA!

uh...sorry about that.

Anyway. Your advice is good. Thanks for taking the time to help.

Dan

 

[dcook22]

Your shutter speed was evidently too slow for the harsh light and was allowing way too much light in.

Ahhh..so shutter speed was the culprit? Finally, a starting point.

If I feel the ISO is good and the fstop works then my finger would automatically be turning my shutter speed dial to 1/500 then adjusting up or down until the lighting looked right then shoot. Then as I move I constantly adjust as needed depending on the lighting.

OK. That's a pretty good description of a trial and error system i can use. Thanks for that. When you say "until the lighting looked right", do you simply mean checking the picture in the LCD after taking it? If so, I'll tell ya, the pics I took didn't look bad in the LCD. But when i got home? Yeesh!

And you constantly adjust the shutter speed as you move?

Thanks.

Dan

 

[mommy22]

It's all been said, but do go buy " the book"...

 

[Josh66]

Your lens will not open any larger beyond 3.5-5.6 (it won't go to a smaller number). F/11 is a smaller aperture, the lens can go to smaller size openings, it's just limited in how big the opening will be.

I think you may want to read some basic stuff to lay some groundwork and foundation before getting too confused by short replies in a forum. Like i said, I'm probably not explaining it well right now.

.

I highlighted and bolded the confusing part in your reply. Funny thing is, you're the second person who has explained it that exact way. This leads me to believe it's my lack of fundamental understanding that is really the problem, not your explanation. I greatly appreciate the time you've taken to reply to my posts. I'll read your article and come back with whatever is still unclear.

Thanks again.

Dan

You have to keep in mind that the 'f-stop' is a ratio. 'f' being the focal length of the lens.

Knowing that it's a ratio, the smaller the 'f/#', the larger the opening.

Say you had a 100mm lens. Set it to f/2 - the physical size of the aperture would be 50mm. At f/8 it would be 12.5mm.

The aperture listed on the side of the lens is actually only the maximum aperture it can go to. It will still be able to stop down to f/22, f/32, f/45 or something like that - depending on the lens.

 

[benlonghair]

RTFM

This. I knew a bit about photography when I got my D60 and I still read the manual three times before doing any real shooting.

 

[JClishe]

And you constantly adjust the shutter speed as you move?

Thanks.

Dan

I completely understand your desire to use manual mode. When I first got a dSLR a little over a year ago, I felt the exact same way. Why get a dSLR if I'm going to use it the same way that I'd use a compact?

Stop thinking that way

I think you'll find that most photogs, even pros, use aperture priority mode most of the time, not manual. Every now and then someone here will take a poll and it seems like usually > 75% of the responses are folks that use aperture priority > 75% of the time. The exceptions are if you're setting up for a specific shot, such as a landscape, night shot, or portrait that you're really trying to nail, and you have the time to make changes and dial in different settings until you get the shot "just right".

When you're just out shooting random family photos like you posted here, don't use manual. You'll be changing directions quickly and often, the lighting on your subject will constantly be changing, your focal length will be changing, etc. You'll have to manually meter for each and every shot and you have virtually zero chance of getting any ad hoc or fast moving action shots.

In aperture priority, you control the aperture and ISO, and the camera controls the shutter speed. The rule of thumb for ISO is pretty easy: lower is better. If you're out in the sun set it to 100, and only increase it as you need to based on lighting. The less light you have, the higher the ISO will need to be.

As others have said, the lower the aperture number (f stop), the larger the physical opening in the lens. All lenses will go down pretty far, to like f/22 or smaller. On the other hand, lenses will be limited as to how far open then can go. This is the number that's printed on your lens. If you have a zoom lens it may say f/3.5-5.6. This means that when the lens is at the widest focal length (ie zoomed out all the way) it's largest possible aperture is f/3.5. But when you zoom in all the way, the lens is no longer capable of opening to f/3.5 so f/5.6 becomes the "new" largest possible aperture. You'll always be able to dial in smaller apertures (f/8, f/11, f/16, etc), the f/3.5-5.6 simply represents how far open the lens can go depending on focal length.

The larger the aperture, the more light the lens lets in. That's why you'll often see the recommendation to use a smaller aperture like f/8 or f/11 when you're out in bright sun.

Aperture also controls depth of field. A large aperture (f/3.5) has a shallow depth of field. Meaning if you focus on your sons face, things in the foreground and background will be blurry. A small aperture (f/22) has a deep depth of field, meaning elements in the foreground and background will all be in focus.

Putting it all together, when you're out shooting in aperture priority mode you first have to decide on the depth of field that you want to acheive in your photos and set the aperture accordingly. If you're shooting a person or object you'll probably want a narrow depth of field so you'll set a high aperture, like f/3.5. If you're shooting a landscape you'll want a deep depth of field like f/22. So that's where you start. Then you make adjustments based on available light. If you have plenty of light then you can generally use whatever aperture you want (although too large an aperture in bright sunlight can cause overexposure). However, as it gets darker you'll be limited by how far down you can go so you'll have to make other changes / sacrifices. (If you REALLY want f/22 but it's too dark out, then you'll need to start cranking up the ISO or manually controlling the shutter speed. This is the type of scenario that would necessitate manual mode).

(Note that the above explanation is highly simplistic and I'm just trying to help to give you a starting point.)

 

[inov8ter]

This should help. You will also see the same thing when you are looking through the viewfinder.

 

[vtf]

I wrote a cheat sheet of ISO, aperature and shutter settings and what each does when you change them from maximum to minimum then carried it with me until I got those understood because if you change one in maual the others most likely will change somewhat. Your manual should explain each plus the many books and videos available, but carry that cheat sheet. Just a thought.

 

[gsgary]

check your meter.

I've been told that by someone else, but I was unsure how to do that. He explained that on Nikons, there a small display of several green squares with a zero in the middle. But a quick perusal of David Busch's NIKON D5000 Guide to Digital Photography Which i own and try to read during my "free time" outside my 60 hour work week, shows that guide having a connection to focus and not metering. These images were all done with matrix metering inside the camera. i didn't use a handheld light meter. (I have no idea how to use one)

So, how can I "check my meter", and when i do check it, what should I be looking for, and what should I have noticed was wrong.

thanks.

Dan

To get a quick reading meter off the grass and it will be quite close

 

[djacobox372]

If you insist on using manual just make sure to pay attention to your exposure meter (#16 below). Keep it centered and you'll get "good enough" photos. Also make sure you don't have any exposure compensation on (#18 below).

 

[mrpink]

I would expect this issue when using film, but you are shooting digital photographs. Snap a few pics and review them on the spot, adjust if needed- seems like common sense to me.

Everyone is pointing out various features on your camera, the one I would suggest you use more is the playback button located at the top left corner of your screen- they put it that close to the screen for a reason.

And shooting a moment such as this in full manual is not recommended- even for an experienced photog. For me, it would be Aperture Priority (large A on the dial) and shoot away all day long, concentrate on focus and every shot will be a keeper.





p!nK

 

[dcook22]

And you constantly adjust the shutter speed as you move?

Thanks.

Dan

I completely understand your desire to use manual mode. When I first got a dSLR a little over a year ago, I felt the exact same way.

[SNIP]

(Note that the above explanation is highly simplistic and I'm just trying to help to give you a starting point.)

To the contrary, I found your reply thorough and eminently helpful. Thanks for taking the time to write it. I really feel that I have a starting point to understanding all this stuff. I know it ain't rocket surgery, but it is very confusing at first. Thanks for remembering your beginnings. You've really helped me a lot.

Dan