D80 trouble

b.rett · Sep 5, 2008

Hey guys,

I've got a problem with my camera and I'm not quite sure what to do. I was hoping someone might be able to shed some light on this for me. I've got a Nikon D80 and just recently it seems like the built in light meter is not working properly. If I put the camera on shutter priority mode it keeps the aperture on LO unless I set the shutter to something like 1.3. The meter seems to be overexposing everything. Even when I put it on manual, the meter tells to set it incorrectly. I have no idea what could be causing this but it's pretty frustrating. I would really appreciate any info you guys might have,

Thanks alot!

Overread · Sep 5, 2008

reset the camera to factory settings - just in case you have exposure compensation or some other feature activated that would lead to meter to want a wrong exposure.

kundalini · Sep 5, 2008

Overread beat me to it. Likely you have inadvertently set something wrongly, such as exposure compensation. Easily done too. Go to the pencil icon and Reset is at the top of the list...... appropriate don't you think?

BTW, how do you like the 10.5mm Fisheye? Do you use it often or is it more a special purpose lens?

Flash Harry · Sep 5, 2008

"unless I set the shutter to something like 1.3."

makes little sense to me, stick it on manual, check your ISO, set it, step outside in the sun select 1/250 shutter and F11 aperture, look in the viewfinder, alter either aperture or SS till you have no little dots on the meter, take a shot. One of these three items is wrongly set, or, your meter is effed. H

ps try replacing batteries too and same as "above" posts. I've never had a meter go wrong, I have had the "err" message when using older nikon lens when forgetting to lock the aperture ring.

tirediron · Sep 5, 2008

I had a very similar, albeit intermittent problem with my D70; every now and then, it would refuse to meter correctly on any setting but 'Green Box'. Sometimes a reset would cure it, other times I just had to turn it off, and leave it for an hour. As a work-around, I'd simply metre the scene in Green Box mode, and then switch to Manual and put my settings on.

You can also compare the metre's recommendation against the daylight exposure rule (In bright sunlight, ISO=Shutter Speed @ f16)

b.rett · Sep 6, 2008

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.. i really appreciate it.

As for the fisheye, i love it. it's definitely a special purpose lens and alot of people don't like them but i love mine. the only issue i have is that i use it too much because i love the way everything looks with it, haha