Help with Daughter's D40

[Fleetwood271]

It's possible that you have to hold down another button while you turn the dial in P mode. I don't shoot Nikon, but I would try that. Not sure what the button would be though... On a Canon camera, I would think it would be the * button...

While in M Mode, you turn the dial to select shutter speed, and to set aperture you hold down the +/- button while turning the dial.

According to everything I have read, which includes the D40 Manual that came with the camera, the D40 Digital Field Guide by David D. Busch, the D40 For Dummies, and Ken Rockwell's D40 Users Guide and D40 Controls, when the dial is turned in P Mode, both the shutter and aperture change. In fact Rockwell says, "just flick the rear dial until you get the combination you prefer."

The problem is that when the dial is turned, none of the numbers that change appear on the screen. So how would anyone know what settings they have chosen prior to taking the picture?

 

[ann]

call nikon and ask their technical support

 

[Moe]

As I said earlier, the only thing I can think is that the scene in which you are using the camera in P mode is dark, so it has the lens at the largest aperture, but it won't change from that. Have you tried it outside (during the day)? My D40 shows the aperture and shutter speed that it has chosen, then I can turn the dial one way or the other and it shows the *P (which lets you know you have deviated from its suggestion) and the new aperture/shutter speed combo.

If your daughter understands the camera a bit, she should be fine in aperture priority.

 

[Fleetwood271]

As I said earlier, the only thing I can think is that the scene in which you are using the camera in P mode is dark, so it has the lens at the largest aperture, but it won't change from that. Have you tried it outside (during the day)? My D40 shows the aperture and shutter speed that it has chosen, then I can turn the dial one way or the other and it shows the *P (which lets you know you have deviated from its suggestion) and the new aperture/shutter speed combo.

If your daughter understands the camera a bit, she should be fine in aperture priority.

Yeah, I doubt that she will ever use P Mode much anyway. I always use A, S, or M on my D90. I am just trying to get to the bottom of her question as to why the numbers don't change in P.

No, actually I have not had a chance to go outside in the daylight and try it. I gave it to her late yesterday, and she asked me the question after dark. She got up early this morning to go back to her home in VA. I'll call her after work tomorrow and have her try it outside.

Thanks for your advice. I appreciate your help.

 

[Destin]

In P mode you can change the aperture/shutter speed, it just gives you a base from which to work.

I agree - You can change aperture and shutter. The camera just gets to control the combination. In A, you pick the aperture and the camera picks the shutter. In S, you pick the shutter and the camera picks the aperture. But in P, everything I have read says the camera picks both. And if you don't like what it picks, you can turn the dial and it will pick another combination of the two for you. It will always pick two that will work together to get you the best possible exposure.

However, my question is why can you not see what the aperture and shutter speed change to, when the dial is turned? All I get is the asterisk showing that they changed. I have no way of knowing what they changed to.

I just pulled out my d40 to try this and got the same result as you.

BUT...being as familiar with the camera, and what it's responses mean, I have come to a conclusion. When in P mode, you cannot change the aperature/shutter speed combination, the camera selects it for you and gives you no control over it. Basically when you rotate the dial, and the camera gives you the "P*" symbol (both on the screen and in the viewfinder) it is simply telling you that it is in P mode, and therefore you cannot change it.

When you are turning the dial, nothing is actually changing.

Regardless of what the books say, this is what both of our cameras are doing, and therefore what the books must be wrong.

Try it on your D90...what does it do?

the only control the d40 gives you over exposure in P mode is iso, and exposure compensation

 

[Fleetwood271]

I just pulled out my d40 to try this and got the same result as you.

BUT...being as familiar with the camera, and what it's responses mean, I have come to a conclusion. When in P mode, you cannot change the aperature/shutter speed combination, the camera selects it for you and gives you no control over it. Basically when you rotate the dial, and the camera gives you the "P*" symbol (both on the screen and in the viewfinder) it is simply telling you that it is in P mode, and therefore you cannot change it.

When you are turning the dial, nothing is actually changing.

Regardless of what the books say, this is what both of our cameras are doing, and therefore what the books must be wrong.

Try it on your D90...what does it do?

the only control the d40 gives you over exposure in P mode is iso, and exposure compensation

OK - I just got out my D90 and tried it in P Mode. Guess what? Same thing. So at least I know that my daughter's camera is working properly, even if I don't quite understand it at this point.
On the D90 in S Mode, the rear dial changes shutter speed. In A Mode, front dial changes aperture. In M Mode, same. But in P Mode, it's just as the D40 - An asterisk appears beside the P to show that the original has been changed, but the is no indication either on the screen or in the viewfinder of what the new settings are, if in fact there are new settings.

I'll try my D90 outside tomorrow and see if anything is different.

Thanks!

 

[Fleetwood271]

As I said earlier, the only thing I can think is that the scene in which you are using the camera in P mode is dark, so it has the lens at the largest aperture, but it won't change from that. Have you tried it outside (during the day)? My D40 shows the aperture and shutter speed that it has chosen, then I can turn the dial one way or the other and it shows the *P (which lets you know you have deviated from its suggestion) and the new aperture/shutter speed combo.

If your daughter understands the camera a bit, she should be fine in aperture priority.

You were exactly right! I tried the P Mode outside today and it worked like described in all the books. When you turn the dial, both the shutter speed and the aperture change. They always change as a pair, so that you would never end up with a combination that would give you a bad exposure.
Ken Rockwell really seems to like this mode.
Personally, I'll stick with A, S, and M.

I was just trying to answer the question my daughter asked me.

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[Moe]

Glad you got it solved.