Nikon D5100 problems

[marcdax]

So what do you call a pro level tripod ? a 250$ manfrotto ?
this one is taken with the same tripod as the picture above
10 sec , f5 , iso 100

I can even top that one ,
shutter 30 sec , f13 , iso 100

But here's my question :
Why doesnt the camera take the correct ISO ? No one can explain it.
If i take a picture on the S , no good.
If i take a picture on the A , no good.
Even if i don't understand , which i do for 80% , i could do these things wrong , i totally agree on that.
But : On AUTO or other preset none of the pictures are sharp , so how does that come ? Like the Triumph one
I cant set anything wrong there.........so if you could explain that to me I would be very greatfull (As I am already with your tips).

 

[fjrabon]

because you have to change the ISO yourself. There's a little button on the left side of your camera, by the barrel that says 'fn' on it. Hold that button down, while turning your control wheel. This changes your ISO. For night shots you probably want to be shooting at ISO 800-1600. Unless you specifically want a long exposure.

You really need to learn how your camera works before declaring it broken.

 

[cgipson1]

YOU need to control the ISO.. and you need to know when, why and what ISO to use.

This also true of Aperture and Shutter Speed.

Using F20 at night is BAD... unless there is a specific reason for it. At night, for long exposures on tripod... use around 5.6 to F11.... F8 is a good compromise (also probably the SHARPEST Aperture you have). Also use a remote or the self time to actuate the shutter. Depending on the image quality you are looking for.... use ISO 100 if on a tripod.

If handheld, then pick an ISO/Aperture combo that gives you a shutter speed you can reliably hand hold without blur (Day or night)

 

[marcdax]

f7.1 , 1/125 , iso 1250 on daylight , what isn't right ?
the iso 1250 (i know) so how does it come it takes such a high iso ?
Other photo i took 5 seconds later :
shutter 1/60 , f36 and iso 1600 ?
next picture 10 seconds later :
shutter 1/160 , f36 , iso 1250 and LW -1.7 ?


Also as you think i dont know :
take a picture on S , set the time (atleast +1/60 handheld) and the camera will find the right Aperture
Take a picture on A , set the aperture and the camera will find the right shutter
And at last you (if it isnt on automode) you set the iso

 

[marcdax]

Okay cgipson , reason along with me :
my camera gave me at 13" an f29 which is to high at an iso 800 (that frjabon said also).
So if i lower my F , less light , so my shutter goes up ?
So if yes , i have an even longer shuttertime.

Another question :
Why does it say , in daylight , in 70% of the time i want to take a picture "object to dark". Not to mention in the dark , that's another reason i use more than 10" to take a picture
I was pointing at a duck in the grass in the middle of the afternoon (and yes my lenscap was off ) and yes "object to dark".
This afternoon i had this again , the lightmeter was complete to the right , so i tried to compensate with lighting went to the max5 , but still no go.

And thanks for the answers !! I know it's probably silly for you guys (and girls) but i just cant figure it out this camera (and my Olympus went like a breeze)

 

[fjrabon]

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

 

[MTVision]

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.

 

[cgipson1]

Okay cgipson , reason along with me :
my camera gave me at 13" an f29 which is to high at an iso 800 (that frjabon said also).
So if i lower my F , less light , so my shutter goes up ?
So if yes , i have an even longer shuttertime.

Another question :
Why does it say , in daylight , in 70% of the time i want to take a picture "object to dark". Not to mention in the dark , that's another reason i use more than 10" to take a picture
I was pointing at a duck in the grass in the middle of the afternoon (and yes my lenscap was off ) and yes "object to dark".
This afternoon i had this again , the lightmeter was complete to the right , so i tried to compensate with lighting went to the max5 , but still no go.

And thanks for the answers !! I know it's probably silly for you guys (and girls) but i just cant figure it out this camera (and my Olympus went like a breeze)

you have it backwards... a small number (i.e. f-stop 2.8 - Large Aperture) it lets more light in.. so allows a faster shutter speed. A large number (i.e F-stop 29 - Small Aperture) lets less light in, so needs a longer shutter speed.

a shot at F29 that required 1/4 of second, would be only require 1/60 of a second at F8 (100 ISO)

The same shot as ISO 800 would be F29 @ 1/30 of second... or F8@ 1/500 of second.

Does that make more sense?

Check this out Photographic Exposure Calculator for Available Light

also this Online Depth of Field Calculator

and this might interest you... F-number - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[MTVision]

because you have to change the ISO yourself. There's a little button on the left side of your camera, by the barrel that says 'fn' on it. Hold that button down, while turning your control wheel. This changes your ISO. For night shots you probably want to be shooting at ISO 800-1600. Unless you specifically want a long exposure.

You really need to learn how your camera works before declaring it broken.

You have to go into the menu and set the fn button to control your ISO. You really need to read the manual and learn about exposure. No idea why you are setting your shutter speed so slow, your aperture so small or your ISO so high. If you don't understand exposure then your pictures aren't going to come out right. There's more to taking pictures then just exposure - there is focusing (which some people have a hard time with), metering modes, and other things. The manual for this camera comes on a CD. Read it - it's like 300 pages and it is very easy to read.

 

[fjrabon]

because you have to change the ISO yourself. There's a little button on the left side of your camera, by the barrel that says 'fn' on it. Hold that button down, while turning your control wheel. This changes your ISO. For night shots you probably want to be shooting at ISO 800-1600. Unless you specifically want a long exposure.

You really need to learn how your camera works before declaring it broken.

You have to go into the menu and set the fn button to control your ISO. You really need to read the manual and learn about exposure. No idea why you are setting your shutter speed so slow, your aperture so small or your ISO so high. If you don't understand exposure then your pictures aren't going to come out right. There's more to taking pictures then just exposure - there is focusing (which some people have a hard time with), metering modes, and other things. The manual for this camera comes on a CD. Read it - it's like 300 pages and it is very easy to read.

For Nikons, the fn button controls ISO by default in ap priority and shutter priority modes. Unless he's somehow already changed that, he shouldn't have to change anything in the menus for that.

 

[marcdax]

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 0
So 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 nightshot
MTVision 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 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.

 

[marcdax]

For Nikons, the fn button controls ISO by default in ap priority and shutter priority modes. Unless he's somehow already changed that, he shouldn't have to change anything in the menus for that.

Uhm no , the FN button controls the selftimer, if I press it , I only change from S (single shot) to 10' timer

 

[MTVision]

For Nikons, the fn button controls ISO by default in ap priority and shutter priority modes. Unless he's somehow already changed that, he shouldn't have to change anything in the menus for that.

On the D5100 you have to set the fn button to ISO. It is set by default to the self-timer setting.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

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

Bye!

 

[fjrabon]

For Nikons, the fn button controls ISO by default in ap priority and shutter priority modes. Unless he's somehow already changed that, he shouldn't have to change anything in the menus for that.

On the D5100 you have to set the fn button to ISO. It is set by default to the self-timer setting.

Weird. When I demoed one it was set with the fn button to ISO control. Guess somebody had already switched it prior, though IThought I was demoing a fresh out of the box unit.