problem with nikon d3100?

[piccer]

hi
i just got my Nikon D3100 and was soo excited

it is shooting everything so nice (with and with out flash) in all settings

but when i turned the dail to M (manual mode) it is taking completely dark pictures. the room is well lit and my normal smaller cams takes nice pics with this light

i know nothing of DSLRs and this is my first one

so is this a problem or is there any setting i should try (im not sure how to do the settings thing also)

please some one help

 

[MissCream]

If your putting it in manual mode you actually have to manually adjust your settings. Your camera is not broken.

I was going to write a big long paragraph about aperture, shutter speed and ISO before I realized that your not going to understand any of it, which would have led me to writing a book. So I gave up, erased my paragraph and replaced it with this. Pretty pointless comment but I had already put time into answering your question that I had to post something.

I'm sure someone will just recommend reading the book Understanding Exposure.

 

[piccer]

thanks for the reply

so my cam even when pointed at the lights in the room takes soo dark pics that even lights look dim is this because of the reasons you mentioned ?

 

[MissCream]

Yes, if your camera is not properly exposed then even a laser beam could come out black. Google how to properly expose a picture

 

[OrionsByte]

In any other mode except for M, your camera is automatically doing something to compensate for whatever settings you're feeding it in order to get what it thinks is the proper exposure. In M (manual) mode, your camera will do nothing to help, which means if your settings are incorrect, you're not going to get a good picture.

1. Read your camera manual.
2. Do some internet research on "exposure triangle".
3. Read your camera manual again.
4. Enjoy your epiphany.

 

[Tyler Meyer]

Hey there! I got a Nikon D3100 (also my first DSLR) for Christmas, and after messing with it for about an hour, I started to pick up on many of the manual functions. The reason your pictures are coming out as dark when you set it to manual, is because when you switched it to manual, the ISO setting, by manual default, is set to 100, which means the lens is capturing the least amount of light possible. There are two solutions to this problem:

1.) You can change the ISO setting at anytime you want. To do this, hold the "Fn" button on the left side of your camera, and then use the dial that's almost directly above the viewfinder/LiveView switch, to change the ISO setting. A lower ISO value means the camera will take darker pictures. A higher ISO setting will make the picture lighter.

2.) You can set the ISO setting, even in manual, to auto, making everything you do manual, except the ISO setting. You do this by pressing the "MENU" button on your camera (To the left of the screen on the back), go to the Shooting Menu, then click the "ISO sensitivity settings" tab, then click "Auto ISO sensitivity", and turn it on.

Hope this helps!

 

[OrionsByte]

Hey there! I got a Nikon D3100 (also my first DSLR) for Christmas, and after messing with it for about an hour, I started to pick up on many of the manual functions. The reason your pictures are coming out as dark when you set it to manual, is because when you switched it to manual, the ISO setting, by manual default, is set to 100, which means the lens is capturing the least amount of light possible. There are two solutions to this problem:

1.) You can change the ISO setting at anytime you want. To do this, hold the "Fn" button on the left side of your camera, and then use the dial that's almost directly above the viewfinder/LiveView switch, to change the ISO setting. A lower ISO value means the camera will take darker pictures. A higher ISO setting will make the picture lighter.

2.) You can set the ISO setting, even in manual, to auto, making everything you do manual, except the ISO setting. You do this by pressing the "MENU" button on your camera (To the left of the screen on the back), go to the Shooting Menu, then click the "ISO sensitivity settings" tab, then click "Auto ISO sensitivity", and turn it on.

Hope this helps!

Wait wait wait wait wait wait stop.

That's a really easy way to take some really bad photos. Please do yourself a favor, don't go diving in to your menu to change default settings like that unless you really know why you're doing it. Switching to manual mode and then using ISO to control your exposure is... well it's just silly, and that's a really really kind way of putting it. But switching to manual and then setting the ISO to auto in order to get "good" photos? Wow. I'm sorry, that just blows me away.

Please read up on exposure, and specifically how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed all relate to each other. They all have very specific effects on how a photograph turns out, and you need to understand all that in order to use that camera, and especially manual mode, successfully. Once you've done that you'll laugh at yourself for that last post.

 

[SabrinaO]

Hey there! I got a Nikon D3100 (also my first DSLR) for Christmas, and after messing with it for about an hour, I started to pick up on many of the manual functions. The reason your pictures are coming out as dark when you set it to manual, is because when you switched it to manual, the ISO setting, by manual default, is set to 100, which means the lens is capturing the least amount of light possible. There are two solutions to this problem:

1.) You can change the ISO setting at anytime you want. To do this, hold the "Fn" button on the left side of your camera, and then use the dial that's almost directly above the viewfinder/LiveView switch, to change the ISO setting. A lower ISO value means the camera will take darker pictures. A higher ISO setting will make the picture lighter.

2.) You can set the ISO setting, even in manual, to auto, making everything you do manual, except the ISO setting. You do this by pressing the "MENU" button on your camera (To the left of the screen on the back), go to the Shooting Menu, then click the "ISO sensitivity settings" tab, then click "Auto ISO sensitivity", and turn it on.

Hope this helps!

Wait wait wait wait wait wait stop.

That's a really easy way to take some really bad photos. Please do yourself a favor, don't go diving in to your menu to change default settings like that unless you really know why you're doing it. Switching to manual mode and then using ISO to control your exposure is... well it's just silly, and that's a really really kind way of putting it. But switching to manual and then setting the ISO to auto in order to get "good" photos? Wow. I'm sorry, that just blows me away.

Please read up on exposure, and specifically how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed all relate to each other. They all have very specific effects on how a photograph turns out, and you need to understand all that in order to use that camera, and especially manual mode, successfully. Once you've done that you'll laugh at yourself for that last post.

????????
I don't think there was ANYTHING wrong with what Tyler said. As a beginner, switching the iso to auto would be one less thing has to worry about. Obviously he would also have to play with the aperture and shutter too but having the iso on auto I don't think it's a big deal, or as horrifying as you are making it out to be.

 

[Jcampbelll]

Read your manual. :gah:

 

[OrionsByte]

????????
I don't think there was ANYTHING wrong with what Tyler said. As a beginner, switching the iso to auto would be one less thing has to worry about. Obviously he would also have to play with the aperture and shutter too but having the iso on auto I don't think it's a big deal, or as horrifying as you are making it out to be.

It wouldn't be a big deal if they were posting and saying, "It seems like my shots are just a little underexposed when I'm in manual mode, but my aperture and shutter settings seem to be where they should be, what am I missing?" But that's not what they're saying. They're saying, "For some reason when I'm in manual mode and I point the camera at a LIGHT it comes out all dark." That's a problem that's easily resolved by changing the shutter speed or aperture, which they should understand before they're messing with Manual mode, and they shouldn't have to touch their ISO a bit. Putting ISO on auto just prevents them from learning things properly because it covers up any mistakes they're making with the other two settings.

My advice, besides read the manual, is to learn by using your camera in Av or Tv modes. In those modes, sure, leave your ISO set to auto, because you're just learning one variable at a time and how it affects your photos. If you want to leave Auto ISO on in Manual once you know what you're doing, fine, but using it as a fix for not understanding the aperture and shutter speed settings is foolish. Just my opinion.

Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but I just felt like Tyler's advice to Piccer was really not helping either one of them at all.

 

[sanpan]

I have to agree with OrionsByte here. Although changing the ISO is one solution but it is not the first solution which you look at.
Ideally beginners should always practice using the aperture or shutter priority modes rather than auto or Manual. Auto should be avoided because it doesn't help you learn much and Manual should be avoided as there are too many parameters to be set before taking a pic and it overwhelms the beginner.
So to remedy the situation, try to work in AP and let the camera set the shutter speed or work in SP and let the camera decide the aperture. This way you can learn how various settings make the picture look different and your pictures don't come out dark.
Let me finish by saying I don't own a DSLR but I have worked on my Canon Powershot S3IS using AP and SP with good results and learning experience....also in manual mode with disastrous results

 

[piccer]

Hi Orion
so kind of you posing as giving advice to the new fellas like me
Criticism is a good thing when its constructive, but what makes you laugh keep it to yourself

the txt in you message you highlighted in bold, yes i pointed at the light and tried to take some pics yes to see if the cam is working at all
and yes im a newbie and i thought this thread is for guys like me, if you see my other lines which you missed to see
i know nothing of DSLRs and this is my first one

so is this a problem or is there any setting i should try

try to help if you want to, dont just pose (cheese). Its just a start, Dont worry Orion ill be there soon enough.

and
Thanks rebecca, you are right, i would have been all confused .. had you posted all tech details and i should say i like your pics. nice ones

????????
I don't think there was ANYTHING wrong with what Tyler said. As a beginner, switching the iso to auto would be one less thing has to worry about. Obviously he would also have to play with the aperture and shutter too but having the iso on auto I don't think it's a big deal, or as horrifying as you are making it out to be.

It wouldn't be a big deal if they were posting and saying, "It seems like my shots are just a little underexposed when I'm in manual mode, but my aperture and shutter settings seem to be where they should be, what am I missing?" But that's not what they're saying. They're saying, "For some reason when I'm in manual mode and I point the camera at a LIGHT it comes out all dark." That's a problem that's easily resolved by changing the shutter speed or aperture, which they should understand before they're messing with Manual mode, and they shouldn't have to touch their ISO a bit. Putting ISO on auto just prevents them from learning things properly because it covers up any mistakes they're making with the other two settings.

My advice, besides read the manual, is to learn by using your camera in Av or Tv modes. In those modes, sure, leave your ISO set to auto, because you're just learning one variable at a time and how it affects your photos. If you want to leave Auto ISO on in Manual once you know what you're doing, fine, but using it as a fix for not understanding the aperture and shutter speed settings is foolish. Just my opinion.

Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but I just felt like Tyler's advice to Piccer was really not helping either one of them at all.

 

[Light Artisan]

Go to Nikons site and watch all of the D3100 Digititor info, it's VERY helpful for people new to the world of DSLR photography.

 

[piccer]

To Orions

Yes you are :thumbdown:

????????

Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but I just felt like Tyler's advice to Piccer was really not helping either one of them at all.

 

[Light Artisan]

In all fairness your newness doesn't qualify you to know if it was helpful or not. Using ISO for exposure compensation when other options (aperture, shutter speed) are not being utilized is usually not a good idea.