Wny do manual pictures come out dark, but OK in AUTO with same Shutter / Aperture?

[vintagesnaps]

For indoors room light 100 ISO probably wouldn't be a high enough amount of light sensitivity. Instead of using the auto settings as a guideline, using the meter readings might give you better settings.

 

[KmH]

Yep. Exposure is a triad of settings, not just 2.

Camera Exposure: Aperture, ISO & Shutter Speed

 

[serialteg]

I kindly thank you all for helping me out! I just found out how to make the ISO change on the DSLR. Seems like the jump from my last camera in 2007, a 35mm Minolta for my photography classes on the Cinema B.A., to finally a DSLR in 2013, was a trifle long! Now I know how to adjust myself like there is a roll of film on the camera. Mind you, I'm not 60, I'm 30! LOL

 

[480sparky]

Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D5100
Image Date: 2013-08-14 15:17:07 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 18.0mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)
Aperture: f/4.5
Exposure Time: 0.013 s (1/80)
ISO equiv: 400
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No (enforced)
Orientation: Normal
Color Space: sRGB
GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined
Software: Ver.1.01



Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D5100
Image Date: 2013-08-14 15:17:38 (no TZ)
Focal Length: 18.0mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)
Aperture: f/4.5
Exposure Time: 0.013 s (1/80)
ISO equiv: 100
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: Manual
Exposure Mode: Manual
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No
Orientation: Normal
Color Space: sRGB
GPS Coordinate: undefined, undefined
Software: Ver.1.01

 

[serialteg]

Here's a manual shot, now that I have the ISO down pat thanks to you guys!

 

[rlemert]

I can see where you might not consider ISO if you're coming from film to digital. With the former you set the ASA/ISO for the film you're using, then leave it alone until you insert a roll with a different value. With this background, it can be easy to forget that you can set ISO on a per-shot basis.

 

[hirejn]

Using EXIF, the AUTO shot has a EXP. MODE, ISO: (AUTO), 400

Whereas in Manual, EXP. MODE, ISO: M, 100

There's your answer. In manual the ISO was two stops below what auto had selected.

 

[bratkinson]

A super-easy way to think of ISO is it is the digital 'replacement' for film speed (aka: ASA). The exposure triangle has not changed...aperture, shutter speed, film speed(ISO). As mentioned above, ISO can be changed on a shot by shot basis. Also, the newer cameras are capable of unbelievably high ISO speeds relative to the fastest ASA film speeds of years past.

In my film days, I 'standardized' which film I used, and thereby automatically knew what was in the camera. Shooting exclusively slides, when I moved from Kodachrome 64 to Ektachrome 100, I thought I had made a giant leap. Some years later, Ektachrome 200 was the cats meow, and that became my 'standard' film for everything until I put the camera down in 1992. Today, shooting at ISO 6400 is mind-boggling, but I get good results with very little noise on my Canon 5D3.

 

[astroNikon]

Great replies guys/gals. I've been pulling my hair out over the past several months just challenging myself. I've always forgotten one thing or another. ISO on auto messing up the shot (as above), even playing with White Balance messes things up leaving it incandescent when outside. Once all my photos were blue because I had fiddled with the Picture Control. Every picture ended up like Smurf-city!! Now I make it a habit to check my ISO and WB all the time. These cameras seem certainly are more complex than the old N80 days.

 

[Solarflare]

Gna, somebody already said it ... whatever, ignore this posting.

 

[Diamonrush]

I was already thinking what is wrong!? But indeed.. it is your ISO setting. ;-)
With 400 ISO you got a lot more light than with 100. That explains the difference.

 

[480sparky]

I was already thinking what is wrong!? But indeed.. it is your ISO setting. ;-)
With 400 ISO you got a lot more light than with 100. That explains the difference.

Um, technically... no. The light is the same. Shooting at ISO 400 gave a correct exposure, shooting at ISO 100 underexposed the shot by 2 stops.