15 replies to this topic

[Zong]

While on vacation I didn't want to mess up any shots so I just set my D5000 to auto. The flash was firing every time which I thought was weird but figured the camera knew better than I. When I got home all my outside shots were over exposed. Is something wrong with the camera or did I change a setting that is overriding auto? thanks for any and all help.

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[banffdude]

Hi Zong

 

You say the flash was firing on every shot and you were definitely on Auto?

 

Had you used other settings before going on vacation?

 

If the flash is firing, then the system thinks there is insufficient light, the only thing I can think of that may operate outside of 'Auto' is 'Exposure Compensation'

 

If you select the +/- on top of your camera is it 0? if it reads anything other than that then the camera is deliberately adjusting exposure, because it has been told too.

 

The only other thing that I can think of is you exposure mode, are you using matrix metering or single point, if single point then if you were focussed at a very dark area (tyres?)  it could impact the image, however, I don't think exposure selection is taken into account on 'Auto mode', but I'm not sure, so thought I'd mention it.

 

We do have some smarter people around here than me, so if none of the above, they may have additional ideas or experience of this.

[banffdude]

Hmm I just found this.

 

As I never use full auto but generally Aperture priority so hadn't realised the following.

 

It appears the flash popping up may well be normal when using Auto mode. If anyone has access to a D5000 it would be nice to check and confirm the statement below.

 

'The camera's built in flash pops up automatically and fires whenever you snap a photograph, even in places (like a football-arena) where the subject is very far away and the flash is useless. This rule is in place to make sure you use flash in dark light. However, it only happens when the camera is in one of the point & shoot exposure modes. To override this behaviour, select one of these exposure modes: Manual (M), Aperture priority (A), Shutter priority (S) or Programmed auto (P).'

[Tony]

Hmm I just found this.

 

As I never use full auto but generally Aperture priority so hadn't realised the following.

 

It appears the flash popping up may well be normal when using Auto mode. If anyone has access to a D5000 it would be nice to check and confirm the statement below.

 

'The camera's built in flash pops up automatically and fires whenever you snap a photograph, even in places (like a football-arena) where the subject is very far away and the flash is useless. This rule is in place to make sure you use flash in dark light. However, it only happens when the camera is in one of the point & shoot exposure modes. To override this behaviour, select one of these exposure modes: Manual (M), Aperture priority (A), Shutter priority (S) or Programmed auto (P).'

I had and still have the same issues with my Nikon D70.  When I uploaded my photos from the first time using this camera, I could not believe my eyes.

Every shot was overexposed.  The Nikon D70 suffers from what is known as, "Limited Dynamic Range."  Again, I was in auto mode and trusting the meter readings, thinking this was my panacea for all ills.  I was definitely mistaken.  Having learned my lesson, I now shoot almost 100% in manual mode.  This seems to be more reliable, consistent and I believe it keeps me sharp by working the exposure myself.  I can and often do bracket the majority of my shots.  Also while in manual I utilize the Center-Weighted Metering which is much more accurate and reliable than Matrix/Program Mode.

I still believe that manual focus is best.  Auto focus at least with my camera, is very condition specific and often results in inaccuracies.  I do not know if this helps in any way, I certainly hope it does.

 

Rgds,

 

Antonio

[TBonz]

Not sure of the Auto mode you selected but one thought I had was that the particular mode doesn't override the ISO setting and the ISO was too high to get a usable shutter/aperture combo?  What were the settings on the image you posted?

 

Tony - I assume you are suggesting that you have a problem with autofocus?  I like accuracies in my images but not inaccuracies!  I have plenty of faults that I am able to cause by myself with my images...

[Tony]

Not sure of the Auto mode you selected but one thought I had was that the particular mode doesn't override the ISO setting and the ISO was too high to get a usable shutter/aperture combo?  What were the settings on the image you posted?

 

Tony - I assume you are suggesting that you have a problem with autofocus?  I like accuracies in my images but not inaccuracies!  I have plenty of faults that I am able to cause by myself with my images...

Admittedly I am not sure what you are implying.  Tony

[Tony]

Not sure of the Auto mode you selected but one thought I had was that the particular mode doesn't override the ISO setting and the ISO was too high to get a usable shutter/aperture combo?  What were the settings on the image you posted?

 

Tony - I assume you are suggesting that you have a problem with autofocus?  I like accuracies in my images but not inaccuracies!  I have plenty of faults that I am able to cause by myself with my images...

I have completed numerous experiments using auto focus and manual focus.  Same camera, same lens and same subject.  Each time the manual focus out performed the auto focus.  The proof is in the pudding as they say.  Also, I do not need to make excuses, I also have issues when trying to produce a well accepted photo.  Thanks for your comment.  Tony

[M.Beier]

Full auto is crap, use auto no flash if you dont like setting too much stuff

[dem]

The uploaded photo has all EXIF data stripped off, so we can only guess...

 

It is not the flash - the car and the building behind it are too far away to be illuminated by the flash.

 

It is not the "Limited Dynamic Range" - this would make the highlights too white and shadows too dark but would not affect the mid tones in any way. The image is clearly overexposed.

 

If exposure compensation was accidentally set to +1EV or something, this would have made all photos overexposed: both indoors and outdoors. Since only outdoor images were affected, it is not that. 

 

The most likely culprit has already been mentioned: the ISO was set to a high fixed value (e.g. ISO-1600 rather than Auto). So the camera closes the aperture as much as it can, chooses the fastest physically possible shutter speed but there is still too much light coming in for the chosen ISO.

[Merco_61]

The flash being on would limit the maximum shutter speed to 1/200 as that is the sync speed of the D5000 shutter. This makes me think Tom is right, at least until the OP returns and shares the EXIF info.

[Zong]

Thanks everyone for the input.

 

F-Stop: F/10

Exposure Time 1/200 sec

ISO Speed ISO-200

Exposure Bias: 0 Step

[dem]

Thanks for the EXIF data.

The camera is using its base ISO 200 (as it should), it is forced to use shutter speed 1/200 s because the flash is on, and then it decides to use aperture f/10 and overexpose the image by about one stop rather than close down the aperture to f/16 and expose the image properly. I am guessing that f/16 is too small for the autofocus to work and this is why the camera is avoiding this aperture.

It is worth checking the flash setting on the camera to see why the flash is firing. It seems however that the camera is unable to use fill flash on a sunny day without some help.

One solution would be to disable the flash, so the camera can access high shutter speeds like 1/1000 s.

If you need the flash in the sun, you can use a neutral density filter (either 2 or 3 stops will be ok) to reduce the amount of light coming through the lens.

You can also set ISO manually to ISO 100, which could have been just about enough to save the image above.

[Merco_61]

Program mode is a better "snapshot mode" than Auto for just this reason. You control the flash and can override the pair of shutter speed and aperture if the camera tries to do something you don't like. I don't understand why the lens isn't more stopped down, but the Nikon engineers might have some reason that we don't understand.

 

The shooting aperture doesn't affect the AF unless you use LiveView as the aperture isn't closed down until the mirror flips up, so that can't be the missing factor. I wonder if the programming takes diffraction under consideration and that might be why it avoids f/11 or higher in Auto?

 

I am a bit biased against the "helpful" modes as I haven't missed them on any of the bodies I have had that doesn't have them. In fact, I have never owned a Nikon with them at all as I got my first F4 rather than the F90 to replace my F801... Aperture priority, Shutter priority or Manual give me more control instead of leaving the decision making up to the camera. I can't remember when I last used even Program, other than to hand the camera over to someone inexperienced. 

[Ron]

Standard front lighted sunny day exposure should be f16 at the reciprocal of the film speed (or ISO) you're using. So, a lens set to F/10 is letting in way more light than it should. About 1½ stops. Clearly something is amiss. My guess is that the pop up flash is having a negligible effect on exposure but that's just a guess. I don't have any science to back that up. 

 

I agree that program would have been a better option here although I too rarely use it. 

 

--Ron

[Zong]

As an experiment I went out in the afternoon and took a shot in auto mode. The flash fired and the shot was overexposed. I switched the dial to scene mode Landscape took the same shot. The flash didn't fire and the shot was not overexposed. I had not had this problem the last trip and thought there may be a problem with the camera. Apparently I didn't have it on auto mode. So I guess the lesson is put in the work and learn the camera. Thanks for your patience. It appears I was the problem.  

[TBonz]

And this is a great place full of folks who will be happy to help you learn!  Glad you found the issue!