Question about new camera

[Ashmanarion]

If this completely does not belong here, someone please let me know and I'll delete it. I bought a Nikon D3000 today and I've been playing around with it(first DSLR). I've been taking pictures inside but the screen will say that the subject is too dark and I should use flash. It happened during late afternoon today with some decent light in the room and now with a lamp, tv, and laptop on. The pictures I managed to take in the afternoon seemed darker than they were in real life but that may just be my eyes. Also, the camera is showing the exposure compensator blinking and fully positive. I know I'm being really newbish about this but I'm just a little confused. If anyone could help I would fully appreciate it. Here are some pics to try and help describe what I'm seeing.

Picture of laptop from Nikon D3000

Picture of laptop from Canon Powershot SD1100 IS

Picture of Nikon D3000 Screen

 

[ssanders79]

What mode are you shooting in?
The setting shown are 1/320 @f5.6 @ISO 100 with matrix metering, is that what was used for the first image?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You will probably have to "go with the flow" in learning to use your new camera until you eventually figure out how it works.

It looks to me, given what it's "telling" you and the arrow to the right under the aperture reading of 5.6, that it wants you to increase your exposure compensation. (Nice feature, btw.) So do it and see what happens.

As you become more familiar with your camera, you'll find there are several ways to accomplish the same thing.

Taking a picture indoors using a kit lens without flash is often difficult with a dSLR, and different than using a point and shoot.

Welcome to the world of LOL. Just keep shooting.

 

[Ashmanarion]

I am using manual mode to get the feel of things a bit better. Those settings are correct ssanders. I realize that there are a couple things that point and shoot cameras seem to do easier than some DSLRs but it just seemed odd to me that my camera wasn't picking up as much light as I thought it should. Should increasing the aperture(I know lower f-stop) help with this? Sorry it is such a newbish thing, I've been reading the board for a couple weeks and thought I would be more okay than this when I finally bought my first DSLR hah.

 

[JoeDif]

I am using manual mode to get the feel of things a bit better. Those settings are correct ssanders. I realize that there are a couple things that point and shoot cameras seem to do easier than some DSLRs but it just seemed odd to me that my camera wasn't picking up as much light as I thought it should. Should increasing the aperture(I know lower f-stop) help with this? Sorry it is such a newbish thing, I've been reading the board for a couple weeks and thought I would be more okay than this when I finally bought my first DSLR hah.

When in manual mode you need to set aperture and shutter speed manually. In this case f5.6 is fine but your shutter speed is way too fast at 1/320. You will need to adjust it until that bar moves from the right (negative ) to closer to the center.

Under the same type of lighting try putting your camera in aperture priority mode, set the aperture to f5.6 and look at the shutter speed that the camera automatically sets. It might be 1/15, 1/8, 1/4 etc.

Don't feel discouraged, using a DSLR is a continual learning process

 

[ssanders79]

Congrats on using Manual mode so early!!! Your best friend right now is your camera's instruction manual. Read it and keep it handy for a while. Get to know what each button/setting can do for you. Better images will come as you master your camera.

 

[Ashmanarion]

Thanks a ton JoeDif! I hadn't thought about the shutter speed being too fast at all. In conditions inside the house today, I have it set anywhere from 1/2 to 1/10. I really appreciate the help and I know I'll need more.

 

[Ashmanarion]

Thanks ssanders! I really thought I was better prepared for using a DSLR but I've proved myself wrong. I look at all the beautiful stuff everyone here posts and automatically want to get that good but I know it takes lots of time.

 

[VVFF]

Consider raising your ISO. Your shots are going to be blurry at 1/2" exposure time if you don't have a stable surface.

 

[handicap18]

Picture of Nikon D3000 Screen

Shutter speed is WAY to fast. Its telling you the subject is to dark... lower your shutter speed.

If your going to shoot in Manual you need to pay close attention to the meter in your viewfinder.

Instead of Manual, you may want to use aperture priority or shutter priority. This way you still have some control over settings, yet the camera can also assist you. Or use Program. You can have control over what ISO you use and let the camera choose the shutter speed and f/stop. As you get more fimilar with exposure settings you can then change to aperture or shutter priority, or if you really want, Manual.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I have the 5000 and did the same settings you have set in the pic of the LCD with the same results. Bumped the ISO up to 500 and it looked pretty darn good.

 

[Groucho]

Don't feel like you have to use Manual mode... in fact, most of the time for the vast majority of people, it's more trouble than it's worth. Usually you only use it if you can't get what you want out of another mode. In manual mode, it will not make any effort to give you a good exposure, it's all up to you.

 

[JoeDif]

Don't feel like you have to use Manual mode... in fact, most of the time for the vast majority of people, it's more trouble than it's worth. Usually you only use it if you can't get what you want out of another mode. In manual mode, it will not make any effort to give you a good exposure, it's all up to you.

Ain't that the truth!! It seems that I'm in aperture or shutter priority about 75% of the time and use manual about 25%, shifting to M usually when I'm dealing with some crazy lighting situations or night time. Most times using A or S modes with exposure compensation works good for me.

I guess it is all up to the individuals shooting style.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Ain't that the truth!! It seems that I'm in aperture or shutter priority about 75% of the time and use manual about 25%, shifting to M usually when I'm dealing with some crazy lighting situations or night time. Most times using A or S modes with exposure compensation works good for me.
I guess it is all up to the individuals shooting style.

Me too! When I first started, I thought I would learn faster about my camera and how it all works if I forced myself to shoot M. I've only recently started shooting more in S and A modes and am now developing a better understanding of exposure and how it all comes together. I use M mainly for night shots and hard to get lighting situations as well...

OP don't feel bad. I made a lot of those kinds of mistakes in the beginning. I remember asking why my then new 50mm 1.8 lens wouldn't work with my D80. Ooops. I forgot to switch the Aperture switch...which I would never have figured out on my own! I remember taking a photo w/ that same lens and having it turn out black and wondering why. (ISO was too low.) It's all part of the learning curve...

 

[Ashmanarion]

I really appreciate all the help! I haven't had a chance to work with the camera since Sunday(being a grad student with 15 hours + internship + GA doesn't help), but I hopefully will this weekend. I definitely will start working in Aperture and Shutter priority modes like you folks suggested. Though I like manual because it gives me the freedoom, I don't know how to use that freedom yet hah.

 

[Groucho]

I really appreciate all the help! I haven't had a chance to work with the camera since Sunday(being a grad student with 15 hours + internship + GA doesn't help), but I hopefully will this weekend. I definitely will start working in Aperture and Shutter priority modes like you folks suggested. Though I like manual because it gives me the freedoom, I don't know how to use that freedom yet hah.

Manual mode gives you great power but also great responsibility - where have I heard that before?

The thing about manual mode is that if you're not getting the exposure that you want - you are forced to blame yourself. At least with the other modes, if things aren't as you want them, you can blame the camera.

 

[WillCAD]

Shutter speed is WAY to fast. Its telling you the subject is to dark... lower your shutter speed.

If your going to shoot in Manual you need to pay close attention to the meter in your viewfinder.

Instead of Manual, you may want to use aperture priority or shutter priority. This way you still have some control over settings, yet the camera can also assist you. Or use Program. You can have control over what ISO you use and let the camera choose the shutter speed and f/stop. As you get more fimilar with exposure settings you can then change to aperture or shutter priority, or if you really want, Manual.

I agree with all of that.

I also notice that the ISO is set to 100. 100ISO is for shooting in very bright situations like direct sunlight. For darker indoor situations, move the ISO higher. When I shoot indoor with no flash, I set my ISO to 1600 (and that's not always high enough to shoot with no flash, either!). When I shoot indoor with flash, I set ISO to 400.

For the moment, forget Manual mode. Set your camera to Program AE mode.

In P mode, the camera will select both aperture and shutter speed for you. You will still have to set the ISO, based on your situation, but figuing out how to set ISO first, and letting the camera do the rest, is a much better way to ease into learning photography than jumping directly into Manual mode.

ISO, shutter speed, and aperture are kind like those puzzles you play with as a kid, where you have 8 tiles ans one empty space, and you have to move them all around to get the tiles in the proper order - every time you move one, it throws the others ouot of whack, and you need to re-adjust them all.

So start in P mode first. Once you get the hang of choosing ISO (super-sunny and bright=100, moderately sunny=200, partly cloudy to early dusk=400, dusk to dark=800-1600, full dark=1600 or more), then you can try the semi-manual modes.

Av is Aperture Priority. You set the aperrure, the camera sets the shutter speed. I find this useful for playing with depth-of-field (which is the range of distance that stuff is in focus in the shot).

Tv is Shutter Speed Priority mode. You set the shutter speed, the camera sets the aperture. I use this one a lot to do things like freeze moving objects like running people and the spitting fountains at Epcot, and to soften moving water into that white frothy look.

I bet if you set the camera to P mode, set the ISO to 800 or 1600, and re-take that laptop pic, it will come out as well or better than with your old camera.