Reading the meter for a Digital SLR?

[ALittleDisneyFan]

I hang my head in shame... I am just not understanding how to read my meter for my digital SLR.

For my non-digital, it is a peice of cake..

Advice? Tips? I have a Nikon D50

 

[robertchance]

Did you read your manual? And wow, if i understand what you r not saying, you spent good money for an advanced camera without having a basic understanding of photography? Ok, the way past that issue is to take a basic class in your town. Go to a real photo store and ask them for that info, they will probably be able to give it to you. Minus that, try the local nite classes your town probably has. Go to a bookstore or your library and get a good book on basic photography, there are dozens out there. And good luck and have fun learning.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Are you talking about the exposure meter or the histogram?

Mikeeee

 

[ukcatfan]

Did you read your manual? And wow, if i understand what you r not saying, you spent good money for an advanced camera without having a basic understanding of photography? Ok, the way past that issue is to take a basic class in your town. Go to a real photo store and ask them for that info, they will probably be able to give it to you. Minus that, try the local nite classes your town probably has. Go to a bookstore or your library and get a good book on basic photography, there are dozens out there. And good luck and have fun learning.

First, I am not trying to flame you at all, but I think we should find out a little more on what the OP is talking about before we suggest going to take classes. This is a support forum and just telling them to go educate themselves is not very supportive. I doubt that you would like someone responding to your questions that way. It sounds to me like the OP comes from the film SLR world and may have an understanding of photography, but not the aspects of it that digital introduced. We simply need to know more before we can offer assistance.

Things have been pretty upbeat and without conflict since a certain person was removed for the DIS. We do not want to fall back into that negativity.

Kevin

 

[ALittleDisneyFan]

Did you read your manual? And wow, if i understand what you r not saying, you spent good money for an advanced camera without having a basic understanding of photography? Ok, the way past that issue is to take a basic class in your town. Go to a real photo store and ask them for that info, they will probably be able to give it to you. Minus that, try the local nite classes your town probably has. Go to a bookstore or your library and get a good book on basic photography, there are dozens out there. And good luck and have fun learning.

Well actually - I was in college for photography. I had not taken a digital photography class yet, and could not until I bought a digital SLR camera... As it turns out, due to a personal situation I was unable to take that class.

Yes - I did try reading the manual and did not quite understand it...

 

[robertchance]

ukcatfan, i do not feel that what you said was a flaming thing so don't worry about that,, i do understand your position and i respect your opinion, but i still feel hands-on classes are the best way to educate

 

[handicap18]

I'll see if I can take this one, especially as I have a D50.

The meter in the view finder will only show itself in M, A and S modes. This is because in all the other modes the camera chooses all the relevent settings (except P where you choose the ISO, then the camera chooses everything else based on what it sees).

On the bottom of the view finder from left to right (lets use S for starters) you will see the following information:
*The diagram for focus section (which of the 5 spots the camera will focus on)
*Shutter Speed
*f/stop
*#of remaining exposures on your media card

Now, if the camera feels there is an acceptable f/stop available for the shutter speed you chose it will display that f/stop. If the camera feels there is not an acceptable f/stop the it will display either HI or LO along with the meter. You then need to adjust the shutter speed appropriately to get one of the "correct" exposures. The same would be true if you choose A (aperture priority).

If, in either mode, there is no possible way an appropriate reading can me made it will only show HI or LO, it wont show the meter. This may happen for example in aperture priority. Your maximum f/stop at 70mm is f/4.5 and the camera feels that there isn't acceptable shutter. It looks as though (in my little unscientific experiment) that it wont go below 1/20th. You'll then have to switch to Manual and use the meter. It seems as though the camera is telling you that you shouldn't hand hold the camera below 1/20th (total speculation on my part, but it sure seems that way)

In M (manual) it will show the shutter and f/stop and will always show the meter.
On the meter in this case you will see 0 with + to the left and - to the right. To get a "correct" exposure based on the meter you only want 1 bar to show. That is the 1 bar that will always show, directly under the 0. Any other bars to either side of the 0 and you have to adjust your shutter and/or aperture appropriately.

If you see all the bars showing to one side or the other and the meter is blinking that means that you are either way way over or way way under exposed based on the setting you have chosen.

You might also see the flash symbol blinking, meaning it is suggesting you use the flash in this situation (I'm guessing that is the case, haven't noticed it blinking when outside)

I'm giving this information based on looking through the view finder as I'm typing this out. I haven't read the manual recently, but I do use the meter quite often as I'm using shutter and aperture priority a lot more (especially aperture priority).

Hope this info helps.

 

[Groucho]

On my DSLR and I believe for most, the meter is displayed as a number rather than something like a needle or similar on a 35mm camera. "0" is a correct exposure, "1" is overexposed, "-1" is underexposed, etc. They go in 1/2 or 1/3 steps usually (sometimes configurable in the menus.) Your manual should tell you where you can read that.

Generally I think it's much easier to let the camera meter than to do it yourself. Even in full manual mode, there's usually some sort of AE/L button that meters and sets things to what it thinks they should be, you can then adjust that info if you don't like with it comes up with.

 

[jann1033]

I'll see if I can take this one, especially as I have a D50.

The meter in the view finder will only show itself in M, A and S modes. This is because in all the other modes the camera chooses all the relevent settings (except P where you choose the ISO, then the camera chooses everything else based on what it sees).

On the bottom of the view finder from left to right (lets use S for starters) you will see the following information:
*The diagram for focus section (which of the 5 spots the camera will focus on)
*Shutter Speed
*f/stop
*#of remaining exposures on your media card

Now, if the camera feels there is an acceptable f/stop available for the shutter speed you chose it will display that f/stop. If the camera feels there is not an acceptable f/stop the it will display either HI or LO along with the meter. You then need to adjust the shutter speed appropriately to get one of the "correct" exposures. The same would be true if you choose A (aperture priority).

If, in either mode, there is no possible way an appropriate reading can me made it will only show HI or LO, it wont show the meter. This may happen for example in aperture priority. Your maximum f/stop at 70mm is f/4.5 and the camera feels that there isn't acceptable shutter. It looks as though (in my little unscientific experiment) that it wont go below 1/20th. You'll then have to switch to Manual and use the meter. It seems as though the camera is telling you that you shouldn't hand hold the camera below 1/20th (total speculation on my part, but it sure seems that way)

In M (manual) it will show the shutter and f/stop and will always show the meter.
On the meter in this case you will see 0 with + to the left and - to the right. To get a "correct" exposure based on the meter you only want 1 bar to show. That is the 1 bar that will always show, directly under the 0. Any other bars to either side of the 0 and you have to adjust your shutter and/or aperture appropriately.

If you see all the bars showing to one side or the other and the meter is blinking that means that you are either way way over or way way under exposed based on the setting you have chosen.

You might also see the flash symbol blinking, meaning it is suggesting you use the flash in this situation (I'm guessing that is the case, haven't noticed it blinking when outside)

I'm giving this information based on looking through the view finder as I'm typing this out. I haven't read the manual recently, but I do use the meter quite often as I'm using shutter and aperture priority a lot more (especially aperture priority).

Hope this info helps.

good job
...and i have to commend you, i can't think of one post where i recall you taking pot shots at any poster, present or past
my only gripe with you being...what's with the sept photo assignment...it's almost nov ( and i never follow sports... unless cat racing counts ( that's a"t" not a"R")

 

[handicap18]

good job
...and i have to commend you, i can't think of one post where i recall you taking pot shots at any poster, present or past
my only gripe with you being...what's with the sept photo assignment...it's almost nov ( and i never follow sports... unless cat racing counts ( that's a"t" not a"R")

Thank you for the kind words Jann.

Cat racing! TOO FUNNY! Those would make some GREAT pictures!! Maybe you could make little outfits for them with different numbers so we'd know who was who!!

Yeah, I dropped the ball on this months assignment. I'll start a new one up again next week or this weekend maybe if the kids (or DW for that matter!) give me a chance.