 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| PhotoKB HomeDiscussion Groups Digital Photography Digital PhotoDSLR CamerasZLR CamerasPoint & Shoot CamerasFilm Photography 35 mmLarge FormatMedium formatDarkroomFilm and LabsOther EquipmentPhoto Technique Nature PhotographyPeople PhotographyTechnique GeneralGeneral Photo Topics General TopicsAustralian PhotographyUK PhotographyDirectoryPhoto Clubs |
Photo Forum / Digital Photography / DSLR Cameras / March 2005Nikon D70 / Dark Exposures
Every tiime I "test drive" the D70 at the camera shop the photos come out on the dark side. Today I had the camera guy take some and even he agrees they are on the dark side by about 1 or 2 stops. He switched to manual metering from auto or pattern mode. The results were a bit better. Does anyone else have this problem? I would like some suggetions and advice on this situation. Thanks Pyrite / > Every tiime I "test drive" the D70 at the camera shop the photos come out > on the dark side. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Does anyone else have this problem? Everybody! > I would like some suggetions and advice on this situation. Many dslr's have this problem(?). The idea is to get good exposures without blowing out the highlights, and then "develop" the RAW image in Photoshop, or another software program. The way around it is to either change some of the settings in the camera to lighten your images, or download into the camera, via Nikon Capture, "curves" that make your images look more like they came from a point and shoot camera. It's a tradeoff, but by dowloading a curve into my D70 I'm more pleased with the jpg images I'm shooting now. The easiest trick is to simply increase the exposure by about 2/3rds of a stop. This setting will hold until you change it back. Also, to use these settings you must use the "P" program mode. Using the A (automatic) mode will often give you the least desirable images. It's often known as the "waiter" setting, as you can hand the camera to anyone with this setting and they will get an image that close enough. My opinion is that when you move up to a dslr you have to start thinking like you are using a high-end 35mm camera, and not a simple point and shoot. This Web site should help http://fotogenetic.dearingfilm.com/custom_tone_curves.html and there are a lot more Web sites like it. >My opinion is that when you move up to a dslr you have to start thinking >like you are using a high-end 35mm camera, and not a simple point and shoot. No offense, but you're asking for something equivalent to your Sony's sunset mode to use with your D70 in another thread. Which is? ---------- Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com) See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html >>My opinion is that when you move up to a dslr you have to start thinking >>like you are using a high-end 35mm camera, and not a simple point and shoot. > >No offense, but you're asking for something equivalent to your Sony's >sunset mode to use with your D70 in another thread. Which is? ////////// No. You have me mixed up with someone else here. I saw that "sunset "post as well. Not me though. My question is about the D70 only and dark exposerres. Pyrite / >>>My opinion is that when you move up to a dslr you have to start thinking >>>like you are using a high-end 35mm camera, and not a simple point and [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Pyrite / I'm the one who posted the question about sunset images with my D-70. Not sure what this has to do with the original question in this post, however. Sheldon >>>>On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 17:51:23 -0700, in rec.photo.digital.slr-systems >>> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >>>No offense, but you're asking for something equivalent to your Sony's >>>sunset mode to use with your D70 in another thread. Which is? >I'm the one who posted the question about sunset images with my D-70. Not >sure what this has to do with the original question in this post, however. You're giving advice that you specifically are going against with your own post on the sunset thread. Does practice what you preach have any meaning to you? ---------- Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com) See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html >>>>>On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 17:51:23 -0700, in rec.photo.digital.slr-systems >>>> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > post on the sunset thread. Does practice what you preach have any meaning > to you? Okay, I hope we are communicating here. In my original thread about the sunset I asked for tips regarding shooting sunsets. What I learned is what I thought, that I just have to experiment 'till I find what works for a particular situation. My Sony just had a setting for sunset that worked every time. In a previous thread I couldn't understand why my shot of the moon, after several bracketed attempts, was taken at basically the same exposure you would use for daylight. Jokingly, someone said "You'd think the moon was lit by the sun." To be quite honest, it didn't sink in until I got that message. What I'm learning, and trying to pass on, is that you have to experiment a lot with a new dslr, and not just use the camera like a point and shoot. I recently was working with a client who couldn't understand why her shots of a garden show looked so terrible on her computer. Had me going for awhile, until I realized that she was using 256 colors instead of a higher setting. Still, most of her shots were on the dark side (brand new D70). Using curves in Photoshop we were able to make the flowers look pretty damn good. I then explained to her that we could import a similar curve right into the camera. While I wasn't thinking when it came to the A does not equal Automatic, I think the advice and the Web site was pretty good, and thank all for the corrections. > Also, to use these settings you must use the "P" program mode. Using the > A (automatic) mode will often give you the least desirable images. Well, it might give you the least desirable images because it isn't "automatic" mode, nor anything close to that. It's Aperture Priority. > It's often known as the "waiter" setting, as you can hand the camera to > anyone with this setting and they will get an image that close enough. No, that's what "P" mode is.  SignatureJeremy | jeremy@exit109.com >> Also, to use these settings you must use the "P" program mode. Using the >> A (automatic) mode will often give you the least desirable images. > >Well, it might give you the least desirable images because it isn't >"automatic" mode, nor anything close to that. It's Aperture Priority. He means the "AUTO" mode... the "P" mode is programmable auto... >> It's often known as the "waiter" setting, as you can hand the camera to >> anyone with this setting and they will get an image that close enough. > >No, that's what "P" mode is. No, 'waiter mode' is the 'AUTO' setting... Here are all the settings: AUTO is fully automatic including flash. (point and shoot) P is programmable auto S is shutter priority A is aperture priority M is full manual You can do almost anything in P mode if you turn the adjustments dial on. >>> Also, to use these settings you must use the "P" program mode. Using >>> the [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > You can do almost anything in P mode if you turn the adjustments dial on. My mistake. Sorry about that. Hey, at least I got the P right, and I thought the Web site was pretty good. Sheldon I >Every tiime I "test drive" the D70 at the camera shop the photos come out on the dark side. > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >Pyrite / I have noticed this also to some degree with my D70. I have read somewere that Nikon tends to purposely set their metering to slightly underexpose. So if you metered a scene with an 18% grey card with a D70 and some other brand, and compared the shots, the D70 would really be thinking the 18% card was more reflective (or brighter) and would "underexpose" accordingly. Thom Hogan, in his digital book Complete Guide to the Nikon D70" says that the D70 can retain a fair bit more detail towads the dark end of the exposure as compared to the bright side. In other words an over-exposed image will be harder to correct (because it has lost information) compared to a somewhat underexposed image (where that information is recoverable). Ken Nikon has made some interesting decisions in setting up the in-camera software, which includes metering, in the D70. I presume this is to maximize the data that this latitude-challenged sensor can deliver while trying to minimize noise. The D70 is indeed set to what many would consider "under-exposure" if you think in film terms: with a digital sensor you can get info out of the shadows but highlights completely blow out (worse than transparency films) with no usable data. The D70 is also set to limit sharpening at default jpeg settings and increase saturation in parts of the spectrum, presumably in ways the engineers decided would appeal to most users but also tend to disguise moire and other problems the D70 sensor is prone to. However the choices fixed in the JPEG algorithms are, in my experience, not what I would choose when processing a RAW image. In fact I have never been able to manipulate a RAW image to be identical to its in-camera jpeg version ever (tripod mounted camera, only the in-camera processing differs between the RAW and jpeg image) in terms of color and saturation. My advice: keep your hands in your pocket and wait for the next generation Nikon consumer dSLR. I wish I had. > Nikon has made some interesting decisions in setting up the in-camera > software, which includes metering, in the D70. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > My advice: keep your hands in your pocket and wait for the next generation > Nikon consumer dSLR. I wish I had. Nikon has been in the photo business a long time. Don't you think any dslr camera they make will have the same exposure theories they use on many of their other dslr's? > Nikon has been in the photo business a long time. Don't you think any dslr > camera they make will have the same exposure theories they use on many of > their other dslr's? Yes; if you're used to Nikons, you won't notice any "underexposure" problem. I haven't. SignatureJeremy | jeremy@exit109.com >> Nikon has been in the photo business a long time. Don't you think any >> dslr [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > problem. > I haven't. I hear ya, but the meter on my old F broke a long time ago, and the cameras worked so well I never upgraded to the newer models. So, I never had a chance to experience Nikon's exposures. Just used a hand meter or winged it. I expected the D70 to look nice and snappy like my Sony point and shoot. Even the auto white balance on the Sony was pretty amazing. Never had to take it off automatic, even with mixed lighting. But, it's a tradeoff, and I'm starting to get some amazing images with the new Nikon. I think people want a "point and shoot" setting on these high-end cameras. They just have to understand it's a tradeoff. > I expected the D70 to look nice and snappy like my Sony point and shoot. See, there's the thing. What is "nice and snappy"? What to you means "nice and snappy" might mean "over-processed and ruined" to me. When I see people complaining about metering problems, I wonder, what are they defining as "correct"? My Sony point-and-shoot makes nice, snappy pictures, too -- but it also blows highlights like there's no tomorrow to do it. That might be a "correct" exposure for certain people or certain applications, but I don't want my SLR acting like that. > I think people want a "point and shoot" setting on these high-end cameras. > They just have to understand it's a tradeoff. On the other hand, I can't imagine why someone would *want* a point- and-shoot setting on these high-end cameras. If I'm using it, it's because I'm making the picture, not asking the camera to do it. SignatureJeremy | jeremy@exit109.com >> Nikon has been in the photo business a long time. Don't you think any >> dslr [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > problem. > I haven't. Neither does my Pentax Spotmeter or my Nikon F100's spotmeter, or my Sekonic L358 flashmaster incadescent meter. They all gave the same reading under a couple of different lighting conditions. I was just checking the pentax spotmeter's accuracy, so I didn't try a million times under different lighting, or anything, but was pleasantly surprised to see them all within 1/3 of a stop. SignatureRegards, Matt Clara www.mattclara.com > Every tiime I "test drive" the D70 at the camera shop the photos come out on the dark side. > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Pyrite / I use both the 20D and the 1D MKII Canon cameras. I use Canon's 550EX and 580EX speedlites (mostly indoors). My shots would generally be underexposed about 3/4 to 1 stop. There are times when I would purposely underexpose to avoid blown highlites, as would be seen in the cameras monitor. When making flash adjustments, the cameras histogram may or may not be seen as being an ideal histogram. No problem. The dark side has information than can be brought out by adjusting the photo level and/or curve. If the scene has black areas, naturally photo information will not be captured. But it's best to err on the dark side than to have blown highlites where there's no information or you don't want blown highlights. If the under exposure has become a problem that you feel is troublesome, just adjust the speedlight to a +1 and use that setting. But I do think it would be better if you could learn to eyeball a scene and decide accordingly. There will be times when you're not using a speedlite you still would have to make an exposure adjustment in the camera to suit the scene you're trying to capture. Another (fail safe) way is to set your camera to bracket your shots and set the bracket range from -1 to +1. Don't select the shot that looks good in the monitor. Select the shot that looks good in the histogram. > Every tiime I "test drive" the D70 at the camera shop the photos come out on the dark side. > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Pyrite / Yes I do with flash pictures. I bought a Speedlight 800 and that did not fix it. It has been suggested that I create some custom curves and load them into the camera. >> Every tiime I "test drive" the D70 at the camera shop the photos come out >> on the dark side. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > fix it. It has been suggested that I create some custom curves and load > them into the camera. Somebody posted a Web site awhile back that a whole bunch of photos on it, same shot, each using a different curve. It was very educational. Remember that you can only load one curve at a time. Would be cool if you could load several. > ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet > News==---- > http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ > Newsgroups > ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption > =---- |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.