So I got me a D3100 kit, and the handbook leaves a bit too whish for. Does anyone here have a D3100 and can explain to me two or three of the quirks I have found upto now? Would be much appreciated.
Ah Thanks! First: I've set it to auto-Iso in the menu. this works great, it achanges the iso, as I can see when I look at the data from the pictures afterwards. On the backplane however, it always shows the "default" Iso (100), and Auto-Iso isn't selectable (greyed-out). At the same time, it shows "auto-Iso" in the viewfinder. So: Auto Iso is on, active, working and shown in the viewfinder, but the backplane shows 100 Iso. and I haven't found a way for it to show me what Iso setting the Auto-Iso is using, while it's using it. Is this normal? Second: When photographing in at night, at a certain point it goes into long exposures. However it doesn't show how long these long exposures are, it just displays "Lo" Is there a way to have it show the exposuretime used? Again, you can find out looking at the picturedata after you took it, but I'd like to know how long not to touch the camera while it doing a long exposure. Thx!
This is totally normal. The reason is that the camera doesn't know the ISO until the moment of capture. So it seems pointless to have a variable flickering around and wasting computing and battery power when it was one you didn't need to see anyway. When you let variables float in the exposure programing, they are calculated on the fly, but not finalized until the moment the image is made. The aperture and shutter is displayed because it was already coded into the firmware, from way back. Auto-ISO is a recent firmware addition. Solution? stop using Auto ISO or limit it's range in the menu. The maximum exposure time any Nikon can do with out an external release or the bulb setting is 30 seconds. That being said, what mode are you on? A,S,P? Guide mode? Scenes? Unless you are on Manual, you are asking the camera to make if not all, then some of the choices for you. The "lo" you see is just the metering. It's not what the sensor can see. Metering works by comparing the scene it sees to a table in memory. The table comprises of "ideal" scenes. While this is helpful, it tends to want you to do what it thinks is the right thing to do. And that isn't always what you want, or what the camera can do. With S and A, you set one (with Auto ISO) or 2 variables and it takes care of the other. So it assumes you don't really need to see the actual speed and just shows "lo" after a certain point (which honestly I don't know). The D3100 was designed for people who wanted a dSLR, but didn't really want to figure out how to use one. Hence the "guide" modes. If you want to know how long your exposures are, use the M or S setting....or simply assume they are all 30 seconds and don't touch the camera for that time.
Thank you. For explaination, I'm used to an old tiny Pentax, it only exposes upto 4 seconds but at least it tells me that it does. I have to pick the Iso by hand as well though. Both were seen on "P" mode when trying to shoot a night. According to the manual, it goes up to 30sec exposure (which should suffice for any given light except pitch black or starlight) but it is a bit annoying that it doesn't show what time it uses, so I can't decide to use a tripod/bean bag or not. (the VR SHOULD make holding it upto 1/8th possible, but I doubt I'm that good) The camera not having a "night mode" so it knows I don't mind long exposures, I guess the only thing to do is go to "S" and flip through the available iso's. Hmmm. I need to fiddle around with it a lot more, but that's what I got it for. again, thanks! She: I like long walks in the park Him: I like long exposure's in the dark never mind...I want to go home and play with the camera!!!!
I would start with M, TBH. See the metering is looking at the whole scene and trying to match a pattern in memory. It wants a nice histogram. This is great when there is enough light. At night it breaks down, IMO. It sees more black and not enough light. But that's often what you want. So, until you completely understand what the CAM1000 AF module likes to do, stick with Manual. I really have no issue with the various auto modes, provided you understand what the camera is doing and why. All to often people get into the habit of thinking the light meter is "correct" rather then taking the image they want.
I got a D3100 just recently. I always bought a book from amazon, This book to be precise. Has been of use to me, as a complete beginner to D-SLR. It covers the extras that the manual fails to cover in depth.
They're kidding me... Not even M mode lets me turn the flash off, nor do P,S or A Only when in "Auto Mode" (where you cannot fiddle with ISO), or some of the "Scene" modes (where you cannot access Whitebalance) can the flash be turned off. Yeah Nikon, why would I want to adjust Whitebalance or Iso when shooting at night... Strange, the D40 did this...hmmm Edit: My bad...you really cannot turn the flash mode to "no flash" in P,S,A and M ...but the flash isn't raised automatically So by just not raising the flash...it's "Off". The Handbook doesn't mention this though. So I found out how to take pictures at night, without flash, while fiddling with ISO and Whitebalance. It only shows all this information in M, but hey... Thx for the quick replies!
I stopped that when I noticed the Pentax meter set the camera at least as good as I set the praktica according to the meter before The point in using the meter is forcing it to produce the results you want Hence the example of fiddling with iso, to make a full-auto mode camera make long exposures It's just growing pains, the Nikon can probably do all I want, including the full-auto for quick snapshots. I'd just hoped I wouldn't have to revert to the complete manual mode I left behind when I transitioned to digital all these moons ago. The "Lo" display in "P" mode still bothers me, once I lock focus and Exposure, at least it could show me the exposuretime
Why not just stick to Aperture mode. That's what I use and just dial in plus or minus exposure compensation.
I would suggest a trip to Ken Rockwell's site for Nikon menu help! I have always fixed what was wrong with my pictures / menus by reading through his straightforward guides! Miles better than the manual! http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3100/users-guide/index.htm
I have before buying this been getting some nice shots slowly, I really need to toy a lot in manual mode. Still don't get why it doesn't show me the light settings while exposure is locked though. I use the "FN" button to set Iso, but auto-iso overrides. Shame auto-iso isn't added to the iso selection list triggered by the "fn" button.
Turn Auto ISO off and set ISO manually is the only way to lock the ISO. It's in the "shooting menu" I think.
oh it is... ust strange that I put iso on the FN button, but to use it i have to go rummaging in the settings. (as Auto Iso is greyed out from selecting) This greyed out makes me think someone wanted to do it right...select a given Iso OR auto-iso using just the one button.
