Overexposure on outdoor shots using Nikon D3000

Mangerton

Hi there

I recently purchased a Nikon D3000 and I need a little help. When I take outdoor shots, the pictures are overexposed regardless of the settings that I use. Has anyone experiienced this and how do I adjust the camera settings to avoid it? Not sure what I am doing wrong!!!

Thanks a million.

Slidinginfinity

Show us a photo. Makes it a lot easier to tell what is going on.

AnCatDubh

Need more info. What mode / what settings / have you tried manual mode? It can be real easy to underexpose to pure black with manual mode in the *right* pair of hands (like mine )

Or as slidinginfinity says, throw up a photo with the exif intact (should be in the jpg out of camera).

Thecageyone

Yup, would need to see the exif data, and are you using Manual mode or an auto-setting?

You want to be using full manual mode or Exposure priority. On very bright days you'd want to be using shutter speeds of 1/200+ and even then you'll want narrow apertures.

Mangerton

Hi All

I have attached the jpeg from the camera. The picture was taken in auto mode. I get similar results with scenery mode.

I have 2 lenses. The original 18-55mm kit lens and a sigma 18-200mm lens. Outdoor shots do not seem to be working for me.

Thanks for the help.

Martron

you have to adjust the exposure settings to 0 looks like its a set a bit high. not familiar with that camera but if you look throught the eyepiece there will be a bar possibly with -2 --0--+2 on it you will need to set this to zero in auto mode.

the should be a button with a square with a + and - with half the square diagonally filled in . press that and move the cursor to zero. i hope this helps

Thecageyone

That's strange, I downloaded your jpeg and looked at the properties. Auto mode set the exposure to 1/200, with an aperture of f/7.1 @ ISO 100 - It should not look that over exposed.

You didn't shoot in bracketing more by any chance? That would give you 3 - 5 similar shots , some under exposed, some normal and some over exposed [mostly used for HDR pics] Is there anything on the LCD that looks like a tiny camera icon, with layers behind it? Are you only getting one shot at a time like this?

[edit] didn't see your message while posting Marton, but that could be it.

Mangerton

There is a bar with a + ---0--- - and it seems to be set to the '-'.

I'm not too sure how to change it. +/- button seems to be a shift button to move between aperture and shutter speed in the manual mode.

Martron

- would make it darker.

maybe if you press the menu button and you are looking for Ev and select that and put it to zero.

Thecageyone

try shooting in manual mode, that +/- when on should change ap/exp, on my cam it's up and down on direction pad to change exp and left right to change aperture. click the +/- button again will exit those options.

Is there a way to reset the camera settings back to default? You may have changed an option somewhere when playing with it that you're overlooking?

Martron

if its only a new camera and you dnt mind losing your manual settings you could try a factory default reset which would be in system settings

nilhg

I don't know nikons but could the metering be possibly set to spot or center weighted?

Martron

found it!
the exposure compensation button is beside the shutter release realease button

http://eu.dummies.com/how-to/content/nikon-d3000-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html ( scroll down a bit and you will see the button marked exposure compensation)

press that and you should adjust it then.

P.s. i am not calling you a dummy ha ha

Thecageyone

That's what i would do [obviously make sure you don't have a card in at the time with pictures on it or you'll lose them]

But settings are constantly being changed and easy to set again. but if a reset doesn't fix the issue, I'd be looking for the receipt to take it back to the shop!

drunkmonkey

there's an active d lighting setting on the nikon, I think if you turn it off it might fix the problem, does the picture look ok on the screen display but only look over exposed when you transfer it to the computer?

Mangerton

It looks over exposed on both the screen and the PC.

There is an active D and it was on. I have just turned it off so hopefully that will help.

I also went into the the Shooting menu and reset the shooting options. Hopefully this will put it back to the factory settings!!!!

enda1

Hold the two buttons down together with the two green dots and it should reset all these type settings. Takes about 5 seconds I think.

pete4130

I think its preferable to leave the Active D lighting set to low (not sure if there is that option on the D3000?) as you then have the option, if shooting in RAW to turn it off in post processing.
If it is set to "OFF" you don't have to option to turn it on. It can be useful for boosting shadow detail if you want to.

Mine is always set to "LOW" and I generally shoot to underexpose by 1/3 or 1/7 of a stop to compensate for it. I'd rather have the option of using it later if I need to.

That's just my personal preference though.