My DSLR Question

[Daniel The Cool 3,771]

I currently shoot with a Nikon D40x. I have the camera on 25 F5.6 set and most of the time it comes out a little too dark. so my question is there any way I can change it to take better subway pics and will come out a little bright?

 

 

Daniel

[Dave160 26]

Well, whats the lowest f/stop your lens can go to? Keep it at the lowest number. 1/25 may be too fast for underground shots with your settings, so use something slower. Also whats your ISO set on?

[SevenEleven 2,986]

Depends on where you're at.

 

If you need to use a fast shutter speed to capture something, the ISO needs to go up and the f.stop needs to go down a lot.

[Daniel The Cool 3,771]

My ISO is 800

[Dave160 26]

My ISO is 800

 

Well then bring your f/stop down to the lowest possible and try a slower shutter speed. Use ISO 1600 if you need to.

[bveguy 20]

Well, I use f/4.0, a shutter ranging from 1/50 to 1/80 and an ISO of 1600 for my underground shots.

[Y2Julio 206]

There's no "one setting for subway pictures" to rule them all. It all depends on your lighting and location. Read the manual that came with your camera, it's not there as a paperweight. Learn how to read the light meter in the viewfinder to adjust the aperture and shutter speed accordingly or if you're too lazy to do that, just leave the camera in AUTO, A or S mode. Take a look at the settings the camera chooses for you while in AUTO, A or S mode, then you'll start learning how to select the proper settings based on what you see the camera doing. You need to stop trying to "run". You need to first learn how to "crawl" before you can "walk" and then "run".

[Joe 781]

Evidently you don't know enough about the technical aspects of exposure in order to be properly using manual mode. I first suggest using Aperture-priority or Shutter-priority mode to learn ballpark figures for certain EV levels. The cameras matrix meter isn't perfect, but if you look at the settings it selects, you can begin to visualize what exposure settings different scenes will call for. Even still, digital is very forgiving, you can be pretty wildly off with exposure and still have a salvageable image. Compared to slide film, digital is pie.

 

Read the manual that came with your camera, it's not there as a paperweight

 

Dammit, and I kept thinking Nikon was sending me free toilet paper!

[INDman 414]

Read the manual that came with your camera, it's not there as a paperweight.

 

It's too light to be a good paper weight. I think I read mine once and I have not looked at it since. The best way to learn in my opinion, is just go out there take 3 shots, change the setting, take a few more, change the settings. On my D3000 with the settings I have, I can take over 800 shots. Go out there and fill up your card, see what looks bests and work off that. That's what worked for me, but judging by your shots you should really read the damn book.

[R68 Subway Car 254]

You must use a higher ISO level. Also, you might need a brighter lens like a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Nikon Lens. It will cost you about $478 (with tax). You can take underground train shots with that while the train is in motion if you combine a fast shutter speed, with a f/1.4 aperature, and a high ISO.

[Joe 781]

You don't need f/1.4 for the subway.

[Y2Julio 206]

Should probably pick up this great book. http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280461917&sr=8-1-spell

[553 Bridgeton 548]

It's too light to be a good paper weight. I think I read mine once and I have not looked at it since. The best way to learn in my opinion, is just go out there take 3 shots, change the setting, take a few more, change the settings. On my D3000 with the settings I have, I can take over 800 shots. Go out there and fill up your card, see what looks bests and work off that. That's what worked for me, but judging by your shots you should really read the damn book.

 

Thats what I did! I got a 4G memory card, went in my back yard and took a ton of pics and boom.

 

As for the light settings you need to find the lowest F/stop your camera can go to. Mines goes 2 F/3.5 and this is the result.

 

 

I dont remember the exact settings in manual I used but I did have ISO on 200. The higher the ISO the more grain you have. Keep the ISO as low as you can but at the same time trying to get it bright. If its not working for you then get a low light lens with a f/stop that goes as low as f/1.4, which will cost you some money.

 

Keep in mind just because we tell you a setting to use dont mean it will work for you. You have to input the data into the cam. There were times I used the same settings twice and got 2 different results.

[Y2Julio 206]

You must use a higher ISO level. Also, you might need a brighter lens like a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Nikon Lens. It will cost you about $478 (with tax). You can take underground train shots with that while the train is in motion if you combine a fast shutter speed, with a f/1.4 aperature, and a high ISO.

 

No you don't. I use a f/3.5-f/5.5 18-55mm lens and it works fine, same with my f/4-f/5.6 55-200mm lens.

[Y2Julio 206]

Thats what I did! I got a 4G memory card, went in my back yard and took a ton of pics and boom.

 

As for the light settings you need to find the lowest F/stop your camera can go to. Mines goes 2 F/3.5 and this is the result.

 

 

I dont remember the exact settings in manual I used but I did have ISO on 200. The higher the ISO the more grain you have. Keep the ISO as low as you can but at the same time trying to get it bright. If its not working for you then get a low light lens with a f/stop that goes as low as f/1.4, which will cost you some money.

 

Keep in mind just because we tell you a setting to use dont mean it will work for you. You have to input the data into the cam. There were times I used the same settings twice and got 2 different results.

Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION

Camera Model: NIKON D3000

Image Date: 2010:07:04 06:45:21

Focal Length: 55.0mm (35mm equivalent: 82mm)

Aperture: f/5.6

Exposure Time: 0.013 s (1/80)

ISO equiv: 200

Exposure Bias: none

Metering Mode: Center Weight

Exposure: program (Auto)

White Balance: Auto

Flash Fired: No