exposure compensator

S

sam49

Senior Member
Hi guys I am just playing with my new D5100 and I have just noticed something and I don’t know if it was there before.

When I have the camera on and I press the (I) button near the green dot on the right hand side the screen at the back lights up and with the aperture and speed settings and just below that there is the exposure compensator slide and it is fully over to the right hand side the – side. And just stays there flashing

Then if I point the camera to the light the exposure compensator goes back to the middle. Then as I move back to a dark part of the room it goes back to the right again.

I have done the two button reset but nothing changes

Has anybody got any ideas please?
 
Last edited:
S

sam49

Senior Member
I have also noticed that when I take a photo with the live view enabled as soon as the photo is displayed on the screen right at the bottom on the right the exposure compensator is fully over to the right again.

I know the room light is not very bright but I don't think is have seen this before

Help
 
R

Rexer John

Senior Member
What is the main dial set to?
If you're in Manual setting and using auto ISO mode, the ISO will auto adjust and the meter will stay around the middle until you get to the minimum or maximum ISO, then the meter will run off to the edges.

If auto ISO is off and you are in manual mode, the meter will run left and right as brightness changes.
In A mode, the meter will stay around the middle as the shutter automatically varies for a correct exposure.
Again when you get to minimum or maximum shutter speed the exposure meter will run off.

All depends on the main dial setting and any auto ISO changes.
 
S

sam49

Senior Member
Rexer John said:
If auto ISO is off and you are in manual mode, the meter will run left and right as brightness changes.
In A mode, the meter will stay around the middle as the shutter automatically varies for a correct exposure.
Again when you get to minimum or maximum shutter speed the exposure meter will run off.
Click to expand...

That must be the reason I have tried in (Auto) (A) (P) (S) modes and the same things happen the meter runs off to the right and then if I point towards a brighter light the meter goes back to the centre.

It is worse in (A) (P) with manual iSO but if I increase the ISO the meter does not move as much, so I guess its the lack of light in my room, I will try it outside tomorrow.

SO this meter moving about as the light increases or decreases is normal, its just I have not seen it before.
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
You might want to get the manual out and give it another read. While you are reading it have the camera in hand and go thorough it page and move each dial and button and see what it does WHILE YOU ARE READING. There is also probably a thread here in the forum that gives you a good starting point for shooting.
 
SkvLTD

SkvLTD

Senior Member
If you're just talking about the, light/exposure meter (do they call it exposure compensator?) then its perfectly normal. Point it towards where you set the settings to be about in the middle and it'll stay there under that lighting. Go too dark and it'll just show you that your settings will be extremely underexposed if you shoot there. Same with too much light, it'll shift all the way to the left.
 
Last edited:
S

sam49

Senior Member
Thanks SkvLTD
Thanks for the advice so it looks like my camera is working ok after all its just I had not seen that happen before.

Ok Tracksoft in answer to your post I don't know what kind of a manual you get with your Nikon but when I bought my D5100 camera in the uk I did not get a printed manual but a PDF file on a cd that I think is the manual but as the CD is faulty and the shop I bought the camera from (Jessops) has ceased trading in the uk I do not have a manual to sit and read. I would have thought I would get a printed manual in the box but not in the uk.

So any learning I need to do I have to ask.
 
SkvLTD

SkvLTD

Senior Member
You could just, download that PDF mate. Other than that, try learning by trial and error. If it looks funny, but works alright, then its probably not important.
 
Top