Longtime photographer new to Nikon - Probably a SIMPLE question. ARGH!

Boompa

Boompa

New member
Problem resolved- see update #8. ARGH! LOL!

Recently bought a D750 with four lenses: Nikon 24-70 f2.8, Nikon 85 f1.8G, Nikon 135 f2 DC, and Nikon 200-500 f5.6 VR. My background has been in Canon, Olympus m4/3 and some Fuji--never Nikon.

In fooling with the first three lenses- no issues but I've run into a frustrating issue with the 200-500. With the camera set on "Auto" everything is fine, but in choosing Aperture priority I end up with dark or even black images.

I've googled, read the Nikon manual and studied Darrel Young's "Mastering the Nikon D750" but I'm obviously missing something simple?!?!

What SEEM to be the relevant settings I've chosen are as follows:

ISO sensitivity settings: 100 (AUTO is greyed out)
Auto ISO sensitivity control ON
Maximum sensitivity 12,800
Minimum shutter speed 1/125.
High ISO NR NORM

So... every image with the 200-500 is grossly underexposed.

Any help would be appreciated and any "you're a dumbass" are undoubtedly deserved! LOL!

Thanks in advance for responses to my first post.

Steve
 
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SteveH

Senior Member
Welcome to the forum!
The 200-500 shouldn't behave dramatically differently to other lenses and it sounds weird that only in Aperture priority you are having problems... I assume setting different apertures in manual mode works ok? And that with the lens off the camera you and move thee aperture control on the back of the lens and see the aperture blades open / close?
 
Boompa

Boompa

New member
Photography is a humbling experience... especially when you are tackling a new camera system as complex as the Nikon D750. (Sigh)

AS IT TURNS OUT... I should have been reading less and examining the camera more. I SOMEHOW (no- I have NO idea how!) dialed in a grotesque amount of exposure compensation and as any properly operating camera should- it believed me and the D750 did as it was instructed! <Go figure>

I was so busy studying the myriad of menus and proper set-up that I missed the OBVIOUS over and over again. Never ASSume anything, right?

SO... as I was sure was the case: OPERATOR ERROR! DOH!

Thanks for the welcome. I'm sure I'll have lots more (dumb) questions. LOL!

ALL of this adventure began after wanting to add a full-frame system after spending the last several years with the Olympus system- which I love for it's size and IQ but as you know it's NOT the same as FF. (I'll be keeping both systems as I have 3 bodies and 8 or 9 Olympus lenses.)

In the past, my full-frame experience was with the Canon 5D (original body) and a variety of Canon glass but I found in particular i enjoyed their 135mm f2 for portraits... along with the various Canon 85mms. (I owned both the 1.2L and the 1.4). BUT... after reading the reviews of the new D750 and comparing the price with the latest 5D Canon bodies I jumped into Nikon. I'm finding the 135 f2 DC a fascinating lens with much to explore. I opted for the less expensive 85mm f1.4G and bought the 24-70 for a walk-around lens and the big 200-500 because we live on a lake with lots of eagles, gulls, etc.

ANYWAY... that's more than anyone wanted to know. I began exploring photography with an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic w/ 50mm f1.4 lens in 1968- ALMOST 50 years ago my first year in college.

OK... back to exploring the new toys. Thanks again,

Steve
 
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480sparky

Senior Member
Changing the EV has nothing to do with the lens. It will effect all lenses the same. If it's just the 200-500, there's still an issue somewhere.
 
Boompa

Boompa

New member
480sparky said:
Changing the EV has nothing to do with the lens. It will effect all lenses the same. If it's just the 200-500, there's still an issue somewhere.
Click to expand...

Yes, Sparky. Of course you're right. But here's what happened... I think. The other three lenses came and I did some preliminary experimentation with all of them- no issues. THEN, a week or so later the 200-500 arrived and I began working with it... WHILE I was continuing to read/study/tweak the menu settings. SOMEWHERE in there I dialed the exp/comp and the 200/500 went dark... obviously. DUH! I never went back after that to re-establish the proper exposure of any of the other 3 lenses. At least I THINK that's what happened.

NOW it's time to begin taking photographs instead of fooling around. If there's still a problem it will rear its ugly head soon enough and I'll be back, embarrassed again.

THANKS,

Steve
 
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Somersetscott

Senior Member
Hello! Welcome aboard!

I have lens envy already! 200-500mm nice!

Exposure compensation trips me up regularly, I forget I've dialled it in! haha! I have never gone '+' always '-' values with the D750.

Anyway good luck! :smile:
 
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