Okay photo gurus, I need help! I set my camera to manual, 30sec, ISO 800, f/3.5, using my 11mm lens on my Nikon D90. With my intervalometer, I set it so that my camera would take the 30second photo and then start another all night long.

At two points during the night, the images got incredibly dark (but not totally black, there was a star and my neighbor's window still visible) for about 3-5 minutes and then the images came back. The data for the dark photos show no data for for the f-stop or focal length! Any ideas?? The camera was not touched at all during the night. Anti-noise feature was turned off.  Shutter count is 138,000.

In Photoshop, it says: f/>1024, Lens 0.0mm f/0.0

The dark photo and the light photo were 30 sec apart.



Here are the same 2 photos with the top one adjusted to show that there really is an image in the dark one:



EXIF Data:

File Name DSC_6162.JPG
File Size 2.1 MB
File Modification Date/Time 2020:01:16 01:58:57+08:00
File Access Date/Time 2020:01:16 01:58:57+08:00
File Inode Change Date/Time 2020:01:16 01:58:57+08:00
File Permissions rw-r--r--
File Type JPEG
File Type Extension jpg
MIME Type image/jpeg
Exif Byte Order Big-endian (Motorola, MM)
Make NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model Name NIKON D90
Orientation Horizontal (normal)
X Resolution 300
Y Resolution 300
Resolution Unit inches
Software Ver.1.00
Modify Date 2020:01:03 21:32:23
Y Cb Cr Positioning Co-sited
Exposure Time 30
F Number 0
Exposure Program Manual
ISO 800
Exif Version 0221
Date/Time Original 2020:01:03 21:32:23
Create Date 2020:01:03 21:32:23
Components Configuration Y, Cb, Cr, -
Compressed Bits Per Pixel 4
Exposure Compensation 0
Max Aperture Value 1.0
Metering Mode Center-weighted average
Light Source Tungsten (Incandescent)
Flash No Flash
Focal Length 0.0 mm
Maker Note Version 2.10
Quality Fine
White Balance Incandescent
Focus Mode Manual
Flash Setting Normal
Flash Type
White Balance Fine Tune 0 0
WB RB Levels 1.1796875 2.09765625 1 1
Program Shift 0
Exposure Difference +2.7
Compression JPEG (old-style)
Preview Image Start 10204
Preview Image Length 6482
Flash Exposure Compensation -2
ISO Setting 800
Image Boundary 0 0 4288 2848
External Flash Exposure Comp 0
Flash Exposure Bracket Value 0.0
Exposure Bracket Value 0
Crop Hi Speed Off (4352x2868 cropped to 4352x2868 at pixel 0,0)
Exposure Tuning 0
Serial Number 3338321
VR Info Version 0100
Vibration Reduction Off
VR Mode Normal
Active D-Lighting Off
Picture Control Version 0100
Picture Control Name Standard
Picture Control Base Standard
Picture Control Adjust Default Settings
Picture Control Quick Adjust Normal
Brightness Normal
Hue Adjustment None
Filter Effect n/a
Toning Effect n/a
Toning Saturation n/a
Time Zone -08:00
Daylight Savings Yes
Date Display Format M/D/Y
ISO Expansion Off
ISO Expansion 2 Off
Lens Type MF
Lens 0mm f/0
Flash Mode Did Not Fire
Shooting Mode Single-Frame
Shot Info Version 0213
Firmware Version 1.00i
ISO2 800
Light Switch LCD Backlight
AF Area Mode Setting Auto-area
Center Focus Point Normal Zone
AF Assist Off
AF Point Illumination Auto
Focus Point Wrap No Wrap
AE Lock For MB-D80 AE/AF Lock
MB-D80 Battery Type LR6 (AA alkaline)
Beep Off
Grid Display On
ISO Display Show Frame Count
Viewfinder Warning On
No Memory Card Release Locked
Screen Tips On
File Number Sequence On
Shooting Info Display Auto
LCD Illumination Off
Easy Exposure Comp Off
Reverse Indicators + 0 -
Exposure Control Step Size 1/3 EV
Center Weighted Area Size 8 mm
Fine Tune Opt Matrix Metering 0
Fine Tune Opt Center Weighted 0
Fine Tune Opt Spot Metering 0
CL Mode Shooting Speed 3 fps
Exposure Delay Mode Off
Auto Bracket Set AE & Flash
Auto Bracket Order 0,-,+
Func Button FV Lock
OK Button Select Center Focus Point
AE Lock Button AE/AF Lock
Command Dials Reverse Rotation No
Shutter Release Button AE-L Off
Metering Time 6 s
Remote On Duration 1 min
Self Timer Time 10 s
Self Timer Shot Count 1
Playback Monitor Off Time 10 s
Image Review Time 4 s
Menu Monitor Off Time 20 s
Shooting Info Monitor Off Time 10 s
Flash Shutter Speed 1/60 s
Internal Flash TTL
Manual Flash Output Full
Repeating Flash Output 1/32
Repeating Flash Count 10
Repeating Flash Rate 10 Hz
Flash Warning On
Commander Internal TTL Comp 0
Modeling Flash Off
Auto FP Off
Commander Group A TTL Comp 0
Commander Group B TTL Comp 0
Live View AF Wide Area
Noise Reduction Off
WB GRBG Levels 256 302 537 256
Lens Data Version 0204
Exit Pupil Position 0.0 mm
AF Aperture 1.0
Focus Position 0x00
Focus Distance 0.01 m
Lens ID Number 0
Lens F Stops 0.00
Min Focal Length 5.0 mm
Max Focal Length 5.0 mm
Max Aperture At Min Focal 1.0
Max Aperture At Max Focal 1.0
MCU Version 0
Effective Max Aperture 1.0
Retouch History None
Image Data Size 2112846
Shutter Count 136929
Flash Info Version 0103
Flash Source None
External Flash Firmware n/a
External Flash Flags (none)
Flash Commander Mode Off
Flash Control Mode Off
Flash Compensation 0
Flash GN Distance 0
Flash Color Filter None
Flash Group A Control Mode Off
Flash Group B Control Mode Off
Flash Group C Control Mode Off
Flash Group A Compensation 0
Flash Group B Compensation 0
Flash Group C Compensation 0
Vari Program
Multi Exposure Version 0100
Multi Exposure Mode Off
Multi Exposure Shots 0
Multi Exposure Auto Gain Off
High ISO Noise Reduction Off
Power Up Time 2020:01:03 20:21:10
AF Info 2 Version 0100
Contrast Detect AF Off
AF Area Mode Single Area
Phase Detect AF Off
Primary AF Point (none)
AF Points Used (none)
Contrast Detect AF In Focus No
File Info Version 0100
Memory Card Number 0
File Number 6162
Retouch Info Version 0100
User Comment
Sub Sec Time 00
Sub Sec Time Original 00
Sub Sec Time Digitized 00
Flashpix Version 0100
Color Space sRGB
Exif Image Width 4288
Exif Image Height 2848
Interoperability Index R98 - DCF basic file (sRGB)
Interoperability Version 0100
Sensing Method One-chip color area
File Source Digital Camera
Scene Type Directly photographed
CFA Pattern [Green,Blue][Red,Green]
Custom Rendered Normal
Exposure Mode Manual
Digital Zoom Ratio 1
Focal Length In 35mm Format 0 mm
Scene Capture Type Standard
Gain Control Low gain up
Contrast Normal
Saturation Normal
Sharpness Normal
Subject Distance Range Unknown
GPS Version ID 2.2.0.0
Thumbnail Offset 16844
Thumbnail Length 2239
Image Width 4288
Image Height 2848
Encoding Process Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
Bits Per Sample 8
Color Components 3
Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling YCbCr4:2:2 (2 1)
Auto Focus Off
Blue Balance 2.097656
Image Size 4288x2848
Lens ID Manual Lens No CPU
Lens Spec 0mm f/0 MF
Megapixels 12.2
Red Balance 1.179688
Shutter Speed 30
Create Date 2020:01:03 21:32:23.00
Date/Time Original 2020:01:03 21:32:23.00
Modify Date 2020:01:03 21:32:23.00
Focal Length 0.0 mm


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