My Photos are always dark?

M

MMartucci

New member
Hi

im fairly new to photography and i want to get into macro photography. I was researching online and i was told to use an aperture of around f11, however, when i do this and try to take a photo the pictures are always really dark

Can anyone help me to solve this problem, i use a nikon d3200 with the standard 18-55 lens, i also have a 55-200 lens

Thanks
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
MMartucci said:
Hi

im fairly new to photography and i want to get into macro photography. I was researching online and i was told to use an aperture of around f11, however, when i do this and try to take a photo the pictures are always really dark

Can anyone help me to solve this problem, i use a nikon d3200 with the standard 18-55 lens, i also have a 55-200 lens

Thanks
Click to expand...


Well, "really dark" is not a very detailed description. The questions is, are you using a correct metered exposure? Or are you simply setting f/11, without regard to metering?

Or rather, are you using like camera A mode, so that when you set f/11, it can slow the shutter to still be the correct exposure? Metering should work the same for macro as for other use. However, stopping down to f/11 may need more light.

We don't know much about your situation. Ideally, posting a problem photo with the Exif data still in it would be ideal, but sometimes that is a problem to do.

So, it would help knowing your camera mode (P, A, S, M?) and knowing your ISO and shutter speed and f/stop, and what kind of lighting? bright sun? Indoors, flash or not? etc.

Please tell us some things. Ideally, to be able to be much help, we would like to hear a description of your procedure, and details of why you think it ought to be the right exposure. :)
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
What Wayne said is correct. That is the problem with following what someone said like shoot at F11. You have to look at each and every shot and see what you need. Higher Aperture is good since it will give you a better Depth of field but you have to compensate with slower shutter speed or Higher ISO. That is determined by your light meter built into the camera.
 
E

evan447

Senior Member
exposure compensation is recommended in the instruction manuals of most macro lenses as at macro distances light falls off a little. this is also the reason most f2.8 macro lenses cannot obtain largest rated aperture at these distances.
 
W

WayneF

Senior Member
evan447 said:
exposure compensation is recommended in the instruction manuals of most macro lenses as at macro distances light falls off a little. this is also the reason most f2.8 macro lenses cannot obtain largest rated aperture at these distances.
Click to expand...

True, but that is not why it might be dark.

This compensation is fully automatic in Nikon macro lenses. Metering works fine as is. It is the reason they cannot do f/2.8 at 1:1, but 1:1 depth of field needs like f/16, you would never consider 2.8 anyway. :)

You will still see it a little of it some, like for example a 105mm VR macro used for tabletop. On a DX camera, this is like 160mm telephoto (effective comparison). So you probably have to back off to about 7 feet to get the little table top scene in. And around here is where you may see f/3 or f/3.2, instead of f/2.8. But again, it seems unlikely we would consider such a wide aperture then. The lens does make corrections, it maybe become f/3, but it is still fully and accurately metered. No problem.
 
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