D3200 S mode clicking black/blank photos

G

gurvinder21

New member
Hi all
I am a newbee to the world of DSLRs and i recently bought my first DSLR i.e D3200.
I am getting used to the different modes, but only thing i noticed is when i use the S mode, the photos are all black/blank. its like completly black. pitch dark. its like viewing a blank photo. their is nothing in their actually.
is there some setting that i am missing. i kept the shutter speed to 1/500 and tried with lower shutter or higher shutter speed. it just produces the same blank/black photos in this mode.

Also i noticed that, If i take photo of the light bulb it only displays the light bulb, all area around it is pitch dark in this mode.

Thanks
 
Bob Blaylock

Bob Blaylock

Senior Member
gurvinder21 said:
Hi all
I am a newbee [sic] to the world of DSLRs and i recently bought my first DSLR i.e D3200.
I am getting used to the different modes, but only thing i noticed is when i use the S mode, the photos are all black/blank. its like completly [sic] black. pitch dark. its like viewing a blank photo. their [sic] is nothing in their [sic] actually.
is there some setting that i am missing. i kept the shutter speed to 1/500 and tried with lower shutter or higher shutter speed. it just produces the same blank/black photos in this mode.

Also i noticed that, If i take photo of the light bulb it only displays the light bulb, all area around it is pitch dark in this mode.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I assume you're using the 18-55mm lens that came with your camera, and that you're taking these pictures indoors? If the lighting in your home is anything comparable to that in mine, you're just not going to get decent pictures therein at 1/500.

I just now experimented with my D3200, in S mode, at 1/500 of a second. With the ISO set to 100, I got exactly the same results you report—if I take a picture of a light, the light shows up, but everything else just looks black. Cranking the ISO all the way up to 12800, I can get pictures where other objects are dimly visible.

The answer is that in indoor lighting comparable to what I have, 1/500 is just too short an exposure to get a decent picture with this camera and this lens. That's a speed to use in much better light, such as outdoors in sunlight. Or perhaps with a faster lens. In fact, just after writing that, I decided to put my ancient 50mm ƒ1.4 on, and see what I could get with it wide open, at 1/500.

Here it is, uncorrected, and corrected for white balance. ISO cranked all the way up to 12800, 1/500 of a second, ƒ1.4.

DSC_7117.jpg CSC_7118.jpg
 
D

Deezey

Senior Member
For indoors with a 50 f1.8 I am nowhere even close to 1/500. I am usually around 1/30 a second or even slower. And ISO around 800.

Interior lights to our eyes are fine, maybe even bright sometimes. But to a camera you might as well be in a cave. Just as an overcast day can look bright out, but you will be shooting with ISO's in the 400-600 range. (I use a D90 mind you).
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Welcome to Nikonites. I'd like to suggest that you start using your camera in "Auto" mode until you understand the basic "exposure triangle" that explains how ISO, Shutter speed and Aperture work. Here is a link to another website that explains quite well the basics.

link

In the description you made of your situation, it seems that you are using too fast of a shutter speed for the aperture of your lens and the iso you are using.

Good and happy learning.
 
G

gurvinder21

New member
Thanks guys for an overwhelming responses.
I will certainly try all the suggestions out and let you know.
For now i just tested a pic in daylight and now objects seems to be visible.
But i think it will be a good learning of setting aperture, exposures and shutter speeds

Best Regards
Gurvinder
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
gurvinder21 said:
Thanks guys for an overwhelming responses.
I will certainly try all the suggestions out and let you know.
For now i just tested a pic in daylight and now objects seems to be visible.
But i think it will be a good learning of setting aperture, exposures and shutter speeds

Best Regards
Gurvinder
Click to expand...

I'd like to suggest that instead of just trying all settings in different situations you should learn to understand how a picture is made. I don't know if you ever took pictures with film and missed pictures, but the same can happen with a digital camera if used with the wrong settings.

You should also read your camera's user manual with the camera in hand to know what does what in terms of different settings.

It's better to understand than just try to find a setting that you think will work. No setting will work in all light conditions. The thing with a camera is that it does not adjust to different light situations like our eyes do. You have to tell the camera to expose the sensor for a shorter or longer period of time in order for the image to register. This is what is all better explained in the links that were posted in previous posts.

Good luck.
 
Top