Subject too dark...

J-see

Senior Member
Is there some way to override the "too dark" warnings the cam shows whenever "it" thinks the scene is underexposed?

I've been shooting some during darker conditions and find that the cam itself is a bit hasty in considering a scene as underexposed. When I shoot at six in the evening this season, I don't require that shot to look like a sunny summer noon.
I can easily take it down some stops after the warning and still have a decent enough shot.

Anyone know if there are options to adjust it or do I just have to live with a cam nagging all night long?
 

singlerosa_RIP

Senior Member
Yeah. Find a menu item that let's you turn the blue flashing thingies off. :lemo:

What mode do you shoot (APSM)? What metering mode are you using? What are these "warnings"? What body do you have? Maybe someone has an easy fix, but I shoot manual and do not see warnings no matter how over/under exposed I am (other than on the exposure meter +..0..- ).
 

J-see

Senior Member
I usually shoot A or S and metering depends upon the subject.

It's not really the warnings that bother me but the fact that those warnings pop up a bit too early. I don't know what parameters the cam uses to decide when something is over or underexposed but I find the ones it uses a bit generous.

If I could adjust those, it'd be ok with any warning.
 

aroy

Senior Member
I checked on D3300. The message comes in S mode, once the meter cannot increase the aperture beyond its maximum value. In A mode it will just keep increasing the exposure time, till it hits 30sec and then starts blinking.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Yes but my problem is that I don't agree with what the cam considers correct exposure. Maybe it's because of a consumer model and they generally like everything to look like a bright sunshiny day but it's too bright when you compare it to the reality at the other side of the lens.

If there was any way to "correct" those settings, I'd know when it was really underexposed.
 

aroy

Senior Member
Yes but my problem is that I don't agree with what the cam considers correct exposure. Maybe it's because of a consumer model and they generally like everything to look like a bright sunshiny day but it's too bright when you compare it to the reality at the other side of the lens.

If there was any way to "correct" those settings, I'd know when it was really underexposed.
In that case all you have to do is to dial in -1EV exposure compensation. As far as I know, the camera will expose to what it thinks is correct, so you cannot get away from that, unless you use manual exposure.
 

J-see

Senior Member
I'm afraid I then have to live with a cam that doesn't know what "normal" exposure is and just tell it to stuff it when it tries to warn me. ;)I only use manual the few times I use flash too. I have very little need for it when shooting.
 

aroy

Senior Member
I'm afraid I then have to live with a cam that doesn't know what "normal" exposure is and just tell it to stuff it when it tries to warn me. ;)I only use manual the few times I use flash too. I have very little need for it when shooting.
In my case the camera exposes perfectly most of the time. I check the histogram (both in camera and on computer) and it is at the extreme right. It does over expose the RED component, so when I have a predominantly red subject - flower, brick wall, etc. Then I dial in -1EV. I have reconciled to the fact that life is not perfect, and I have to live with it dishes out.

The problem in my case at least is when I use the centre weighed or spot metering. There is no over exposure in matrix mode.
 

nickt

Senior Member
I agree with Aroy. Your camera is coming to a hard stop in S mode, it cannot open the lens any further to get proper exposure and thus gives you a warning. You say you are shooting darker scenes. I assume that you want your scene to look darker, just as you see it. Shooting a dark scene and wanting it to look as you see it does call for slightly underexposing it. And yes, the camera wants that scene to look bright and 'normal'. If the camera cannot achieve that bright daylight-looking picture because it is at a hard limit of aperture or shutter, you will get that warning.

Even though you are in a semi-auto mode like Shutter priority, you are in effect shooting manual by going beyond the warning. When you get that warning, you are stuck at your widest aperture and just manually upping the shutter to get the scene to darken and look as you see it. The cleaner technique is to use negative exposure compensation or just shoot manual.

It is easy to forget that you dialed in exposure compensation, ruining future shots. I prefer manual which is pretty much impossible to forget that you have it set. You can watch the meter and go slightly under to achieve a nice twilight scene.
 

J-see

Senior Member
The problem is indeed that the cam and I differ in opinion about what correct exposure is. I'm of the opinion correct exposure is the inside matching the outside. Maybe it's the trend these days but the inside is too bright to my liking. It's as if the ones programming those averages didn't bother that much with correct exposure and adjusted the standard to what they prefer as exposure. Or what they think the majority prefers.

It's indeed only in S and I do indeed overrule it. I could go manual but I can hardly imagine a good enough reason to do so. It works good enough until the lighting is low. Then it nags but apparently it's part of the package. I could use compensation but I prefer to do that afterwards. It makes no difference.

Thanks all for the replies.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Plenty of things you can do when you "disagree" with the camera.

1. Switch metering modes. If you're in Matrix go to Spot Metering, which will meter for your subject and not the entire frame.

2. Use Exposure Compensation. If you want it darker than the camera wants to make it then dial the Exposure Compensation down. I've had situations where I live at -1 or -1.3EV because it's blowing out my highlights with a subject in the shadows.

3. Bracket your shots. If you've got a difficult lighting situation put the camera in CH mode and set the bracketing for 2 shots with the second shot being either darker or lighter by an appropriate amount so you have two to choose from.

4. Screw the meter, use it only as a suggestion and shoot in Manual.

Who's the boss of whom, right? Take control of that thing.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
J-see..... What exactly do you mean "nags" ????????? It's a simple flashing icon....

If you take any college level/professional level photography courses, the first requirement is to turn off ALL automatic features.... After you learn to use the camera, and create correct exposures using NO LIGHT METER functions... will you understand the limitations of the automatic features... Nikon didn't make up what you're seeing last month...they're algorithms that have been developed long before you were alive....

If you want to take pictures that YOU control and approve of....then use Manual modes...
 

J-see

Senior Member
I'm going for the "screw the meter option" since that works best.

Bracketing wasn't an option for the D3300 I fear but I got a very flashy neck strap instead that too functions as a curling iron. ;)
 

J-see

Senior Member
J-see..... What exactly do you mean "nags" ????????? It's a simple flashing icon....

If you take any college level/professional level photography courses, the first requirement is to turn off ALL automatic features.... After you learn to use the camera, and create correct exposures using NO LIGHT METER functions... will you understand the limitations of the automatic features... Nikon didn't make up what you're seeing last month...they're algorithms that have been developed long before you were alive....

If you want to take pictures that YOU control and approve of....then use Manual modes...

I do know how to manually control the cam since I have not known otherwise in the SLR days but I can't recall turning wheels on the light-meter as particularly exciting. But there was no other option.

It might very well be correct that some algorithms have been developed before I was born but that doesn't change the fact that what the D3300 considers correct (or minimal) exposure is much brighter than what goes on at the other side of the lens. Much brighter.

I don't subscribe to the manual = more control idea. Mind you, everyone does as they like but I find it an exercise in futility. It's exactly the same as with auto-focus. Why do most use that? Because the cam gets it right most of the time. Guess the reason why I use S or A? Exactly!

When it doesn't get it right, I step in and overrule but I'm not thinking that suddenly I am now more in control. The cam is always in control, I just anticipate. Pushing three buttons more doesn't change that.
 

J-see

Senior Member
I asked if I could get rid of the warnings or change some option in the cam to adjust the warning settings. I got my answer to that.
 

wornish

Senior Member
The camera is just a tool like a hammer or a screwdriver.
It is only making suggestions not forcing you to do anything.

You and only you know what you want to achieve from every shot.
The thing about digital is that you can try different settings and it costs nothing.

The shots you post on here are very good keep pushing the limits and enjoy the results.
 

J-see

Senior Member
The camera is just a tool like a hammer or a screwdriver.
It is only making suggestions not forcing you to do anything.

You and only you know what you want to achieve from every shot.
The thing about digital is that you can try different settings and it costs nothing.

The shots you post on here are very good keep pushing the limits and enjoy the results.

I know it is just a tool and I use it as such but I dislike when stuff flashes on my cam as if it were a Christmas tree. All I want is to disable that or adjust the settings so they only warn when I think it is needed.

I know that switching to manual ends the warnings but so does smashing the cam with a hammer. Both however are not really a solution to the specifics of what I consider a problem. That I'm less in control when shooting S instead of M is not really to the point and to be blunt; an old wives' tale. Deciding not to push a button is being as much in control as deciding to push it. But like I said, to each their own.
 
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