Exposure bracketing

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voxmagna

Senior Member
Hi, I am new here and with the D750. More used to the pro-sumer cropped frame Nikons. But something has caught me out with the D750 and I don't know if it is just my ignorance:

The D750 is fast for multiple shootings, but what I want to use most is exposure bracketing. Whilst learning all the options, I set exposure bracketing on for 5 frames and expected the function to be active only in the multi shot modes. Then I was out taking test shots and couldn't figure out why my exposures were correct in single shot Auto point and shoot mode, but way off in all the priority modes.

Well, it seems that bracketing once set applies in single shot mode for all the priority settings A,S, M, BUT there is no indication in the viewfinder as to which shot you are on or have left in the bracketing sequence. When the sequence of shots has completed, subsequent single shots repeat the sequence again. I know that there is a bracketing icon in the viewfinder, but unless I have missed something, there is no indication of where you are in the stop setting sequence.

As I am a Newbie (or an idiot!) with the D750, I cannot believe Nikon would include a camera feature which once set could easily get under or over exposed pictures. So where am I going wrong in my thinking, or what the camera should be showing me in the viewfinder? I would like to see that I am on say bracketed shot 3 of 5 or a graphic line showing what bracketed shots have been taken and how many are next. Having the auto bracketing stay set to keep repeating, instead of being a single press for one sequence seems a sure way to get bad pictures. Thanks for any replies
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
I believe that you should see BKT in the viewfinder when bracketing is on. I don't have a 750 but this is what the D7000 user manual says. See your manual and look for "bracketing".

Enjoy your Nikon.
 
Fred Kingston

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
He knows Bracketing is ON... Problem is, he's set it for 5 shots and taken 3, and wants something to tell him he has taken 3 of 5 or that he has 2 shots left. It doesn't do that.

You need to turn the number of shots to 0 if you're NOT using bracketing... You don't leave bracketing ON as a matter of course. In fact, Bracketing exists as a holdover from film days, and isn't really needed...
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
I think that bracketing is turned off automatically when you use the Auto mode.
Otherwise, use continuous mode and press the shutter until all the shots are taken. Wether your are set for 3 or 5 exposures in auto-bracketing, the camera will take all different exposures and then stop. If you'r in normal single mode then you have to count how many are taken before you frame for the next shot.
 
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voxmagna

Senior Member
FredKingston got it right. Yes I know bracketing is on. I thought Auto Mode was for dummies and not the best option if you want to do some decent composition and use blurred backgrounds? That's why I prefer aperture priority when I can choose what DOF I want for the shot. With zoom lenses I can also try to use them at their best f stop without having to do so much lens correction in post.

Back to my question. The BKT icon is lit in my viewfinder but stays lit. That really is part of my point. It cannot be set to come on for the number of shots you set up then go away to zero until you set it again. And as FredKingston said, you take 3 out of 5 or 9 bracketed shots, put the camera down, pick it up again for single shots and you are still taking bracketed shots from some point you forgot. The camera doesn't tell you unless you preview the exposure data on previous shots or switch to Auto Mode and see your exposures are wrong in 'A' priority. What is really nasty is when you switch back and forth between Auto Mode and Aperture priority, the BKT mode isn't cancelled. I don't think it is cancelled and reset to zero when you turn off the camera either.
 
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Skwaz

Senior Member
I've done it with the 7100 , forgot Bracketing was on then wondered why my shots are over or under exp
But , you cannot blame the camera for our forgetfulness
 
V

voxmagna

Senior Member
you cannot blame the camera for our forgetfulness
Click to expand...
I think when you design a camera full of software features and controls, you have to take account of what is 'intuitive'. If most DSLRs have this trap to fall into, then by now a camera manufacturer should have woken up. But what I don't know is if pros who use bracketing put up with the potential trap, or use bracketing in some other way where they want it permanently enabled, as designed by Nikon. I could treat the viewfinder low light flash warning in the same way. Those that find it annoying can at least turn it off and the bracketing trap is a lot more serious for those subsequent shots in the priority modes. Nikon probably has to avoid cluttering up the bottom of the viewfinder. But on the D750 when you are shooting priority modes, there is a wide empty space in the bottom center that could show the bracketed shot status.

Next time I am in a camera store with a few DSLRs to practice on, I'll turn on bracketing and see how long it takes the sales staff to work out why the exposures are wrong!
​
 
V

voxmagna

Senior Member
I don't mind that being persistent because I usually dial in 1 stop under expose anyway. Even with a RAW file to work from, there is nothing worse than getting a photo back in post and finding the highlights clipped, which can never be recovered. I like to choose in post which highlights I want clipped rather than no choice on the master shot. The D750 metering and options are pretty good and you do have the review replay to check for RGB clipping, but sometimes out and about in bright sun where you can't see the display so easily, having that 1 stop can make all the difference. That's the problem with current digicam sensor technology, they just haven't got the dynamic range yet. And why JPEG 256 bit levels has been around for so long without an extension to 9 or 10 bit words puzzles me. Fine working in RAW for post editing, but then send that to a printer and chances are you still get back to 256 levels.
 
P

Powerstroke2000

Senior Member
voxmagna said:
Hi, I am new here and with the D750. More used to the pro-sumer cropped frame Nikons. But something has caught me out with the D750 and I don't know if it is just my ignorance:

The D750 is fast for multiple shootings, but what I want to use most is exposure bracketing. Whilst learning all the options, I set exposure bracketing on for 5 frames and expected the function to be active only in the multi shot modes. Then I was out taking test shots and couldn't figure out why my exposures were correct in single shot Auto point and shoot mode, but way off in all the priority modes.

Well, it seems that bracketing once set applies in single shot mode for all the priority settings A,S, M, BUT there is no indication in the viewfinder as to which shot you are on or have left in the bracketing sequence. When the sequence of shots has completed, subsequent single shots repeat the sequence again. I know that there is a bracketing icon in the viewfinder, but unless I have missed something, there is no indication of where you are in the stop setting sequence.

As I am a Newbie (or an idiot!) with the D750, I cannot believe Nikon would include a camera feature which once set could easily get under or over exposed pictures. So where am I going wrong in my thinking, or what the camera should be showing me in the viewfinder? I would like to see that I am on say bracketed shot 3 of 5 or a graphic line showing what bracketed shots have been taken and how many are next. Having the auto bracketing stay set to keep repeating, instead of being a single press for one sequence seems a sure way to get bad pictures. Thanks for any replies
Click to expand...

No, your not an idiot to start with, as I too am new to the DSLR and D750, and there are several things to think about when wanting to take a photo on these cameras it seems. Like you, when out in the field, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to turn 'off' bracketing. I enjoy 'landscape' as well as HDR (yes, I know some turn their nose up to HDR, but I really enjoy it) and for the most part use "M" mode. Was taking a 'sun going down' shot yesterday (hand held) and the camera was on 'timer' as well, so as soon as I heard the beeping from the camera, I instantly realized I still had bracketing on...but with it now being nearly dark, and traffic flying by, turning bracketing off was a 'no go' in my grey matter! I didn't have access to Google (google is often my friend these days) so when I got home, I quickly refreshed my brain as how to turn bracketing off...and all was good.
Now, my main issue was, I'd take a photo at 1/60th, look at the photo taken as well as the histogram, then go to take another shot, and my shutter speed is now at 1//4000th! So then, I go through the dials to get the settings I want (this using up valuable time when the sun is going down) and find the same thing on the next shot! I take it, that it was because bracketing was still on?
It would be nice if there was a quick button to hit, to get bracketing to turn off instantly, and reset itself to zero again, but one has to push the bracketing button, and turn the dials to zero to get that affect apparently.

Anyway....lots to learn, and I'm enjoying the slow version of 'getting to know your D750' I'm sure!
 
S

Skwaz

Senior Member
I had all these problems when I got the 7100 , but now I remember to turn on bracketing and also remember to turn it off
Simple really
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I remember the first time I forgot to turn it off. I was shooting in Bracket mode on the last shots of the day. It was several days later when I went out to shoot again. My shots were all over the place. Over good under. Lucky I was checking my shots to notice it. Took me a few minutes to realise what was going on. I now try to remember to turn it off as soon as I am not using it. I also go through a check list before I leave home to shoot and BKT and Exposure compensation are at the top of the list
 
Vixen

Vixen

Senior Member
Forgetting to turn bracketing off is one of my favourite things to do :D

Don't know about the D750, but a feature of the D7100 I REALLY like is that if you use timer (shutter control) in bracketing you only need press the shutter once and it takes all the shots. Useful when using a tripod ;)
 
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voxmagna

Senior Member
Vixen, Thanks, That is what I do now on the tripod. At least you know you have completed the bracketed set and not got part way through, only to complete the set on the next shot. With some other issues I've had with AUTO ISO confusing me I'm now using my D750 in more manual modes where I should have started. That's because a VR zoom lens can get pretty sharp pics below the shutter speed the camera wants to turn up the ISO if you hold the camera steady. Unless I want to overlay for HDR or shoot quickly, I prefer to manually change stops on the wheel where I can see what's going on. That's probably what we all used to do before these features came along.

I bought the Nikon 85mm f1.8 prime lens which I really like but I wished it was a VR lens, particularly for hand held video. I think still cameras with video capability still have a way to go to match a high pixel video camera (also shooting stills).
 
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