Nikon D3200 goes up to ISO 3600 in cloudy days

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D3200

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Hallo,
I have recently joined Nikon seduced by the wonderful 18-200 VR DX lens. However, I am missing the opportunity that the old Pentax gave me and namely the ability to take pictures in low light conditions with a comparatively low ISO settings /ISO 100 for example/. With D3200 set in aperture mode and aperture set to 3.5 and ISO set to AUTO it goes up to 3600 in a cloudy day. If I try to set it ISO manually it gives me shutter speeds of 1 and more seconds that is not acceptable for a handheld photos. I didn't have this kind of a problem with the Pentax K-r which allowed me to do ISO 100 in similar conditions with a decent shutter speed. Is it a matrix difference or am I doing something wrong?
 
J

jdeg

^ broke something
Staff member
What lens were you using with the Pentax? How much light do you actually have when you say 'cloudy'? The only way you can really compare apples to apples is with a light meter and the same aperture.

What happens if you go full manual? Do the pictures suck? If that's the case then it's time for a flash or more light.
 
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pedroj

Senior Member
You have a different camera system and I don't think it would be a lot different to a pentax...

If I was you I would have a look at what I am doing differently...
 
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D3200

New member
jdeg said:
What lens were you using with the Pentax? How much light do you actually have when you say 'cloudy'? The only way you can really compare apples to apples is with a light meter and the same aperture.

What happens if you go full manual? Do the pictures suck? If that's the case then it's time for a flash or more light.
Click to expand...

I have used several Pentax lens with prety much similar results: Kit 18-55, 50-200, 18-250 .
I could not use the light meter but I just did a little test - both cameras set to ISO 1600, aperture 8 and pointed at the same direction - Nikon says 1.6s , Pentax - 0.4s shutter speed in on screen menu.

The pictures are not so bad, but the noise just makes me uncomfortable with the camera as I am used to much less due to the low ISO on the Pentax. Also I am afraid that the noise will show up badly on A3. Also selecting low ISO automaticly requires a tipod as I can not handheld 1.6s steady.
As for the flash I do not mind one for night close-ups but what about the scene photos during daytime?

pedroj said:
You have a different camera system and I don't think it would be a lot different to a pentax...

If I was you I would have a look at what I am doing differently...
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I couldn't find what was the different thing though I gave it a try before posting here. Maybe we can go the other way - what would you do to get a handheld photo with D3200 in a cloudy condition at ISO 100-400?
 
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pedroj

Senior Member
I don't have the D3200 but I can't imagine it being a lot different to my D300....

My wife has a Pentax and have just tried it and the D300 and there was no difference in the shutter speeds at the same apertures and focal lengths...
 
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D3200

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pedroj said:
I don't have the D3200 but I can't imagine it being a lot different to my D300....

My wife has a Pentax and have just tried it and the D300 and there was no difference in the shutter speeds at the same apertures and focal lengths...
Click to expand...

I would expect the difference to be due to the differences in sensors in D300 and D3200?

Rick M said:
Did you check which metering mode you are in?
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D3200 - Centre weighted metering with single point.

K-r - Multi-segment mode /Matrix for Nikon/ with single point.
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
Single point is different from center weighted and may result in a different exposure. Did you try them both in matrix?
 
J

jdeg

^ broke something
Staff member
D3200 said:
I have used several Pentax lens with prety much similar results: Kit 18-55, 50-200, 18-250 .
I could not use the light meter but I just did a little test - both cameras set to ISO 1600, aperture 8 and pointed at the same direction - Nikon says 1.6s , Pentax - 0.4s shutter speed in on screen menu.
Click to expand...

And if you manually set the Nikon to 4/10 does the photo come out too dark? As dark as the Pentax?

You should post examples :)
 
AC016

AC016

Senior Member
Put it in M or Manual mode dude and control the variables yourself. Any other mode, the camera will control atleast one or more aspects of the settings.
 
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D3200

New member
Rick M said:
Single point is different from center weighted and may result in a different exposure. Did you try them both in matrix?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant single point focusing, not single point metering; the metering is as described.
Yes, I tried them both in Matrix. Pentax - long time ago and I liked the centre weighted exposure more. It is in the way I compose the photo that I put the most important thing in the cente and the rest is circling around. If the background is important then probably I could use Matrix but in practice I never had to as the photos were more or less OK with the center weighted metering. I might be wrong but it seems to me that matrix metering picks average of the whole photo and as result I do not have most proper metering where I need it /in the centre/.

As for Nikon I admit that I have not played extensively with matrix metering and will have to give it another try.


jdeg said:
And if you manually set the Nikon to 4/10 does the photo come out too dark? As dark as the Pentax?

You should post examples :)
Click to expand...

I'm testing in aperture mode. I will set to manual and test later. The one photo that I believe either on Manual or Shutter priority where I set fast speed did came out too dark but that was prior to your question. I will post examples probably tomorrow evening.

pedroj said:
one last question are you trolling....
Click to expand...

no.

 
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pedroj

Senior Member
D3200 said:
Sorry, I meant single point focusing, not single point metering; the metering is as described.
Yes, I tried them both in Matrix. Pentax - long time ago and I liked the centre weighted exposure more. It is in the way I compose the photo that I put the most important thing in the cente and the rest is circling around. If the background is important then probably I could use Matrix but in practice I never had to as the photos were more or less OK with the center weighted metering. I might be wrong but it seems to me that matrix metering picks average of the whole photo and as result I do not have most proper metering where I need it /in the centre/.

As for Nikon I admit that I have not played extensively with matrix metering and will have to give it another try.




I'm testing in aperture mode. I will set to manual and test later. The one photo that I believe either on Manual or Shutter priority where I set fast speed did came out too dark but that was prior to your question. I will post examples probably tomorrow evening.



no.

Click to expand...


Don't yell at me cobber...

Right back at ya..
 
Marcel

Marcel

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Im closing this thread because it's leading nowhere. The screaming has started and the Original poster never put in a picture with exif so we could help.

Sorry, but if you want help, you got to give us a little meat with the bone. :)
 
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