# problem with nikon d3100?



## piccer

hi 
i just got my Nikon D3100 and  was soo excited 

it is shooting everything so nice (with and with out flash) in all settings 

but when i turned the dail to M (manual mode) it is taking completely dark pictures. the room is well lit and my normal smaller cams takes nice pics with this light 

i know nothing of DSLRs and this is my first one 

so is this a problem or is there any setting i should try (im not sure how to do the settings thing also) 

please some one help


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## MissCream

If your putting it in manual mode you actually have to manually adjust your settings. Your camera is not broken. 

I was going to write a big long paragraph about aperture, shutter speed and ISO before I realized that your not going to understand any of it, which would have led me to writing a book. So I gave up, erased my paragraph and replaced it with this. Pretty pointless comment but I had already put time into answering your question that I had to post something. 

I'm sure someone will just recommend reading the book Understanding Exposure.


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## piccer

thanks for the reply 

so my cam even when pointed at the lights in the room takes soo dark pics that even lights look dim  is this because of the reasons you mentioned ?


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## MissCream

Yes, if your camera is not properly exposed then even a laser beam could come out black. Google how to properly expose a picture


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## OrionsByte

In any other mode except for M, your camera is automatically doing _something_ to compensate for whatever settings you're feeding it in order to get what it thinks is the proper exposure.  In M (manual) mode, your camera will do _nothing_ to help, which means if _your_ settings are incorrect, you're not going to get a good picture.


Read your camera manual.
Do some internet research on "exposure triangle".
Read your camera manual again.
Enjoy your epiphany.


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## Tyler Meyer

Hey there!  I got a Nikon D3100 (also my first DSLR) for Christmas, and after messing with it for about an hour, I started to pick up on many of the manual functions.  The reason your pictures are coming out as dark when you set it to manual, is because when you switched it to manual, the ISO setting, by manual default, is set to 100, which means the lens is capturing the least amount of light possible.  There are two solutions to this problem:

1.) You can change the ISO setting at anytime you want. To do this, hold the "Fn" button on the left side of your camera, and then use the dial that's almost directly above the viewfinder/LiveView switch, to change the ISO setting.  A lower ISO value means the camera will take darker pictures.  A higher ISO setting will make the picture lighter.

2.) You can set the ISO setting, even in manual, to auto, making everything you do manual, except the ISO setting.  You do this by pressing the "MENU" button on your camera (To the left of the screen on the back), go to the Shooting Menu, then click the "ISO sensitivity settings" tab, then click "Auto ISO sensitivity", and turn it on.

Hope this helps!


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## OrionsByte

Tyler Meyer said:


> Hey there!  I got a Nikon D3100 (also my first DSLR) for Christmas, and after messing with it for about an hour, I started to pick up on many of the manual functions.  The reason your pictures are coming out as dark when you set it to manual, is because when you switched it to manual, the ISO setting, by manual default, is set to 100, which means the lens is capturing the least amount of light possible.  There are two solutions to this problem:
> 
> 1.) You can change the ISO setting at anytime you want. To do this, hold the "Fn" button on the left side of your camera, and then use the dial that's almost directly above the viewfinder/LiveView switch, to change the ISO setting.  A lower ISO value means the camera will take darker pictures.  A higher ISO setting will make the picture lighter.
> 
> 2.) You can set the ISO setting, even in manual, to auto, making everything you do manual, except the ISO setting.  You do this by pressing the "MENU" button on your camera (To the left of the screen on the back), go to the Shooting Menu, then click the "ISO sensitivity settings" tab, then click "Auto ISO sensitivity", and turn it on.
> 
> Hope this helps!



Wait wait wait wait wait wait stop.

That's a really easy way to take some really bad photos.  Please do yourself a favor, don't go diving in to your menu to change default settings like that unless you really know _why_ you're doing it.  Switching to manual mode and then using ISO to control your exposure is... well it's just silly, and that's a really really kind way of putting it.  But switching to manual and then setting the ISO to auto in order to get "good" photos?  Wow.  I'm sorry, that just blows me away.

Please read up on exposure, and specifically how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed all relate to each other.  They all have very specific effects on how a photograph turns out, and you need to understand all that in order to use that camera, and especially manual mode, successfully.  Once you've done that you'll laugh at yourself for that last post.


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## SabrinaO

OrionsByte said:


> Tyler Meyer said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey there!  I got a Nikon D3100 (also my first DSLR) for Christmas, and after messing with it for about an hour, I started to pick up on many of the manual functions.  The reason your pictures are coming out as dark when you set it to manual, is because when you switched it to manual, the ISO setting, by manual default, is set to 100, which means the lens is capturing the least amount of light possible.  There are two solutions to this problem:
> 
> 1.) You can change the ISO setting at anytime you want. To do this, hold the "Fn" button on the left side of your camera, and then use the dial that's almost directly above the viewfinder/LiveView switch, to change the ISO setting.  A lower ISO value means the camera will take darker pictures.  A higher ISO setting will make the picture lighter.
> 
> 2.) You can set the ISO setting, even in manual, to auto, making everything you do manual, except the ISO setting.  You do this by pressing the "MENU" button on your camera (To the left of the screen on the back), go to the Shooting Menu, then click the "ISO sensitivity settings" tab, then click "Auto ISO sensitivity", and turn it on.
> 
> Hope this helps!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wait wait wait wait wait wait stop.
> 
> That's a really easy way to take some really bad photos.  Please do yourself a favor, don't go diving in to your menu to change default settings like that unless you really know _why_ you're doing it.  Switching to manual mode and then using ISO to control your exposure is... well it's just silly, and that's a really really kind way of putting it.  But switching to manual and then setting the ISO to auto in order to get "good" photos?  Wow.  I'm sorry, that just blows me away.
> 
> Please read up on exposure, and specifically how ISO, aperture, and shutter speed all relate to each other.  They all have very specific effects on how a photograph turns out, and you need to understand all that in order to use that camera, and especially manual mode, successfully.  Once you've done that you'll laugh at yourself for that last post.
Click to expand...



????????
I don't think there was ANYTHING wrong with what Tyler said. As a beginner, switching the iso to auto would be one less thing has to worry about. Obviously he would also have to play with the aperture and shutter too but having the iso on auto I don't think it's a big deal, or as horrifying as you are making it out to be.


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## Jcampbelll

Read your manual. :gah:


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## OrionsByte

SabrinaO said:


> ????????
> I don't think there was ANYTHING wrong with what Tyler said. As a beginner, switching the iso to auto would be one less thing has to worry about. Obviously he would also have to play with the aperture and shutter too but having the iso on auto I don't think it's a big deal, or as horrifying as you are making it out to be.



It wouldn't be a big deal if they were posting and saying, "It seems like my shots are just a little underexposed when I'm in manual mode, but my aperture and shutter settings seem to be where they should be, what am I missing?"  But that's not what they're saying.  They're saying, "For some reason when I'm in manual mode and I point the camera *at a LIGHT* it comes out all dark."  That's a problem that's easily resolved by changing the shutter speed or aperture, which they should understand _before_ they're messing with Manual mode, and they shouldn't have to touch their ISO a bit.  Putting ISO on auto just prevents them from learning things properly because it covers up any mistakes they're making with the other two settings.

My advice, besides _read the manual_, is to learn by using your camera in Av or Tv modes.  In those modes, sure, leave your ISO set to auto, because you're just learning one variable at a time and how it affects your photos.  If you want to leave Auto ISO on in Manual once you know what you're doing, fine, but using it as a fix for not understanding the aperture and shutter speed settings is foolish.  Just my opinion.

Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but I just felt like Tyler's advice to Piccer was really not helping either one of them at all.


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## sanpan

I have to agree with OrionsByte here. Although changing the ISO is one solution but it is not the first solution which you look at.
Ideally beginners should always practice using the aperture or shutter priority modes rather than auto or Manual. Auto should be avoided because it doesn't help you learn much and Manual should be avoided as there are too many parameters to be set before taking a pic and it overwhelms the beginner.
So to remedy the situation, try to work in AP and let the camera set the shutter speed or work in SP and let the camera decide the aperture. This way you can learn how various settings make the picture look different and your pictures don't come out dark.
Let me finish by saying I don't own a DSLR but I have worked on my Canon Powershot S3IS using AP and SP with good results and learning experience....also in manual mode with disastrous results


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## piccer

Hi Orion 
so kind of you posing as giving advice to the new fellas like me 
Criticism is a good thing when its constructive,  but what makes you laugh keep it to yourself 

the txt in you message you highlighted in bold, yes i pointed at the light and tried to take some pics yes to see if the cam is working at all 
and yes im a newbie and i thought this thread is for guys like me, if you see my other lines which you missed to see 
*i know nothing of DSLRs and this is my first one 

so is this a problem or is there any setting i should try*

try to help if you want to, dont just pose (cheese). Its just a start, Dont worry Orion ill be there soon enough. 

*and *
*Thanks rebecca,  you are right, i would have been all confused .. had you posted all tech details  and i should say i like your pics. nice ones  *






OrionsByte said:


> SabrinaO said:
> 
> 
> 
> ????????
> I don't think there was ANYTHING wrong with what Tyler said. As a beginner, switching the iso to auto would be one less thing has to worry about. Obviously he would also have to play with the aperture and shutter too but having the iso on auto I don't think it's a big deal, or as horrifying as you are making it out to be.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It wouldn't be a big deal if they were posting and saying, "It seems like my shots are just a little underexposed when I'm in manual mode, but my aperture and shutter settings seem to be where they should be, what am I missing?" But that's not what they're saying. They're saying, "For some reason when I'm in manual mode and I point the camera *at a LIGHT* it comes out all dark." That's a problem that's easily resolved by changing the shutter speed or aperture, which they should understand _before_ they're messing with Manual mode, and they shouldn't have to touch their ISO a bit. Putting ISO on auto just prevents them from learning things properly because it covers up any mistakes they're making with the other two settings.
> 
> My advice, besides _read the manual_, is to learn by using your camera in Av or Tv modes. In those modes, sure, leave your ISO set to auto, because you're just learning one variable at a time and how it affects your photos. If you want to leave Auto ISO on in Manual once you know what you're doing, fine, but using it as a fix for not understanding the aperture and shutter speed settings is foolish. Just my opinion.
> 
> Maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but I just felt like Tyler's advice to Piccer was really not helping either one of them at all.
Click to expand...


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## Light Artisan

Go to Nikons site and watch all of the D3100 Digititor info, it's VERY helpful for people new to the world of DSLR photography.


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## piccer

To Orions 

Yes you are :thumbdown:



OrionsByte said:


> SabrinaO said:
> 
> 
> 
> ????????
> 
> *Maybe I'm overreacting a bit,* but I just felt like Tyler's advice to Piccer was really not helping either one of them at all.
Click to expand...


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## Light Artisan

In all fairness your newness doesn't qualify you to know if it was helpful or not. Using ISO for exposure compensation when other options (aperture, shutter speed) are not being utilized is usually not a good idea.


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## piccer

yea, My point ... 
the way of expressing it matters more . im listening and learning 

Whn some one says.. 
Can you please tell me what time it is, i donot have a watch on me.. 
one way to reply: why dont you buy a watch and have it on you if you are so worried about time.. its 9:15 

Better way: its 9:15 Am 

im not offending anyone, but when someone shouts at me ill be ..................

thanks Artisan (your reply is of the second kind and makes me want to listen  )


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## KmH

piccer said:


> To Orions
> 
> Yes you are :thumbdown:


 Be sure, right off the bat with post #5, you get added to as many helpful forum member's User CP, Ignore List as possible. :lmao:


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## OrionsByte

piccer said:


> Hi Orion
> so kind of you posing as giving advice to the new fellas like me
> Criticism is a good thing when its constructive,  but what makes you laugh keep it to yourself
> 
> the txt in you message you highlighted in bold, yes i pointed at the light and tried to take some pics yes to see if the cam is working at all
> and yes im a newbie and i thought this thread is for guys like me, if you see my other lines which you missed to see
> *i know nothing of DSLRs and this is my first one
> 
> so is this a problem or is there any setting i should try*
> 
> try to help if you want to, dont just pose (cheese). Its just a start, Dont worry Orion ill be there soon enough.



I honestly wasn't laughing at you, I was telling Tyler that he'll laugh at _himself_ once he learns a little more.  I'm not laughing at him either.

I'm not on this forum to make enemies, and I answered your question by telling you to read your manual and do some research on exposure.  Why would I say that instead of just answering your question myself?  Because as MissCream indicated in her first reply, that's a long answer that involves understanding how exposure works, and people have written _books_ to explain how exposure works.

In short though, there are three things that influence exposure (exposure = how much light is captured for a single photograph): ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed.  All three of these settings need to be "correct" in order to get a "correct" exposure.

ISO: Higher numbers means more exposure (brighter photos).  It will also increase noise, or graininess.
Aperture: Higher numbers means LESS exposure (darker photos).  It will also increase your depth-of-field.
Shutter Speed: Higher numbers mean LESS exposure (darker photos).  It will also freeze fast action.

So if you're in manual mode and your photos are dark, choose higher numbers for your ISO, lower numbers for your aperture, lower numbers for your shutter speed, or some combination of the three.

Now the problem with giving that advice is it doesn't tell you _anything_ about when to change which setting, or about what's really going on when you change them.  That information is available in a thousand places online, even on YouTube, and I really recommend you check out some of those sources first, and if you have questions about them, I'll be happy to answer them.


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## Light Artisan

I understand, I've been there - we all have. I'm new enough here to where some of the common questions probably don't annoy me yet. 

Although I believe in RTFM, I also believe it's not the best resource 100% of the time. Don't sweat it, have some fun and make lots of mistakes, but learn why you made them as you are now. I can be an @ss sometimes too, but I do try and remember how overwhelming it all can be, as well as rewarding. 

Enjoy and have fun!

PS
The D3100 is an awesome camera, enjoy!


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## OrionsByte

I wasn't trying to be an @ss.  I was surprised at the advice he got and concerned that in the long run it would make things harder for him to learn.

I offer my sincere apologies.

But seriously, read the manual and check out the links that others have already provided.


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## Light Artisan

Good on you man... you did help, and I didn't see @sshole in your post at all.


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## piccer

Hi Orions 

well i see the difference in the posts now  

thanks for the advice  and yea none of us are here to make enemies and we wont :greenpbl:. im sorry if i hurted your feelings but i was just asking Ppl to be lil nicer and i got it now so we are all good 
you are one of my first teachers though :hug::





OrionsByte said:


> piccer said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Orion
> so kind of you posing as giving advice to the new fellas like me
> Criticism is a good thing when its constructive, but what makes you laugh keep it to yourself
> 
> the txt in you message you highlighted in bold, yes i pointed at the light and tried to take some pics yes to see if the cam is working at all
> and yes im a newbie and i thought this thread is for guys like me, if you see my other lines which you missed to see
> *i know nothing of DSLRs and this is my first one *
> 
> *so is this a problem or is there any setting i should try*
> 
> try to help if you want to, dont just pose (cheese). Its just a start, Dont worry Orion ill be there soon enough.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I honestly wasn't laughing at you, I was telling Tyler that he'll laugh at _himself_ once he learns a little more. I'm not laughing at him either.
> 
> I'm not on this forum to make enemies, and I answered your question by telling you to read your manual and do some research on exposure. Why would I say that instead of just answering your question myself? Because as MissCream indicated in her first reply, that's a long answer that involves understanding how exposure works, and people have written _books_ to explain how exposure works.
> 
> In short though, there are three things that influence exposure (exposure = how much light is captured for a single photograph): ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed. All three of these settings need to be "correct" in order to get a "correct" exposure.
> 
> ISO: Higher numbers means more exposure (brighter photos). It will also increase noise, or graininess.
> Aperture: Higher numbers means LESS exposure (darker photos). It will also increase your depth-of-field.
> Shutter Speed: Higher numbers mean LESS exposure (darker photos). It will also freeze fast action.
> 
> So if you're in manual mode and your photos are dark, choose higher numbers for your ISO, lower numbers for your aperture, lower numbers for your shutter speed, or some combination of the three.
> 
> Now the problem with giving that advice is it doesn't tell you _anything_ about when to change which setting, or about what's really going on when you change them. That information is available in a thousand places online, even on YouTube, and I really recommend you check out some of those sources first, and if you have questions about them, I'll be happy to answer them.
Click to expand...


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## Trever1t

I'd recommend using one of the camera's auto exposure settings and look carefully at the Aperture and Speed the program chooses to get an understanding of what works before venturing into manual mode. 

I prefer to lock in my ISO and try to find a aperture/speed to work with my subject


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## bperez

Ok please DO NOT BE BRUTAL, like in the last posts to the other newbie. I too just got a D3100 for Christmas that so far I love. It's main purpose was for me to take my own action photos of my daughters at their cheer competitions instead of having to keep purchasing them. ANYWAY, my problem is now when I take a picture they are all coming out completely black. not just dark, i mean black. I took out the sd card and uploaded the pictures i took to see and none of them took. however, it  didnt say the sd card was blank, it just uploaded black photos. Can anyone tell me why this is occuring? I've been trying to figure it out all night and so far no luck.


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## o hey tyler

bperez said:


> Ok please DO NOT BE BRUTAL, like in the last posts to the other newbie. I too just got a D3100 for Christmas that so far I love. It's main purpose was for me to take my own action photos of my daughters at their cheer competitions instead of having to keep purchasing them. ANYWAY, my problem is now when I take a picture they are all coming out completely black. not just dark, i mean black. I took out the sd card and uploaded the pictures i took to see and none of them took. however, it  didnt say the sd card was blank, it just uploaded black photos. Can anyone tell me why this is occuring? I've been trying to figure it out all night and so far no luck.



Did you remove the lens cap? And if so, did you change the mode dial to "auto" and still get black images?


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## Snakeguy101

We all make mistakes with new cameras- especially when we make the SLR jump. I remember when I got mine, I kept thinking the shutter speed was ISO and I didn't understand why the image was so dark when it was reading an "ISO" of 3000. Then I realized that it was actually a shutter speed of 1/3000 of a second. That is why it was so dark....

Anyways, my point is that mistakes are made when you don't quite grasp the settings. Here is the quick and dirty of what you need to know. 

ISO- the lower the number the better, it will reduce the amount of noise but will also reduce the amount of light getting to your image. I try and keep mine at 100 but occasionally have to bump it up in low light situations.

F/stops- this is the measurement for the aperture size (the size of the hole in the lens that acts as the cameras iris). It affects the depth of field (the lower the number, the smaller the area is that is in focus) and again the amount of light hitting the sensor (for higher numbers, less light hits the sensor giving you darker images). I adjust this frequently between about f/2 and f/11 sometimes venturing outside of this for specific purposes but since you are just learning, that is the range you should be in too. 

Shutter speed- this affects the amount of time that the camera records light. Long exposures can make for great lighting and depth of field (since you can raise the f/stop and lower the ISO) but also cause motion blur. This is the setting I adjust most based on what I am photographing and the lighting conditions. 

Say for example I am shooting a monkey that is moving fast through the shaded canopy. I will want a fast shutter speed that will prevent the fast monkey from blurring and then adjust the ISO to say 800 so that the image is brighter with a still mid range f/stop of say f/8 so that my depth of field is not too wacky. 
Now if I am shooting a statue on at night, I might want a long exposure to capture the right amount of natural light and I can lower the ISO because I do not need to worry movement since I have a still subject. I can also adjust the f/stop to where I want it to manipulate the depth of field and I may then have to readjust the shutter speed to compensate for whatever I did to my f/stop.


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## Jeatley

I think Snake may have confused some people with that!


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## RockstarPhotography

Take a photography class.  It will teach you how to properly use your camera.


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## hawk232

a VERY brief google search of "exposure" or "how to use a dslr camera" will result far more detailed results than what has been offered up here. mainly because everyone replying knows that there are hundreds of books, and thousands if not more of blogs and webpages DEDICATED to exposure. I am very new too (had my camera about a month) but I knew enough to know that manual meant that I had to change EVERY setting myself, so i was not upset with my first pics in manual came out black. I just started fooling with settings and seeing what change they made. If you are interested pm me and I will send you a link to a site that was the single best site i have found for information on what each setting does.


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## narfzz

So I just got my d3100 and realize that my camera doesn't properly switch to timer mode. It sees it as continuous modes instead and shoots like it's in continuous mode. So essentially I have TWO continuous modes on this camera instead of the basic four single, continuous, timer, and quiet shutter release.

I read the manual thinking maybe I'm doing something wrong but realize it's really THAT simple--- switch to timer mode on the release-mode selector then shoot. Have anyone else heard of this problem? I figure I ask here before calling Nikon. Am I just a newb doing it wrong? I've googled with no luck.

Also, should I start a new thread instead of adding onto this thread to get more responses?

ETA: I realize Nikon just released a firmware update for this cam. I was hoping maybe this will solve the problem but before I do anything I figure I'd ask around first.


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## ianianian

guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!


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## ianianian

guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!


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## o hey tyler

You've given us very little to go on. Is your exposure compensation dialed down? Also, where are you located?


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## COLTSFANATIC1

Try posting a photo so we can see what you are talking about, also post what settins your camera is using(I.e ISO / WB / F# /  shutter speed the number before the F# (1/200)


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## ianianianian




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## ianianianian




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## ianianianian

guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!


this is the sample picture..


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## SCraig

The three values that are linked to form a triangle are shutter speed, aperture, and ISO (formerly ASA).  If you change any of those three you will have to change AT LEAST one of the other two to maintain a properly exposed photograph.

Each of the three has side effects that all of us who have been around are accustomed to dealing with.  Changing the ISO in a very dark room when the problem actually lies with the aperture and shutter speed settings is probably the worst solution to the problem.  Yes, adjust the ISO when NECESSARY to obtain a proper exposure but not IN PLACE OF aperture and shutter speed.

Increasing ISO induces a lot of noise for various reasons.  In dark areas that is far more noticeable than in light areas and will frequently render the photograph useless whereas using the shutter and aperture would have rendered a properly exposed photograph with no noise.

I agree with OrionsByte as well, that is a bad solution to the problem and his advice was solid.  Sooner or later, if you plan to use a DSLR properly, you are going to have to learn the basics of exposure and when you do you'll realize what we are trying to tell you.


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## enzodm

ianianianian said:


> guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!
> 
> 
> this is the sample picture..



mmmm... is it taken with flash?

SCraig: it is not exposure, look at the black band in the top part of the picture...


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## SCraig

enzodm said:


> ianianianian said:
> 
> 
> 
> guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!
> 
> 
> this is the sample picture..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> mmmm... is it taken with flash?
> 
> SCraig: it is not exposure, look at the black band in the top part of the picture...
Click to expand...

You're right   My response went into the wrong topic somehow.  Sorry about that, ignore it entirely.


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## ianianian




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## ianianian

guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!





see this pic..


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## ianianian

yes.. i taken it w/ flash.. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..wat will i do?


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## enzodm

So, it could be a problem of flash synchronization: too fast shutter speed. If you are shooting in manual, stay below 1/250s or 1/200s (look in the manual for exact value). If you are using an external flash, the number could be lower (depending on cable or wireless trigger).


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## MTVision

ianianian said:
			
		

> guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!
> 
> see this pic..



I was just playing with my flash and brought the shutter speed up to 1/320 and got a picture like this except the black was at the bottom. Highest shutter speed for your camera is 1/200. Was the flash off camera? My camera won't go higher then 1/200 with the pop-up or with an external flash mounted on it.


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## COLTSFANATIC1

This may sound dumb, but do you have anything in front of the lens such as a lens hood  or some sort of flah defuser?


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## ianianian

MTVision said:


> ianianian said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> guyz i have a prob with my nikon d3100..it has a black image at the upper picture. Actually whenever i tried to took a picture at first, it is ok, the image is good..but when i took another picture, that is where a black image found..i dont know if the problem is in the settings..i really dont know how to reset it.. please help me guyz..thanks!
> 
> see this pic..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was just playing with my flash and brought the shutter speed up to 1/320 and got a picture like this except the black was at the bottom. Highest shutter speed for your camera is 1/200. Was the flash off camera? My camera won't go higher then 1/200 with the pop-up or with an external flash mounted on it.[/QUOTE
> 
> but guyz! im in a auto mode..
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## ianianian

@ *COLTSFANATIC1 ... ammmmmmmmm.. i think there's no any difuser or any sort of lens hood.. *


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## ianianian

but guyz.. im in an auto mode..


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## ianianian

ammmm...but guyz.. im in an auto mode..


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## enzodm

Unfortunately the site where you put images is stripping EXIF data, so we cannot understand at which shutter speed you are taking them. If you are able to check, please report shutter speed (there should be a way even from camera).


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## cepwin

One suggestion if you're new to the D3100 (as I am) is there are several people on youtube who have done some good tutorial videos on the camera including froknowsphoto and photoix.  Also I bought a good reference/intro to digital SLR photography called *Complete Digital Photography by *Ben Long.  It's more of a text/reference book but it has a very good discussion on F stops vs shutter speed vs ISO and how that impacts the results.  It provides a good overview on many areas.


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## KmH

MTVision said:


> I was just playing with my flash and brought the shutter speed up to 1/320 and got a picture like this except the black was at the bottom. Highest shutter speed for your camera is 1/200. Was the flash off camera? My camera won't go higher then 1/200 with the pop-up or with an external flash mounted on it.


The lens projects the image onto the image sensor upside down.

In the case of the shutter speed being set faster than the camera x-sync speed (1/200 for the D3100):

When the black strip is across the bottom of the photo (which is at the top of the image sensor) the black strip is the rear curtain just starting to close covering part of the image sensor, and the flash is synced to fire at the instant when the front curtain is fully open. 

When the black strip is across the top of the photo (which is at the bottom of the image sensor) the black strip is the front shutter curtain and the camera is set to rear curtain sync so the flash fires in the instant before the rear curtain starts to close.

The x-sync shutter speed is that shutter speed that has both shutter curtains fully open at the same time regardless if flash is used or not. 

At any faster shutter speed one or both shutter curtains cover some part of the image sensor, also regardless if flash is used or not.


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