Aperture priority help :-)

Florida Mel

Florida Mel

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Name
Mel
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Hi fellow Photography peeps :wave:

I am putting out a cry for help :bonk:

I am currently using my Nikon D40 on aperture priority mode which works fine and I am happy with most of the time :D

However, I have recently been struggling getting the setting right and my images have been blurred or really dark and I can't seem to get my head around why :shrug:

With aperture priority I am presuming I set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed! Can anyone advice me please on what i am not getting :thinking:

Thanks in advance :thankyou:
 
Probably the best thing to do would be to post some examples with the exif intact and we can have a look.
 
can you post a pic ? that might help people to help you

when you say your images are blurred is this because the subject is moving ? if this is the case you need to be mindful of what shutter speed the camera is selecting to match the aperture you have chosen , if your shooting moving objects try using shutter priority and pick a shutter speed that suits
 
Florida Mel said:
Hi fellow Photography peeps :wave:

I am putting out a cry for help

I am currently using my Nikon D40 on aperture priority mode which works fine and I am happy with most of the time :D

However, I have recently been struggling getting the setting right and my images have been blurred or really dark and I can't seem to get my head around why :shrug:

With aperture priority I am presuming I set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed! Can anyone advice me please on what i am not getting :thinking:

Thanks in advance :thankyou:
Click to expand...

You've practically answered your own question already. :)

In aperture priority mode, you select the aperture you want, as you know. The camera then selects a suitable shutterspeed to give the scene it "sees" a correct exposure (as far as it can) The problem, I suspect, is that the shutterspeed it is setting isn't fast enough - a slow shutterspeed is only suitable if the camera is on a tripod, when handheld you won't be able to keep the camera rock solid throughout the exposure, resulting in a blurred image. Unless there is enough light available for the camera to select a fast enough shutterspeed in conjunction with the aperture you have selected this is going to be the result.

Things you can do - turn the mode dial onto shutter priority and select your own shutterspeed, and let the camera select the aperture. However, the camera will only be able to select apertures up to the lens's maximum, if a wider aperture is required for a correct exposure the image will be underexposed still.
and/or
Bump up the ISO to make the sensor more sensitive, this will enable you to have shorter exposures for a given aperture value.

If you still can't get a good exposure you then need to increase the light available by perhaps using flash, but thats a whole new ball game in itself, and rather depends on what you are shooting.
 
mrgas said:
can you post a pic ? that might help people to help you

when you say your images are blurred is this because the subject is moving ? if this is the case you need to be mindful of what shutter speed the camera is selecting to match the aperture you have chosen , if your shooting moving objects try using shutter priority and pick a shutter speed that suits
Click to expand...

Yes it is usually because someone has moved there head or hand and the picture becomes blurred in that area :( I will try using shutter speed priority for this scenario - thank you :thankyou:
 
Ste Manns said:
You've practically answered your own question already. :)

In aperture priority mode, you select the aperture you want, as you know. The camera then selects a suitable shutterspeed to give the scene it "sees" a correct exposure (as far as it can) The problem, I suspect, is that the shutterspeed it is setting isn't fast enough - a slow shutterspeed is only suitable if the camera is on a tripod, when handheld you won't be able to keep the camera rock solid throughout the exposure, resulting in a blurred image. Unless there is enough light available for the camera to select a fast enough shutterspeed in conjunction with the aperture you have selected this is going to be the result.

Things you can do - turn the mode dial onto shutter priority and select your own shutterspeed, and let the camera select the aperture. However, the camera will only be able to select apertures up to the lens's maximum, if a wider aperture is required for a correct exposure the image will be underexposed still.
and/or
Bump up the ISO to make the sensor more sensitive, this will enable you to have shorter exposures for a given aperture value.

If you still can't get a good exposure you then need to increase the light available by perhaps using flash, but thats a whole new ball game in itself, and rather depends on what you are shooting.
Click to expand...

Thanks for you advice and yes I will try using shutter priority for shots with movement and I like your iso tip i will keep that in mind too - :thankyou:
 
Florida Mel said:
Thanks for you advice and yes I will try using shutter priority for shots with movement and I like your iso tip i will keep that in mind too - :thankyou:
Click to expand...

If you go into the Custom Setting Menu and select ISO Auto you can then select the Max. Sensitivity (I use 800) and the Min. Shutter speed (I use 1/60s), then select On. The ISO will then change automatically to try and keep the shutter speed at 1/60 or faster.
You still need to check the display though as in dim light you may still get too slow a speed.
 
Suvv said:
If you go into the Custom Setting Menu and select ISO Auto you can then select the Max. Sensitivity (I use 800) and the Min. Shutter speed (I use 1/60s), then select On. The ISO will then change automatically to try and keep the shutter speed at 1/60 or faster.
You still need to check the display though as in dim light you may still get too slow a speed.
Click to expand...

Fabulous thank you. I will give it a go :thumbs:
 
Just an update for all the guys that helped with my aperture problem. They all worked I took your advice and they all worked. Thanks again to you all :banana: :thankyou:
 
welcome.............

when i bought my D40 - the owners manual was rubbish....
have a look at "Nikon D40/40x Digital Field Guide (Paperback)" at Amazon Books <£10....$18?
well worth it ..............
 
Yardbent said:
welcome.............

when i bought my D40 - the owners manual was rubbish....
have a look at "Nikon D40/40x Digital Field Guide (Paperback)" at Amazon Books <£10....$18?
well worth it ..............
Click to expand...

nice tip thanks i will check it out :thumbs: I agree about the nikon manual :bang:

thanks again :thankyou:
 
also.............
2 good books from Amazon ..........

"Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson

"Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography" (Paperback)
by Brenda Tharp
 
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