Help me with metering etc on my D5000

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GIZTO29

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Philip
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Guys, i need some help. Im starting to get to grips with apeture but i believe the cameras metering helps me decide which i should be using. How does the metering work? Is the metering working constantly and thats why the exposure bar keeps changing? Do i want to try and set it so the exposure is in the centre (0)? I know that if i want to do a landscape for example i want a small apeture (high number) and for a portrait or shorter dof i would want a large apeture (small f number). Im just confused as to which low number i would or should use for example on a given landscape from mid to small (high f). How does the camera tell me? The same goes for shutter speed. I know to use a longer shutter speed to blur water for example but how do i know the best for a given shot? Im just guessing atm. I want to have more of an understanding and i believe the meter is the key.......
Thanks in advance, Phil
 
what mode are you in, also for shutter speeds you should always have the same or faster focal length so if you have a 50mm lens the shutter speed should be no less than 1/50th and if you have 500mm it should be no less than 1/500th sec but if your lens has vr built in you can go 2/3 stops lower.
this might help.
http://www.dslrtips.com/workshops/DSLR_workshops_tutorials_tips.shtml
 
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GIZTO29 said:
Guys, i need some help. Im starting to get to grips with apeture but i believe the cameras metering helps me decide which i should be using. How does the metering work? Is the metering working constantly and thats why the exposure bar keeps changing? Do i want to try and set it so the exposure is in the centre (0)? I know that if i want to do a landscape for example i want a small apeture (high number) and for a portrait or shorter dof i would want a large apeture (small f number). Im just confused as to which low number i would or should use for example on a given landscape from mid to small (high f). How does the camera tell me? The same goes for shutter speed. I know to use a longer shutter speed to blur water for example but how do i know the best for a given shot? Im just guessing atm. I want to have more of an understanding and i believe the meter is the key.......
Thanks in advance, Phil
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The camera cannot tell you what f/number you need for a certain amount of depth of field, or what shutter speed you want for a particular effect. There are just too many variables which, TBH, you just have to learn through experience.

What the meter will tell you, by measuring the brigtness of the subject, is what it thinks the exposure should be (working within its limitations). So, if you're in A and set f/5.6 for the DoF you want, it will tell you which shutter speed to match that with for best exposure. Likewise, if you set 1/250sec on S, it will select the right f/number.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been using S & A modes but have wanted to go to M. I know that the camera sets A if youre in S and vice versa but i still dont get how people come to use the settings they do. I need to get reading.
Phil
 
GIZTO29 said:
Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been using S & A modes but have wanted to go to M. I know that the camera sets A if youre in S and vice versa but i still dont get how people come to use the settings they do. I need to get reading.
Phil
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Everything you need to know about depth of field, and probably plenty you don't want to know, is here www.dofmaster.com Punch in your own figues and see how things change. Note that DoF varies with f/number and image size - that is, move closer, subject gets bigger, DoF is reduced; fit a longer lens, subject gets bigger, DoF is reduced by the same amount. And vice versa.

However, when you change shooting distance, perspective and field of view change a lot.

On shutter speeds, that's more difficult. The speed of a subject's movement varies enormously according to how close you are, and the direction of travel. For example, a car moving past you at close range will travel across the frame at lightining speed; move back and it is much slower. And the same car coming straight towards you will apppear almost stationary at distance and will get bigger relatively slowly. You just have to learn these things through experience.
 
GIZTO29 said:
Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been using S & A modes but have wanted to go to M. I know that the camera sets A if youre in S and vice versa but i still dont get how people come to use the settings they do. I need to get reading.
Phil
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I dont usually get involved in this sort of thread cos 'I dont tow the party line':naughty: However, I will try to put it how it was originally explained to me and the penny dropped.

Choose manual 'M', select ISO 200 on a D5000 (assuming its a bright day). Select your preferred aperture, point the camera and twiddle the thumb wheel until it is on '0', press shutter button, job don! Works the same if you choose shutter priority.

I find that my Nikon D5000 over exposes by f0.3 or f0.7, so preselect this as -EV compensation, or you can leave the compensation and do it on the bar in the view finder.

However, I have found, unless one is taking static type shots, ie., landscapes, by the time you have don all the twiddling, the moment has often passed! Best way, select aperture (A) priority, chose the 'f' setting you want and press the shutter button, job don! You will need to pre select any exposure compensation, as I say, D5000 = -f0.3, -f0.7.

The other thing I prefer is center 'weighted metering', pattern is OK on general pics, but I usually want the exposure to be of the main subject, so its CW or spot.

Manual is good if you have the time on the shot . . . but how often does that happen, so I'm kicking over the traces, swimming against the tide, it works for me . . . but then I'm not out to please any one but me . . . :naughty: You will screw you brain in the early days, worrying about 'manual', let the camera do half the work and ease into it gently . . . ?

CJS
 
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You guys have put it great and its clearer already. I suppose alot of it is also down to personal prefence also? I will check out the links and have alread googled 'how do i decide which aperture' etc so have a better idea now. Onwards and upwards eh?:lol:

Thanks, Phil
 
GIZTO29 said:
You guys have put it great and its clearer already. I suppose alot of it is also down to personal prefence also? I will check out the links and have alread googled 'how do i decide which aperture' etc so have a better idea now. Onwards and upwards eh?:lol:

Thanks, Phil
Click to expand...

Phil,

You've already had some good advice here. If you want some guidelines regarding aperture setting for portrait and landscape shots then select those modes with the scene control on your camera and see what A & S figures the camera decides on. You can then go to A mode and use the camera's setting as a start point - try varying the aperture either side of the cameras suggestion and see what effect you get/prefer.

The only real way to discover what settings you need is to get out there and use the camera methodically, noting what effect the changes to settings have.

Hope this helps :)
 
Bristolian said:
Phil,

You've already had some good advice here. If you want some guidelines regarding aperture setting for portrait and landscape shots then select those modes with the scene control on your camera and see what A & S figures the camera decides on. You can then go to A mode and use the camera's setting as a start point - try varying the aperture either side of the cameras suggestion and see what effect you get/prefer.

The only real way to discover what settings you need is to get out there and use the camera methodically, noting what effect the changes to settings have.

Hope this helps :)
Click to expand...
Excellent advice there building on what the others have said. My problem is im trying to take in every aspect of photography all at once. Equipment, methods, techniques and other things to contend with have my brain bursting haha! I recently discovered Tilt Shift fakes which are interesting!
Phil
 
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