Just can't seem to get it right.

m_achines

m_achines

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121
Name
Alex
Edit My Images
Yes
I've just taken to the streets (well, a few hours ago) for the first time with my new canon d300 and just couldn't get the image right.

I managed to get two shots I could do something with but that was more luck than anything. No matter how many times I changed the ISO, the white meter, the aperture, the shutter speed... it never came out.

Also, my camera refuses to take the picture if the little arrow isn't matched up in the middle occasionally if you know what I mean. In manual, you set the aperature and then turn the dial to change the shutter speed until an arrow is in the center of the line (I don't know if this is the same as all DSLRs so explaining if not). But what if I want a really slow shutter speed or really fast? Seems I can't because it refuses to fire if the arrow isn't centered sometimes.

What am I doing wrong?
 
On Manual it should. If you want the pointer in the middle than you may as well take pics in S or A mode without compensation.
 
I don't necessarily want the pointer in the middle, the camera just sometimes refuses to take the shot if it's not.

Also, if it does take the shot, sometimes all I get is a jet black or pure white image.

I'm really new to this SLR stuff..
 
M. Manual. I've just fired off a lot of shots to try it out and it appears to be taking images fine no matter where the little arrow is so I was clearly doing something else wrong. But I'll worry about that, should it ever happen again, when it happens.

Now I'm left wondering why, for example when shutter speed is on 4000, aperature 11 and ISO 1600, all I get is a jet black image.

shutter speed = 400, aperature = 11, ISO = 800 = jet black image.

shutter speed = 400, aperature = 5.6, ISO = 800 = jet black image.

shutter speed = 400, aperature = 36, ISO = 800 = jet black image.

shutter speed = 6, aperature = 36, ISO = 800 = jet black image.

shutter speed = 13, aperature = 5.6, ISO = 400 = dark image.

shutter speed = 13, aperature = 5.6, ISO = 200 = jet black image.

I'm sorry, this is probably really obvious... but I am super new :\
 
Exposed too far to the left maybe? Where is the pointer during these exposures. Too far to the left will be dark, too far to the right will be bright.
 
Usually if the camera refuses to shoot, it's because autofocus is not able to focus. Either you are too close or it's too dark for it to work.

f/11 with 1/4000s sounds to me like studio flash and not street photography.. Give the camera metering a chance, put it in Av mode and see what kind of exposure times it gives you with different apertures?
 
^^ I was going to say the same thing, normally, the only reason my camera refuses to take a shot is if the autofocus isn't able to function, and issue you will get in low light.
 
NigelPaul said:
Exposed too far to the left maybe? Where is the pointer during these exposures. Too far to the left will be dark, too far to the right will be bright.
Click to expand...

All the way to the left, yeah.

But in low light, I need a fast shutter speed. But the only shutter speeds I could use with the right aperature were too slow. This is sorted with a tripod but that's not too good with street photography.

Is there a certain flash/flash accessories I could buy that would help? I absolutely detest using the on camera flash.
 
If your pictures are coming out black with your choice of shutter speed/aperture/ISO, you are massively underexposing them. In layman's terms this means you are not allowing enough light in to the camera to record an image.

In manual mode, matching the arrow in the middle is the camera's way of telling you that your settings will give you a decent exposure. If the settings are not to your liking, you may have to compromise.

If you need a faster shutter speed, you will need to use a larger aperture and/or increase the ISO setting. If you are already at the limits of these settings, you will either have to settle for a slower shutter speed, or you will have to introduce extra light in to the scene, maybe by using a flash.
 
m_achines said:
But in low light, I need a fast shutter speed.
Click to expand...

Nope, wrong way round Alex.

In BRIGHT light you need a fast shutter speed, in LOW light you need a longer shutter speed. Here is how it works.

Your camera is a box with a hole in one side and a sensor on the other. That hole has two controls, size (aperture) and how long it is open (shutter)

So the surrounding light plays a very large part in how much light there is around and you need to balance the size of hole and how long it is held open to get the right amount of light in there.

In really bright light there are loads of photons (light) pinging about everywhere so you don't need to catch too many of them in your box to make your picture. So a small hole or a quick blip on the shutter is all that is needed to catch them.

In low light there are not many of these photons around so you need a bigger hole and/or hold it open longer to catch any photons.

Very simplistic explanation but hope it helps.

I'd suggest popping the camera on A and getting to grips with how the hole bit works for a while because it also controls depth of field and grab some tutorials or a book on exposure.
 
Hi alex,

i'm prety new to all this too and whilst i do use manual mode quite a bit i would suggest first getting used to the camera using program mode, then Av and then switching to manual. So instead of you having to select all the settings you select one and let the camera do the rest for a while.
 
AliB said:
Nope, wrong way round Alex.

In BRIGHT light you need a fast shutter speed, in LOW light you need a longer shutter speed. Here is how it works.
Click to expand...

I was going to say the same thing, but if he wants to shot people at night as they go about their business he will need a shutter speed of 1/50+.
 
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