nikon d5100 - question about the ? button

[mikeysaling]

Hi there, this is a question about the ?help button.

I was taking the following image (live view) in aperture mode , slow speed and wide open tele zoom. exif is in there somewhere

By null at 2012-05-09

On a tripod with cable release - focus and exposure set with the first press. The camera displayed the flashing ? and flashing speed and aperture. I pressed the ?help button and the warning 'picture too dark cannot set correct exposure use flash' cam up. I don't understand why it did this as the exposure was correct although the exposure was over one second (not that it matters)

Was the camera trying to save me from myself as if i was hand holding it? anyone know the logic in this ? Its not a real prob but i wonder if all nikons or 5100 's do this with long shutter speeds in M S A P modes.

 

[squishy]

Was the camera trying to save me from myself as if i was hand holding it?

I suspect this is why. The hints system will be designed for people who don't know their way around exposure and technique (who would most likely be hand holding), so it makes sense for the help system to warn them when the shutter speed is likely to introduce camera shake.

Oddly worded though, "cannot set correct exposure" implies to me that correct exposure would require to go beyond the maximum or minimum shutter speed or aperture (which evidently wasn't the case here).