D90 - overexposure problems

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Enir
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p.1 #1 · D90 - overexposure problems

I'm getting quite a few overexposed pictures with my new D90. Settings are standard, Dlight is off, matrix metering, AP mode, central point focusing. Exposure is at times 2/3 of a stop too high. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong, and besides I checked it carefully many times. Since I'm new to Nikon, I wonder if this is a well known problem.

I posted a photo on http://www.telefonica.net/web2/enir/

It's the only one I didn't delete. RAW, converted with ViewNX (ACR and NX2 didn't improve it), focused on the house just in the center of the picture. I see this landscape from the window of my computer room and use it as test when I get a new camera. This particular photo is not as bad as others I took with the D90, maybe overexposed by half a stop. I never found this problem before with Contax, Canon, etc. Maybe I got a lemon?

The camera is great otherwise. Only that now and then I get overexposures unpredictably. Trying with center weighted instead of matrix didn't solve the problem.

By the way, so far I prefer not to switch D-Lighting on. I figure that I can always reduce contrast in PP. Am I wrong? Anyway, strange that Nikon modifies RAW.

Thanks for your help,
Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 02:50 PM

panos.v
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p.1 #2 · D90 - overexposure problems

It doesn't really look overexposed to me, sure the white walls on all the houses at the front are burned but the rest of the frame looks ok, the sky, hill and grass/earth looks ok. What adjustments does View apply to it?

If you're not happy send it for calibration but I wouldn't call it problematic. What does the histogram say?

Oct 10, 2008 at 03:00 PM

Enir
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p.1 #3 · D90 - overexposure problems

panos.v wrote:
It doesn't really look overexposed to me, sure the white walls on all the houses at the front are burned but the rest of the frame looks ok, the sky, hill and grass/earth looks ok. What adjustments does View apply to it?

If you're not happy send it for calibration but I wouldn't call it problematic. What does the histogram say?

Histogram shows clipping. The whole picture was well overexposed. I can see the landscape and the photo at the same time.

As far as I know, I cannot adjust anything in ViewNX, except for saving Tiff or JPG. Converting with ACR 4.6 in auto didn't improve things. It's a recurrent problem.

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 03:21 PM

linathael
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p.1 #4 · D90 - overexposure problems

how was the WB set?

Oct 10, 2008 at 03:32 PM

Enir
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p.1 #5 · D90 - overexposure problems

linathael wrote:
how was the WB set?

Automatic white balance.

Oct 10, 2008 at 03:49 PM

jmcfadden
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p.1 #6 · D90 - overexposure problems

do you have the EV compensation turned on? are you in a bracketing mode ?

J

Oct 10, 2008 at 03:58 PM

tanagerridge
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p.1 #7 · D90 - overexposure problems

Enrique,

I have the same problem with my D80. According to Ken Rockwell, the D80 meter system is "defective" and has been corrected in the D300 and D90. He also says leave the ADR on auto which you had off. I leave the exposure set to -0.7 all the time which helps a lot. Check out kenrockwell.com for more extensive info.

Edited on Oct 10, 2008 at 04:07 PM · View previous versions

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:05 PM

Enir
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p.1 #8 · D90 - overexposure problems

jmcfadden wrote:
do you have the EV compensation turned on? are you in a bracketing mode ?

J

No. Neither.

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:07 PM

pr4photos
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p.1 #9 · D90 - overexposure problems

the image is about 1/2 stop overexposed. its like the d300. it hates overexposure. and the meter is very sensitive. i have a fuji s3 and that will nail the exposure every time, but the nikon doesn't. i have also used the fuji s5 and that is very similar to the nikon. very sensitive.

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:10 PM

Enir
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p.1 #10 · D90 - overexposure problems

tanagerridge wrote:
Enrique,

I have the same problem with my D80. According to Ken Rockwell, the D80 meter system is "defective" and has been corrected in the D300 and D90. He also says leave the ADR on auto which you had off. I leave the exposure set to -0.7 all the time which helps a lot. Check out kenrockwell.com for more extensive info.

I will check, thank you. I'm a bit reluctant to switch D-Lighting on. I think I prefer to play with levels than letting the camera do it for me. I don't trust these automatic processes much.

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:13 PM

Enir
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p.1 #11 · D90 - overexposure problems

pr4photos wrote:
the image is about 1/2 stop overexposed. its like the d300. it hates overexposure. and the meter is very sensitive. i have a fuji s3 and that will nail the exposure every time, but the nikon doesn't. i have also used the fuji s5 and that is very similar to the nikon. very sensitive.

Then it would be a rather fussy problem to deal with. Scenes in the shade are well exposed, only the bright highlights are a problem. I mean that a permanent exposure compensation won't do. And don't like the idea of D-lighting so much. Hmmm...

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:19 PM

90 5.0
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p.1 #12 · D90 - overexposure problems

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:21 PM

louis fusco
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p.1 #13 · D90 - overexposure problems

user error, midday is a crap time for taking photos

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:43 PM

Enir
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p.1 #14 · D90 - overexposure problems

louis fusco wrote:
user error, midday is a crap time for taking photos

Ehem. 10:30 am being 8:30 solar time is hardly midday. Otherwise I agree with you.

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 04:50 PM

G-W-N
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p.1 #15 · D90 - overexposure problems

Enir wrote:
As far as I know, I cannot adjust anything in ViewNX, except for saving Tiff or JPG.
Enrique

There are several adjustments you can make if you are using the latest version of ViewNX. Click on the quick adjust tab on the bottom left hand side of your screen to open the quick adjust menu.

Oct 10, 2008 at 05:09 PM

Andre Labonte
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p.1 #16 · D90 - overexposure problems

1st, do yourself a favor and never ever go to KR's site. He is an idiot.

2nd, check your D-lighting setting. D-lighting can do this.

3rd, Those mountains are dark and will cause the meter to read low. Meter off the sky and fix exposure based on that.

4th, if you want to reduce your exposure issuse, learn to manual expose everything. Understand Exposure by Bryan Peterson is a great place to start.

Oct 10, 2008 at 05:25 PM

James R
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p.1 #17 · D90 - overexposure problems

Oct 10, 2008 at 05:50 PM

hjanssen
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p.1 #18 · D90 - overexposure problems

I took the pic into the ACR and it was nearly at -1.6EV, but still some parts of the houses were washed out, but didn't come back either with a higher EV. Maybe with the original Raw file there is something special.

Oct 10, 2008 at 05:51 PM

90 5.0
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p.1 #19 · D90 - overexposure problems

Andre Labonte wrote:
1st, do yourself a favor and never ever go to KR's site. He is an idiot.

2nd, check your D-lighting setting. D-lighting can do this.

3rd, Those mountains are dark and will cause the meter to read low. Meter off the sky and fix exposure based on that.

4th, if you want to reduce your exposure issuse, learn to manual expose everything. Understand Exposure by Bryan Peterson is a great place to start.

I agree with you on the most part except the use manual exposure all the time part.

Learning about exposure will help a ton, but there is no reason not to use ap. You have to learn your camera as well. It seems all to often these my camera meters wrong posts come up, but in actuality there is no wrong metering , only interpreting what you feel as "correct". With the age of digital cameras and technology metering accuracy is getting better and better but no two cameras meter the same. It's just the way it is.

Exposure compensation is on all camera's for a reason, it needs to be there.

Start out by learning how your camera meters in a certain lighting situation, I suggest starting off in bright light because thats the easiest and the one you seem to be having a problem with.

Learn the "Sunny 16 rule" for proper exposure in direct light and see where your meter is.

Go to ap setting with d-lighting off

Set your aperture to 16 and iso 100 or , since your native is 200 on that cam do 200.

At f/16 200 iso meter off of green grass or grey/light brown tree bark. Your meter should tell you 1/200 is the exposure length it chooses. If not use exposure compenstaion to make it that way.

Ie, it gives a reeding of 1/100 you know that is a full stop overexposed so set the compensation to -1 and shoot .

Now compare the compensated exposure to the original, and expose to taste.

After a while it will be second nature to adjust your exposure to the way your camera acts and the way you like your pics to come out.

I know my D80 overexposes +7 in harsh bright light on bright objects and under -3 in shadows on dark objects. Shooting manual which i normally do i know depending on what i am pointing at if i should be above or below the metering mark.

But for action, bif and other rapidly moving /changing conditions i use ap and set my ex. comp, and can change it on the fly whit the thumb wheel a lot faster than chasing the manual meter in and out of shadows.

On Kens site there is a ton of information, some of it good some of it bad take it all with a grain of salt and use what works for you from there.

I might suggest buying a photography book and going from there.

I find John Shaw's books to be excellent.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

http://www.adorama.com/BKJSNPFG.html?sid=1223660947644601

Edited on Oct 11, 2008 at 03:22 AM · View previous versions

Oct 10, 2008 at 05:51 PM

Enir
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p.1 #20 · D90 - overexposure problems

Nothing to do with the real thing. Thanks for trying, though.

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 05:58 PM

Enir
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p.1 #21 · D90 - overexposure problems

90 5.0 wrote:
Andre Labonte wrote:
1st, do yourself a favor and never ever go to KR's site. He is an idiot.

2nd, check your D-lighting setting. D-lighting can do this.

3rd, Those mountains are dark and will cause the meter to read low. Meter off the sky and fix exposure based on that.

4th, if you want to reduce your exposure issuse, learn to manual expose everything. Understand Exposure by Bryan Peterson is a great place to start.

I agree with you on the most part except the use manual exposure all the time part.

Learning about exposure will help a ton, but there is no reason not to use ap. You have to learn your camera as well. It seems all to often these my camera meters wrong posts come up, but in actuality there is no wrong metering , only interpreting what you feel as "correct". With the age of digital cameras and technology metering accuracy is getting better and better but no two cameras meter the same. It's just the way it is.

Exposure compensation is on all camera's for a reason, it needs to be there.

Start out by learning how your camera meters in a certain lighting situation, I suggest starting off in bright light because thats the easiest and the one you seem to be having a problem with.

Learn the "Sunny 16 rule" for proper exposure in direct light and see where your meter is.

Go to ap setting with d-lighting off

Set your aperture to 16 and iso 100 or , since your native is 200 on that cam do 200.

At f/16 200 iso meter off of green grass or grey/light brown tree bark. Your meter should tell you 1/200 is the exposure length it chooses. If not use exposure compenstaion to make it that way.

Ie, it gives a reeding of 1/400 you know that is a full stop overexposed so set the compensation to -1 and shoot .

Now compare the compensated exposure to the original, and expose to taste.

After a while it will be second nature to adjust your exposure to the way your camera acts and the way you like your pics to come out.

I know my D80 overexposes +7 in harsh bright light on bright objects and under -3 in shadows on dark objects. Shooting manual which i normally do i know depending on what i am pointing at if i should be above or below the metering mark.

But for action, bif and other rapidly moving /changing conditions i use ap and set my ex. comp, and can change it on the fly whit the thumb wheel a lot faster than chasing the manual meter in and out of shadows.

On Kens site there is a ton of information, some of it good some of it bad take it all with a grain of salt and use what works for you from there.

I might suggest buying a photography book and going from there.

I find John Shaw's books to be excellent.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

http://www.adorama.com/BKJSNPFG.html?sid=1223660947644601

Thanks for your tips. I would also like to make clear that I have been in photography for some 40 years, so I roughly know what I'm doing, including the f/16 1/ASA rule. But I had my D90 for just a few days and admit I don't know it well yet. It is also my first Nikon reflex.

Kind regards,
Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 06:01 PM

Enir
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p.1 #22 · D90 - overexposure problems

2. I'm new to D-Lighting, but I prefer not to use it. It sounds to me like turning contrast down to make things easy, but inaccurate (not like the real thing I saw when I took the photo). The few times I tried it, I liked it better without. I'll try more, for sure.

3. You may be right, your explanation makes sense. Problem is that I will have to resort more and more to manual exposure.

4. As I was saying.

Thanks a lot,
Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 06:06 PM

Enir
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p.1 #23 · D90 - overexposure problems

James R wrote:
Andre Labonte wrote:
1st, do yourself a favor and never ever go to KR's site. He is an idiot.

2nd, check your D-lighting setting. D-lighting can do this.

3rd, Those mountains are dark and will cause the meter to read low. Meter off the sky and fix exposure based on that.

4th, if you want to reduce your exposure issuse, learn to manual expose everything. Understand Exposure by Bryan Peterson is a great place to start.

+1, except I no longer will comment on KR.

BTW, it took 20 secs to correct this photo in LR2.

On the same page I posted a corrected JPG that roughly looks like the real thing. Portraits with this overexposure problem are beyond repair, though.

By the way, my 70-300 vr does much worse in this regard than my 16-85, at same focal length, same subject, place and time. Is the 70-300 prone to flare? That's what it looks like in thes blown pictures.

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 06:26 PM

Enir
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p.1 #24 · D90 - overexposure problems

G-W-N wrote:
Enir wrote:
As far as I know, I cannot adjust anything in ViewNX, except for saving Tiff or JPG.
Enrique

There are several adjustments you can make if you are using the latest version of ViewNX. Click on the quick adjust tab on the bottom left hand side of your screen to open the quick adjust menu.

That's what happens when one doesn't read the manual... Thanks a lot, great tip.

Enrique

Oct 10, 2008 at 07:01 PM

xof711
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p.1 #25 · D90 - overexposure problems

tanagerridge wrote:
Enrique,

I have the same problem with my D80. According to Ken Rockwell, the D80 meter system is "defective" and has been corrected in the D300 and D90. He also says leave the ADR on auto which you had off. I leave the exposure set to -0.7 all the time which helps a lot. Check out kenrockwell.com for more extensive info.
I agree, it looks like a defective meter system. The photo is clearly overexposed...

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DigitalFreak.net

Oct 11, 2008 at 12:49 AM


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