Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic - Camera screen not showing proper exposure- any advice?

themightyshrub · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:37 am

I'm trying to get back into photography, as I've pretty much not taken any pictures in over a year. I'm coming across a problem though, in that when I view images I've just taken on the screen on the back of my camera, the exposure is fine, but once they're on the computer, they're awful. I'm talking like, 3 stops out.

Now I know I'm not a great photographer, so I always have to do a fair bit in PS afterwards. The camera doesn't help with this either - it's a Nikon D40, so it's lowest ISO is 200 and its on 6.1MP, so I don't have much wiggle room for error and having to manually change the RAW exposure in every picture is not only annoying me but introducing extra problems for me to deal with, like extra noise.

Here's some examples. The one of the slides is pretty much straight outta the camera (I've changed the WB), and then the next one is as close as I can get to how it looked on the screen on the camera. The third shot is another I took a couple of weeks ago. It was outside on a sunny day, there's really no need for it to be this underexposed - no lack of light or anything like that. And again, it looked great in camera.

Any advice as to what to do to fix this would be greatly appreciated. I'm really not sure if it's a problem with the camera or with something I'm doing wrong.

digigandalf · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 5452 Location: Twinsburg, OH

I don't know about the D40, but on the D300 you can adjust the screen brightness. I think mine's at -2 or something like that because at 0 it was showing the images quite a bit brighter than they really were. Maybe there's something like that on yours. Check the menus (or manual).

copidosoma · Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 3921 Location: Canada

use your histogram, not the screen.

As above, the screen brightness can (usually) be adjusted so you aren't getting any useful information about exposure. The histogram will tell you your exposure information.

semmickphoto · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:05 am

Camera LCD screens are back lit and show you a brilliant photo with a lot of pop and contrast. Use your histogram to check for exposure, as mentioned, and use your camera LCD only to check composition and framing.

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:17 am

Have you accidentally bumped the exposure comp adjustment? That is if Nikon has one?

I see you were set on AP and at 1/3200 sec.

You were letting the camera think for you and it saw a bright sky and adjusted for it.

pharm · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 9422 Location: Never quite sure

If you're importing a RAW exposure into PS, depending on the settings, it'll show the image with the last settings used or whatever you have set as the default settings. For instance, if it's set to decrease the exposure and you import an image (RAW), then every image is going to look dark.

If I'm understanding you correctly, try this: Shoot RAW + jpg or just jpg and see if the jpg is properly exposed. If it is, but the RAW file is underexposed, then that's the problem. Your camera, even if you're shooting RAW only, will show a jpg version on the LCD screen which is why it looks good on the camera. I'm pretty sure it's not the camera but your RAW editor (ACR, I'm guessing since you're using PS).

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:29 am

themightyshrub · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:53 am

themightyshrub · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:53 am

pharm · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 9422 Location: Never quite sure

themightyshrub · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:49 am

I don't know what ACR is so I'm going to guess PS. I just use the RAW processor in PS.

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:19 pm

fraiseap · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:01 pm

pjmorley · Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Posts: 3302

Try taking a few shots in full auto mode. If they look OK...ish then the chances are you have inadvertently set your exposure compensation to underexpose. Full auto ignores any exposure compensation.

I don't use Nikon but given the proximity of the exposure compensation button the shutter button on the D40 and the fact that it doubles up as an aperture button might make it an easy mistake to make.

tverkhovynets · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 753 Location: Kiev, Ukraine

it's hard to tell the exact reason of this, but what comes to my mind is this:

- maybe you accidentally turned on bracketing;
- exposure compensation set incorrectly;
- incorrect exposure. Keep in mind Ansel Adams zone system. It may help.

Taras