Metering Question

[davidlww]

I have a D300 with the DX AFS Nikkor 16-85mm 3.5-5.6G ED lens. When shooting outdoor landscape scenes, I find distant subjects (mountains, trees, building) generally under exposed. The red and green appears dark. Mid range subjects are ok.

The same scene on my Olympus compact camera appears brighter. The red and green are brighter.

Setting used:
Exposure mode: Programmed Auto.
Metering at: 3D Matrix. (Centred weighted, also give my the same result).

Is there something I should be doing to get a overall brighter picture?

Thanks.

 

[yonatan]

Maybe overall your frame contains large area of bright objects (i.e. sky). Your camera will try to avoid clipping the highlight at the cost of underexposing dark objects. You can try to play with active d-lighting options. If you think the camera metering is wrong then you can always use the exposure compensation.

 

[lsisaxon]

I have a D300 with the DX AFS Nikkor 16-85mm 3.5-5.6G ED lens. When shooting outdoor landscape scenes, I find distant subjects (mountains, trees, building) generally under exposed. The red and green appears dark. Mid range subjects are ok.

The same scene on my Olympus compact camera appears brighter. The red and green are brighter.

Setting used:
Exposure mode: Programmed Auto.
Metering at: 3D Matrix. (Centred weighted, also give my the same result).

Is there something I should be doing to get a overall brighter picture?

Thanks.

Pictures to illustrate?

 

[szeping]

Is there something I should be doing to get a overall brighter picture?

Increase the EV, then every colour will appear brighter

 

[b18]

DSLR are tend to be less forgiving than compact cameras as compacts are designed for happy p&s people.

For landscape , I would suggest to use CWA metering with 8mm and meter on the horizon.
Activate your D300 Dlighting and set it to Low and see the result then.

Personally I rarely use P mode for still shots like that.

 

[Blur Shadow]

Can you show us a picture? I suspect your D300 metering was inclined to retain highlight details of the sky or something. But a picture will enable the rest of us to understand and explain your result.

 

[Benji77]

Simple. You cannot get a 'overall brighter picture' as you are on the Programme Auto mode. You have to go Manual. Your camera's meter will adjust the ISO to compensate for whatever scene you point to. Regardless of your metering mode (Spot, Centre, Matrix).

This means that you have to have full control via Manual.
If you meter for the darker areas, you will 'blow' the already brighter areas.
This is where filters come in to 'compensate' for the exposure difference.

The higher the exposure difference between the light/dark, the more you require filters to 'compensate' for you.

 

[huggable]

Since the scene is landscape, you can dial up the exposure compensation, review on the spot, adjust and re-shoot.

Such is the advantage of digital photography.

 

[catchlights]

I have a D300 with the DX AFS Nikkor 16-85mm 3.5-5.6G ED lens. When shooting outdoor landscape scenes, I find distant subjects (mountains, trees, building) generally under exposed. The red and green appears dark. Mid range subjects are ok.

The same scene on my Olympus compact camera appears brighter. The red and green are brighter.

Setting used:
Exposure mode: Programmed Auto.
Metering at: 3D Matrix. (Centred weighted, also give my the same result).

Is there something I should be doing to get a overall brighter picture?

Thanks.

first thing first!
you compare the images on camera LCD display or computer monitor?

 

[davidlww]

Thanks for comments so far. Here are 3 sample pix. It was slightly hazy at Halong Bay. They are not the same scenes on D300 and Olympus compact for comparison, but was taken about the same time, same day. To me, the shot from my Olympus compact appears to have richer colors. My other shots are mostly the same... the sky was slightly more hazier the second day.

Thanks.

Taken by Olympus compact:

These two by D300

 

[Darts]

Thanks for comments so far. Here are 3 sample pix. It was slightly hazy at Halong Bay. They are not the same scenes on D300 and Olympus compact for comparison, but was taken about the same time, same day. To me, the shot from my Olympus compact appears to have richer colors. My other shots are mostly the same... the sky was slightly more hazier the second day.

Thanks.

Taken by Olympus compact:

These two by D300

hi,

although i got no experience in travel photography but, got a little knowledge in haze conditions, from the olympus compact pictures i am quite sure the distance of you and the 'hills' (object) is much nearer than the shot taken by the D300 even using a tele lens it wouldnt help because the physical distance is still there. Thus, further u r away from the 'object' the thicker the layer of haze causes more light dispersion, hence reasulting the lost of colours.

hope this helps.

 

[Benji77]

You will have to adjust the Levels & Curves from your D300.
The Compact adjusts this itself, as its a Compact.
But for your D300, its left up to the user to adjust how they want it to look.

 

[lsisaxon]

Thanks for comments so far.

Which ones do you think are closer to what you see with your eye that day? ;p