How do I Get the Right Exposure With a D80?

The Nikon D80 has three different exposure modes.

In the past, taking a properly exposed photograph was a skill that could only be mastered through long practice. Today's advanced digital cameras like the Nikon D80 have made it possible for anyone to get a great exposure every time while retaining manual control over the image. The Nikon D80 has three exposure modes: 3D color matrix II, center-weighted and spot. 3D color matrix II mode takes a general exposure for the entire image. Center-weighted metering also exposes for the whole frame but gives the greatest weight to the center of the frame, and spot metering sets the exposure for the center of the current focus area.

Instructions

1. Select the metering method by pressing the Meter button, located on top of the camera near the on/off switch, and rotating the main command dial. Three metering modes are available: 3D color matrix II, center-weighted, and spot. The selected metering method is indicated by a rectangular icon on the display. The icon for 3D color matrix II metering has black corners and a black dot in the center. The icon for center-weighted metering looks like a black dot between two parentheses, and the spot metering icon is a black dot.

2. Choose 3D color matrix II for most photos. The camera meters a large area of the frame, taking into account brightness, color, and distance, and sets an exposure level for the whole frame.

3. Select center-weighted mode for portraits, or when you're using a filter with an exposure factor (also called filter factor) greater than 1x. Center-weighted metering still meters the whole frame, but weights the exposure toward the center area of the frame.

4. Use spot metering if you need to expose for a specific part of the frame, especially if the subject is not in the center of the frame. The camera meters an area inside a 3.5 mm circle centered on the current focus area.

5. Compose the shot, and press the shutter button halfway down to measure the exposure.

6. Turn on auto exposure lock if you want to recompose the shot after metering the exposure. You can use auto exposure lock if the camera is in P, S, or A mode. With the shutter button still held halfway down, press and hold the AE-L/AF-L button to engage auto exposure lock. Hold down the AE-L/AF-L button, recompose the shot, and then shoot.

7. Change the metered exposure level by pressing the black and white +/- button and rotating the main command dial. You can change the exposure from -5 EV (darker) to +5 EV (brighter) in increments of 1/3 EV. The exposure compensation setting remains between shots and after you turn the camera off. Reset it to zero by pressing the +/- button and rotating the main command dial until compensation is set to zero.

References

• Nikon: D80 Users Manual