D100 80-400VR Dark pictures with Polorized Filter

I have a new D100 camera and 80-400VR lense. Anytime I'm shooting,

even close to the direction of the sun the result if a very dark

picture. I purchase a 77mm polorized filter and the same problem

occurs. I have the camera set to A (automatic f stop and speed) with

3D or spot metering, I've adjusted the ISO from 200 to 1600, all with

the same results. If the sun is to my back most shots come out

OK...I'm still learning. The 80-400 comes with a hood but when you

attach the polorized filter the hood is no longer usable. It appears

the outer ring of the polorized filter is 80+mm. Did I purchase the

wrong Nikon polorized filter? Can anyone offer guidance on settings

to prevent the dark subjects?

Is it a circular or linear polarized filter?

The D100 underexposes high contrast shots, period. Apparently this was intentional; from what I've read Nikon was concerned about the camera blowing out highlights, and assumed (rightly, I'd say) that users of a digital camera would prefer to have the highlight detail maintained while fixing the rest of the exposure in the computer. If you want true white in your unretouched photo, you'll need to use exposure compensation for high-contrast scenes. I confess I'd gotten pretty complacent about matrix metering in my Nikon film cameras; now suddenly I have to think again. Oh well.

 

And your polarizer, as long as it is a circular polarizer, should be just fine (if it's a linear polarizer the lens probably wouldn't be able to autofocus).

 

By the way, setting the camera to A means the camera is set to Aperture Priority, not automatic. If you want the camera to figure out f-stop and shutter speed for you, you need to set it to P for Program.

 

Also, I'd recommend (while I'm at it) not using automatic white balance. Get into the menu and experiment with different settings. I usually have mine set to Cloudy -3 -- it's equivalent to a modest warming filter.

This question is a bit difficult to dissect as it isn't clear if you have this problem both with and without the polarizer or if you're saying it only does it with the polarizer. Further, I'm not sure of the exposure latitude of the D100 but it may be that you're just getting too much light from the sun and for some reason instead of the 3D metering recognizing that it is the sun and adjusting exposure that it is metering the sun directly.

 

I mean no offense but my impression is that you're not a very experienced shooter and perhaps need a clearer understanding of how the camera meter's a scene--you're playing with a high-end camera and lens and yet use "A" mode (which, BTW, in Nikon's is usually aperture priority so you select the F-stop and the camera automatically selects the shutter speed)--"P" (program) mode is when the camera picks both for you (unless they've changed things on the D-series for some reason).

 

It is common that certain filters are not compatible with the lens hoods, you'll probably just have to live with it.

 

Here's what I think you need to do. Go take a series of shots one with your back to the sun, one with your camera 90 degrees to the sun, one with the sun just out of the frame. Do that same thing again with the polarizer attached and adjusted for maximal effect (you'll only see a difference at 90 degrees, but do it for fun on the other 2 shots). To be really complete do the same thing with the camera at 80mm, 200mm and 400mm. Come back and post not only the pictures but also the exposure data and I'll bet you anything that we'll see it is not a problem with camera, lens or filter but with the shooter and camera settings.

 

Again, don't be offended, perhaps I've misjudged your experience, but the text of your post seems to strongly suggest inexperience as the primary problem, not equipment failure.

--evan

You've found a lighting situation where the D100 matrix metering doesn't render the scene in the tonal ranges you want. Learn how to use exposure compensation and the histogram and blown highlight features.