N80 analog exposure display works in A mode?

[kai_zhong1]

Just bought a N80, and played with the electronic analog exposure

display.<br>

I found out it's very strange that: (I used spot metering)<br>

1. In M mode, the analog works well and fast.<br> However, in S mode,

sometimes it work, sometimes it wont. And when it works, it is not as

fast as it does in M mode to display the over/under exposure.<br><br>

2. In A mode, it just stop working no matter if it is under/over

exposure.<br><br>

Is this normal? <br>

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[juaini]

i'll take a stab at answering your question.

 

the analog display only comes on in S or A mode when the camera can't make a correct exposure due to limits on its shutter speeds and/or aperture of the lens. i think that in A mode it's much easier to get a correct exposure because you're only concerned with aperture, so the camera has a full range of shutter speeds between 30 sec to 1/4000(??) to choose from.

 

in S mode on the other hand, you choose a shutter speed, but the range of aperture settings for the camera to choose from is much smaller than the range of shutter speeds. so the likelihood of selecting a shutter speed that can't give a good exposure is higher.

 

which brings me to the question: how do you know that it's over/underexposing, as you are indicating in your question #2? did you test this out on film?

 

sorry if it was a little long winded and hard to understand, it was the best i could do. anybody want to give it another shot?

[kai_zhong1]

Thanks, Juaini.<br>

I thought I can use analog display in different modes to compare the difference between two spots.<br>

For example, in A mode, I select a spot and metering it, and lock the exposure for it. Then I move to another spot to see the difference of stops between the two spots.<br><br>

I guess I can't do that except in the Manual metering mode.<br>

If I have to do that in A mode, I have to remember the speeds difference in two spots and calculate the stops by myself. :(<br>

What you said make sense.<br>

Thanks.<br>

<br>

By the way, I noticed the analog display shows overexposure more frequently than it does under underexposure situation.

[hal_bissinger]

I assume by the "analog exposure display" you are referring to the exposure meter in the viewfinder that, one way or another, most SLR's have. <p>

In the Nikons that I am most familiar with (F5 and N90s) the exposure meter is only displayed in manual mode since it is the only mode where YOU have to decide on the exposure. Makes no sense to have it in any of the auto modes (A,S or P) since the camera is in charge of setting the exposure and will zero the meter automatically anyway if possible. If the conditions are outside of the exposure "possibilities", a "LO" or "HI" will be displayed. <p>

Probably the N80, being newer, will display the meter at the these extremes rather than just saying LO or HI like the older models do. <p>

At any rate it sounds normal to me. Keep playing with it to see if this is correct.

[kai_zhong1]

Hi, Hal,

Thanks.

N80 occasionally shows the meter/display in the S mode when I spot metering a bright object. I don't know if it is supposed to do that or not.

 

As you said, the meter might be designed to work in Manual mode only.

However, it will be useful that in other modes I can lock one exposure setting and use spot-meter to check the number of stops between locked exposure and expsure of other spots.

But I guess I can calculate that by myself anyway.

 

I rememmber EOS 3 have the ability to multi-spotmeter (up to 8 points) and display their relative positions in the analog exposure display. I think it is a nice feature to adjust/control tonality precisely.

[hal_bissinger]

<i>...N80 occasionally shows the meter/display in the S mode when I spot metering a bright object. </i><p>

Well yes, that was what I said above. Instead of just saying "HI", the N80 will display the meter and tell you how much the overexposure is.<p>

<i>...use spot-meter to check the number of stops between locked exposure and expsure of other spots. </i><p>

The shutter speed and aperture is always displayed. You shouldn't have too much difficulty noting it and comparing it to other readings. Granted, it may be a bit difficult in a P (program) mode because both shutter and aperture are changing but then you would never use that mode anyway right?