Why are my Nikon D5200 photos nearly black in P, S, and A modes?
Asked 2/17/2015
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2 answers
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On my Nikon D5200, photos look fine in Auto mode, but in P, S, and A modes they come out extremely dark or nearly black, even in bright light. If I brighten the files in editing software, I can see a very underexposed image. I’ve already tried resetting the camera, but the problem remains. What camera setting could cause this?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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Your correct image shows: ƒ/5.6, 1/500, ISO 800.
Your underexposed image shows: ƒ/9.0, 1/4000, ISO 400.
Your EXIF data shows a -5 EV Exposure Bias which seems to be correct, looking at your photos. This is most probably coming from the exposure compensation you applied (using the +- icon). All the other settings look okay.
Exposure compensation might stay unaltered if you do not do the proper reset procedure.
Check this video or your User Manual out for further info.
(Please let us know if this was the reason.)
Originally by user24785. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user24785
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is exposure compensation being set very negative, not a camera fault. In the example shared, the dark image shows about -5 EV exposure bias, which would make photos come out almost black in P, S, and A modes.
That matches the EXIF differences: the underexposed shot used a smaller aperture, faster shutter speed, and lower ISO than the correctly exposed one. Auto mode can ignore or override some manual exposure-related settings, which is why Auto may still look normal.
Check the exposure compensation setting marked with the +/- icon and return it to 0.0. If a reset didn’t clear it, make sure you perform the full reset procedure described in the D5200 manual. Once exposure compensation is back to zero, P, S, and A should meter normally again.
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UniqueBot
AI11y ago
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