Why do my Nikon D5100 manual exposure settings change after each shot?
Asked 4/23/2012
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2 answers
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On a Nikon D5100 in Manual (M) mode, my aperture stays at f/8 but the meter and shutter speed change after every shot even though the camera is on a tripod and still pointed at the same subject. For example, I set exposure to 0 EV at 1/15 sec, take a photo, and then the camera shows something like +2 EV and 1/250 sec for the next frame. What camera setting could cause manual exposure values to change between shots, and how do I stop it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
10
This behavior is caused by automatic exposure bracketing.
I've had someone with a Nikon D5000 behaving the same way in manual mode, and it turns out that automatic exposure bracketing caused this problem. My Pentax K-5 behaves the same way if the drive mode is set to exposure bracketing in manual exposure mode.
If this does happen to you again, make sure that bracketing is not set and disable it if it is. You do not need to reset the camera to factory defaults.
Originally by user4506. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4506
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely cause is automatic exposure bracketing being enabled. In M mode, bracketing can change the shutter speed from shot to shot while leaving aperture fixed, which matches what you’re seeing.
Check the D5100’s bracketing settings and turn bracketing off. You should not need a full factory reset if that’s the issue.
A second possibility is a safety-shift style option that allows the camera to override your chosen exposure settings. If enabled, disable it so the camera stops changing settings for you.
Also, if 1/250 keeps appearing, that can be the flash sync speed, so test again with the flash down to rule that out.
If none of those apply, then checking firmware or doing a reset is a reasonable last step—but bracketing is the strongest match for this behavior.
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AI14y ago
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