Dark images

I am a FZ10 owner and a problem just showed today when I shot quite a few pictures in manual mode. They looked fine in the camera but were dark in Windows Explorer and Photoshop. They requied plenty of post processing. Pictures shot using P mode looked fine. Any ideas?

This is a very profitable and encouraging site compared to another one I have accessed. Thank You,
--
Alleycat

Harvey Alley said:

I am a FZ10 owner and a problem just showed today when I shot quite
a few pictures in manual mode. They looked fine in the camera but
were dark in Windows Explorer and Photoshop. They requied plenty of
post processing. Pictures shot using P mode looked fine. Any ideas?
This is a very profitable and encouraging site compared to another
one I have accessed. Thank You,
--
Alleycat

Click to expand...

Hi Alleycat,

Yes, this is a useful forum!

Suggestions from forum members for things like low-cost Ebay batteries, Nikon rubber eyecups, etc., have really helped me. Also, there are some inspiring photos here!

But addressing your problem --

Photoshop (I am told) decodes all the settings originally used to take each picture.

I'd look at the history of the photos and compare the manual settings you used on the too-dark photos with the properly exposed photos taken in "P" mode. This should reveal plenty.

I seem to remember having a problem similar to yours the first week or so I had my camera and was experimenting with use of the manual settings for the first times. But after a few downloads to computer, I learned quickly that if something looks even a bit on the darker side in the camera, it wouldn't be a good useable photo. I chalked it up as part of getting a feel for the camera and it hasn't been something I even think about nowadays.

Hopefully yours is a similar situation, although I feel bad you lost some great photos.

One of the wonderful things about digital is the ability to study the history of well exposed photos and make a mental note of what it was created success. This makes each session of shooting easier because you have more time to shoot rather than worry over settings. The learning comes quickly because the results are instant. Too darned much fun!

Best of luck to you in capturing some great photos in the future,
B. Char

TheChars said:

Harvey Alley said:

I am a FZ10 owner and a problem just showed today when I shot quite
a few pictures in manual mode. They looked fine in the camera but
were dark in Windows Explorer and Photoshop. They requied plenty of
post processing. Pictures shot using P mode looked fine. Any ideas?
This is a very profitable and encouraging site compared to another
one I have accessed. Thank You,
--
Alleycat

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Definitely check the EXIF info, its easy to blow a shot in manual mode by just switching to it from another setting. Another easy blunder is to forget to adjust the white balance....i shot a really nice panorama (360 degree panorama) outside, and it was using "halogen/incandescent" lighting as a white balance.....everything had a major blue cast to it....the pano was garbage.

You might also check the setting for the brightness of your camera's LCD monitor.....it might be bumped up high. I leave mine at "0" for the most part.

Seaphoto said:

You might also check the setting for the brightness of your
camera's LCD monitor.....it might be bumped up high. I leave mine
at "0" for the most part.

Click to expand...

This will probably help you most. Switch the brightness of LCD and Viewfinder (the brightness for those is selected separatelly) to the lowest setting. And be aware, that when you look at your LCD at different angles, the brightness will change. Try taking some photos of outside of your window, download pictures to your computer (without deleting them), and then compare what you see on monitor, on LCD and through the window. You will learn the difference between LCD and reality.

The properly calibrated monitor is the prerequisite.

Cheers,
Kuba

Gentleman, You solved my problem! Thank you very much. Kuba, how do I adjust the viewfinder on my FZ10? I did adjust the LCD monitor.

Alleycat

JakubKonecki said:

Seaphoto said:

You might also check the setting for the brightness of your
camera's LCD monitor.....it might be bumped up high. I leave mine
at "0" for the most part.

Click to expand...

This will probably help you most. Switch the brightness of LCD
and Viewfinder (the brightness for those is selected separatelly)
to the lowest setting. And be aware, that when you look at your LCD
at different angles, the brightness will change. Try taking some
photos of outside of your window, download pictures to your
computer (without deleting them), and then compare what you see on
monitor, on LCD and through the window. You will learn the
difference between LCD and reality.

The properly calibrated monitor is the prerequisite.

Cheers,
Kuba

Click to expand...

--
Alleycat

Harvey Alley said:

Gentleman, You solved my problem! Thank you very much. Kuba, how do
I adjust the viewfinder on my FZ10? I did adjust the LCD monitor.

Click to expand...

Yes, this forum is terrific. And every time someone asks a question to which I thought I knew the answer, I find even more helpful information.
--
Joan
http://www.joanr.smugmug.com FZ10 (some UZI shots there too)

Seaphoto said:

You might also check the setting for the brightness of your
camera's LCD monitor.....it might be bumped up high. I leave mine
at "0" for the most part.

Click to expand...

Dear Seaphoto,

I tried this after reading your post (putting the EVF and the LCD levels at zero), and I found that my monitor was waaay too dark to be useful in P mode, and in manual mode it was even worse because I couldn't see to focus. Do you have an FZ10? or a different model Panasonic?
B. Char

He just means leave it medium setting not - or +
Harlan

TheChars said:

Seaphoto said:

You might also check the setting for the brightness of your
camera's LCD monitor.....it might be bumped up high. I leave mine
at "0" for the most part.

Click to expand...

Dear Seaphoto,
I tried this after reading your post (putting the EVF and the LCD
levels at zero), and I found that my monitor was waaay too dark to
be useful in P mode, and in manual mode it was even worse because I
couldn't see to focus. Do you have an FZ10? or a different model
Panasonic?
B. Char

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/harlanjs
FZ-10

Harlan Saperstein said:

He just means leave it medium setting not - or +
Harlan

Click to expand...

Harlan,

Ye Gods. I just looked at my menu again, and zero is indeed smack dab in the middle between plus and minus. I had been thinking zero meant to turn the monitor all the way down. Sheesh. Thank you!
B.Char

TheChars said:

Seaphoto said:

You might also check the setting for the brightness of your
camera's LCD monitor.....it might be bumped up high. I leave mine
at "0" for the most part.

Click to expand...

Dear Seaphoto,
I tried this after reading your post (putting the EVF and the LCD
levels at zero), and I found that my monitor was waaay too dark to
be useful in P mode, and in manual mode it was even worse because I
couldn't see to focus. Do you have an FZ10? or a different model
Panasonic?
B. Char

Click to expand...

There may be a misunderstanding of my use of "0".....like other meters on the pana. fz10....im considering the "middle" of the scale for monitor brightness to be "0" or neutral brightness.....all the way to the left would be "negative brightness", and all the way to the left would be positive brightness......imagine it to be similar to the EV meter.....except for the lcd screen. I'm considering the middle to be 0 EV (lcd screen) brightness adjustment.

hopefully this is more helpful......i would imagine monitor brightness all the way to the left would be too dark except at high noon on sunny days !!

sorry for the confusion,

Chris

Harvey Alley wrote:
Kuba, how do

Harvey Alley said:

I adjust the viewfinder on my FZ10? I did adjust the LCD monitor.

Click to expand...

Sorry for such a long answer.

Just switch to EVF and choose Menu -> Settings. Instead of LCD you will have EVF settings.

Cheers,
Kuba