Nikon D60 is suddenly taking horribly overexposed outdoor photos

[niochorio]

I have had my Nikon D60 with a VR 18-55 mm lens for about 6-7 years and it has worked perfectly (always on AUTO) up until last week. For some unknown reason, all my outdoor photos are horribly over-exposed but indoor shots are okay. I am wondering if perhaps I have made a wrong setting or flipped a switch I should not have. Have tried to attach two TinyPix to show the results of an indoor an outdoor shot.




Any ideas or suggestions would be sincerely appreciated!
Thanks!

[mikesan]

Look in your user's manual for the instruction to reset all functions to their factory defaults. That's where I would start.

[Manfred M]

You really haven't given us anything to go on. It could be as simple as having accidentally switched your camera to manual exposure mode; a setting where the interior shot looks okay whereas the exterior shot is overexposed could be the result of this happening. If you look at the first shot, the interior of the room looks a bit dark, but the exterior part of the image looks to have the same exposure as the second image. Having what appears to be the same setting in both shots could be explained by this.

It could also be something more serious; for instance a manual or electronic failure in the lens.

Unfortunately, you really haven't given us enough information to do much more than take some educated guesses.

[Stagecoach]

As Manfred mentions there is not enough information to go on from these.

What I do see is that from looking at the Exif data in three different Exif viewers, if it can be trusted;

a) Both shots were taken using different modes.
b) For both shots flash was used.
c) In one shot there was no EC.
d) In one shot there was an EC of -1.3 used.

[Mike Buckley]

If your Nikon camera is made the same way as all four Nikon cameras I have extensively used, it is far too easy to accidentally move the dial that determines the shooting mode (manual mode, aperture priority mode, shutter priority mode, and other modes). Perhaps you accidentally moved that dial.

[niochorio]

Thanks for all of this! I will try every suggestion and come back with the results. I know I have not changed the AUTO button but in any event will start with the total reset and move on.

[dem]

To me it looks like "sticky aperture blades" - the problem with the lens when it physically can't stop aperture down and takes the shot somewhere between its maximum aperture (f/3.5?) and the desired aperture (f/14 in the second shot).

The exposure settings in the EXIF of the outdoor shot are f/14, 1/200 s and ISO 100. That is about 1/2 a stop underexposed from the sunny 16 rule. The image should not be overexposed at these settings. That's why I think it might be the lens problem.

Try using a different lens and see if you still have this overexposure problem outdoors.

[MrB]

To me it looks like "sticky aperture blades" - the problem with the lens when it physically can't stop aperture down and takes the shot somewhere between its maximum aperture (f/3.5?) and the desired aperture (f/14 in the second shot).

The exposure settings in the EXIF of the outdoor shot are f/14, 1/200 s and ISO 100. That is about 1/2 a stop underexposed from the sunny 16 rule. The image should not be overexposed at these settings. That's why I think it might be the lens problem.

Try using a different lens and see if you still have this overexposure problem outdoors.

This looks to be the likely explanation. When the exposure is brought down by 4 EV in Camera Raw, the parts of the image that are not blown out begin to look right:



This is roughly the adjustment from the lens' full open aperture (f/3.5) to the settings reported in the EXIF data, so it does look as though the aperture is stuck open.

The effect is not seen in the indoor shot, as the exposure is controlled by the flash.

Cheers.
Philip

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Bruce,

Welcome to the CiC forums from me.

I'm another that suspects the lens, but wonder if the contacts between lens and body might be worth checking cleaning.

You do need to be careful using the camera though, for example using the flash on the second shot is not advised, it may well unnecessarily limiting the maximum shutter speed the camera can use and that may lead to over exposure.

Do you have another lens you can try?
e.g. the 55-250mm

Good luck with the diagnostics, Dave

[niochorio]

Thanks to all, and particularly Dem, Philip, and Dave for giving me an idea (that I was hoping not to hear!) but then it does seem to make very much sense. I did do a total reset but that did not help. Greece, and particularly rural Crete, is pretty-well closed down for the week before and the week after Orthodox Easter (same date this year as Catholic Easter) so I will try to get into a shop after the break to try a new lens.

I would like to add that I am a genuine neophyte in photography but I really should study more. Your forum experts have been VERY helpful and I am going to use these two weeks, and surely more more, to try to rectify a bit of my ignorance. The CiC site and forum have a tremendous amount to offer and I am very grateful that it came up in a search on Google. Thanks again to everyone. I will provide closure on this post once I have tested another lens.

Thanks again! Bruce

[Cantab]

Bruce, welcome to CiC (from another Bruce). I hope you make the progress you're hoping for during the Easter shutdown.

[rpcrowe]

If I were presented with this problem, I would try several things in troubleshooting your camera:

First, I would ensure that I do not have exposure compensation set in the camera. If you are not sure how EC is set, your user manual or a user manual online could help you.

Now that you are sure that you don't have exposure compensation dialed in, try these tests...

First test: Set your camera to Aperture priority at f/16. See what shutter speed you are getting at various ISO settings outside on a bright sunny day. Your shutter speed should be in the area of the reciprocal of the ISO. As an example, if you have your ISO set to 250: your shutter speed should be about 1/250 second. If you have your ISO set to 640: your shutter speed should be about 1/640 second. Any great deviation of this shutter - especially to the slower speeds would indicate that your meter is not reading correctly or is not communicating correctly with your camera.

Another test - this one to see if your blades close from the wide open viewing aperture to the shooting aperture , place your camera in aperture priority mode and select the widest aperture (smallest f/number) you have available on that lens. Select the lowest ISO (I think that is ISO 200 on your Nikon camera). Shoot a couple of shots in various sunny and shaded areas. Then select f/11 and shoot another couple of images in sunny and shaded areas. If the shots wide open are decently exposed and the shots with the aperture closed down to f/11 are over exposed, there is a great likelihood that your aperture is not closing down to shoot.

Thirdly: do a Google search with the symptoms of your problem!

Good luck. I know how frustrating this can be. However, I have found that most camera errors can be linked to user error rather than gear malfunction...

[Stagecoach]

I'm not conversant with this specific lens model but if there is a suggestion that the blades are sticky (that could certainly give you the results you are getting) you may be able to undertake a mechanical check.

Remove the lens from the body, and you will see the "aperture control lever" at the face of the lens that goes onto the camera.

Looking through the lens move this lever through its arc and note if the blades are moving smoothly corresponding to the lever movement. You should see the aperture (hole) move from almost closed to wide open. Do this a few times and each time you should see the aperture blades return back to the same almost closed position.

[niochorio]

Thanks Richard & Grahame! I will try the test that Richard has suggested when we have sun again; it's oddly cloudy here again today! I did take the lens off as Grahame suggested ... excellent mechanical way to check! There is a lever (I believe, it's the only bit that moves on the rear of the lens) and I have moved it slowly from end to end across the arc but could see no change in the aperture. But I have searched and now have the Nikkor manual for the lens and think that there is no aperture control lever. However the aperture is neither fully open nor fully closed at least judging by a video posted on another site. It seems to be about one-third open. Perhaps it is stuck in this position?

Given this result, Richard's suggested test is I think the way to go for the next two weeks before I can visit a shop in Chania, but at the very least I will know more than I did at the start. I will certainly try this as it should show clearly by taking a full range of shots. I will also ensure that the flash is set to off so it will only be the aperture and shutter speed controlling the result and that should give me clear information ahead of my visit. Thanks again for the good ideas!

[Stagecoach]

Bruce,

For info, with the lens removed from the camera the aperture blades should close to minimum through the action of the spring within the aperture assembly. When you move the lever at the rear of the lens you will be moving this against the 'closing spring'. At any time you release the lever you should clearly hear (and see) the aperture blades spring back, as well as the lever, if all is working mechanically correctly. It appears this is not the case with what you have found.

This is a rear view of your lens I found showing the lever, and hopefully someone else who has this same model lens can confirm the above.



When the lens is mounted back onto the camera the aperture is mechanically moved to the fully open position.

For the metering system in the camera to work correctly the aperture must be at the fully open position and to test/confirm this the sunny 16 rule can be used. If you set the camera to Aperture Priority, f/16, ISO100, and matrix metering then on a sunny day with the sun to the side or behind and with say 50% sky in the frame the meter should show a speed of around 1/100s.

Further testing as Richard has suggested can be done.

Hope the above gives further help in understanding and diagnosing.

[Manfred M]

There is a lever (I believe, it's the only bit that moves on the rear of the lens) and I have moved it slowly from end to end across the arc but could see no change in the aperture.

+1 to Grahame's comment. Nikon lenses stop down to their minimum aperture when they are not mounted on the camera, so if you look through your lens (from the rear works best) and the aperture blades are not stopped all the way down, you have a mechanical problem with the lens. The VR 18-55 is a fairly inexpensive lens and given the price point is sells at, I would replace it rather than look at having it repaired.

[niochorio]

Wow! Thanks Grahame & Manfred! The photo of the lens with the aperture is perfect, and my lens is open MUCH MUCH more off the camera. And right you are, and the blades do not move at all when sliding the lever. So all this does seem to absolutely confirm that the lens has a problem. In any event I will do the tests you have suggested and then go look for a replacement after Easter! Thank you for the last picture of the lens as it definitely confirms that the blades seem to be stuck. Probably not worth repairing but I will ask. Problem is of course that it probably can't be done in Crete and then would it work after the repair? Thanks again for all of your help!!

[Manfred M]

Probably not worth repairing but I will ask.

In my part of the world, the retail cost of this lens is higher than Nikon's minimum repair charge, so I would consider it a "throw away". It's worth asking though, because at times they will offer a decently discounted replacement that is lower than the retail price.

then would it work after the repair?

Of course it would work. It will have been repaired.

[niochorio]

Sorry to be late in closing this post ... busy! Just to complete the saga, I took the "stuck" lens into the best camera shop in Chania and they acknowledged the problem and promptly stuck a pin into the opening. The lens instantly snapped down to minimum aperture and it was pronounced good as new! They even took a photo inside the shop to prove it. I thanked them, no charge but I did leave a few Euro for coffee and proceeded outside and took a street photo ... back to square one of course! I have ordered a replacement! Again, thanks to everyone for solving this problem for me!!! I am eagerly awaiting the new lens!!