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| D1x Low light ISO sensitivity question | Rating: 
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| Posted by R3N0: Fri Dec 13th, 2013 19:52 | 1st Post |
| Hey everyone! I just picked up a Dx1 and I have to say I'm impressed! Coming from film and then getting stuck with a crappy Olympus E300 4/3rds system, this camera is bliss! Anyway, I have a question about the low light sensitivity. It seems that even in overcast situations where my E300 could pull ISO 200 at 60/s with a 3.5f, the D1X has to be put at ISO 400-600 and still shoot at 15-30/s at 3.5f. is this an inherent quirk with this camera? I only have the one lens right now. A Nikkor AF-S 18-55mmG DX. I haven't had a chance to try a faster lens but Its strange to me how much extra light this needs. Is it because its a DX crop factor versus the 4/3rds and therefor needs more light to fill the sensor? Are you folks using flashes a lot? I feel like I will need to have a flash handy anytime I'm inside at this point. Maybe I just need to find a good 1.8f lens. sorry for the rambling. hope you can answer some of these questions.
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| Posted by Robert: Sat Dec 14th, 2013 04:06 | 2nd Post |
| Hi and welcome to the forum. I have a couple of D1x's and other member also have and use them. It's nothing to do with the DX crop factor, that's for sure. The D1x behaves exactly as you would expect any camera to. My immediate reaction is that the lens indexing mechanism may be damaged. When you view the image you should be seeing the image with the lens aperture wide open, when you make your exposure the lens should stop down. If somebody, a previous owner, has fitted a pre-AI lens they may have damaged the indexing mechanism when it jammed, it's possible to fit a pre AI lens but a swine to get it back off and can do damage such as you describe. There is a 'preview' button on the left of the lens looking at the front to the camera. Pressing that should stop the lens down to the pre-determined aperture to allow you to see the effect of the depth of focus. Try pressing that and check if the lens is stopping down as expected. I think your lens is not opening it's aperture to the expected amount. It could also be oil on the iris blades? Needs more thought and discussion to eliminate false ideas.
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by Gilbert Sandberg: Sat Dec 14th, 2013 06:28 | 3rd Post |
| I agree with Robert. Try the camera with a different Nikon lens, preferably in the company of a knowledgable Nikon owner. Your text mentions different light readings, how is the histogram of the pictures? (e.g. is the exposure right) Also: -the D1 series is of a certain age (not the most modern, although built for profesisional use) -the 18-55 lens is designed to accompany low budget consumer cameras, it would not last a year in some pro's hands. On Flash: the D1 series is not fully compatible with the current flash models, choosing the right one will require some advanced studies. My advice: read all manuals. Regards, Gilbert
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| Posted by Eric: Sat Dec 14th, 2013 07:58 | 4th Post |
Robert wrote:Hi and welcome to the forum. Maybe I am wrong, but the failure of the lens to stop down at exposure would result In over exposure. The op is effectively saying the D1X is underexposing...hence the need to lift ISO and shutter speed. The first thing I would do is a 3 button reset on the camera then try another lens.
____________________ Eric |
| Posted by jk: Sat Dec 14th, 2013 08:22 | 5th Post |
| The exposure you get from the Olympus or the Nikon should be the same or at least similar if you are using the same ISO. Some things to check...... 1. Make sure that you arent using Spot metering mode. The switch for that is on the right side of the pentaprism and the Matrix mode is the central of the three settings. The camera should be set to Matrix metering for most stuff unless you really like using spot metering. 2. Make sure that the lens is talking to the camera. It might be useful to clean the contacts on the bcak of the lens and also in the throat of the camera with a little alcohol on a Q-tip. When you clean the camera throat contacts make sure you do it with the camera throat facing DOWNwards as then you dont get dust into the camera. If that doesnt cure the problem then........... I would say that you may have a lens to camera problem. Either the lens is damaged and isnt talking to the camera or the camera is damaged and it isnt talking to the lens. I suggest you then try to find someone else with a Nikon camera and test the camera with their lens and your lens on their camera. If the problem shows up it indicates where the faulty kit is.
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
| Posted by R3N0: Sat Dec 14th, 2013 21:28 | 6th Post |
| Wow. So much info! Thanks guys. So I checked the DOF preview and it is stepping down properly with the lens. I took the camera down to a local camera shop (Kenmore Camera in Kenmore WA). We checked the camera against another Nikon DX camera F8, 35MM, ISO 200, same scene, ETC... and it was metering very close to the same for light. In the store about 1/4/s. The error here might be the Olympus metering verses the Nikon metering. The camera guy couldnt really explain it ither than the D1x is mertering almost the same of the D100 that we tried it against. My thought is the Oly's 4/3rds is seeing less of the scene at 35mm and the metering may be a tad bit "smarter" (dear I say?) and the D1x and D100 becuase they are seeing more of the scene becuase of no crop factor, have to meter more of the scene and maybe behind the times a bit? Im going to switch to center weighted metering and see if I can get better results. I also have to remeber back to film days. If I knew I was going out in cloudy weather or goingt ot be inside, I just grabbed a roll of 800 and knew I would have some grain. I was trying to shoot scenes in which I probably should have been using 800 if using film and expecting I could push 200 with the Digital. Just not enough light I suppose. The olyumpus crap really messed me up and I woudnt give this DSLr to anyone wanting to get thier feet wet in Photography. Horrible camera. Now I have to re-learn DSLR technique with the D1x and get used to working with light properly. On flash, Im currently using an Olympus F40 Flash that I had with thy oly camera. Its fully manual on this D1x and that fine with me, After dialing in the correct power, I can get good shots. I will be looking for that SB80DX now. Thanks again for all the help. Just a quick plug, some of my work: (mostly shot with the Olympus E300 and a Minolta SRT101) http://jpgmag.com/people/jasonfehrs http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonfehrs/
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| Posted by Robert: Sun Dec 15th, 2013 03:41 | 7th Post |
| Hi Jason, some nice work there, I think once you get used to the D1x you will be at one with it, they are dated in todays terms but can still produce the goods and that's what counts. I guess the limitations are ISO, which really runs out at 400 due to banding and noise and resolution which limits cropping, other than that you got a real tool. Noise can be handled to some extent with software editing. Batteries may be one issue you could encounter, some of us on here have made our own Li-Ion batteries and JK's website has some info on that. The standard D1x battery *should* provide juice for about 300 NEF exposures but in reality that can drop to less than 100 in the cold or with a tired battery. If you encounter black images and strange behaviour suspect the battery. Standard Nikon batteries have a life expectancy of not much more than a year of reasonable use before they 'slow down', I have a box full of dead ones. When I built my first Li-Ion battery I got bored after 1,000 exposures and recharged while it was still going OK. I tend never to allow them to go completely flat so I don't really know what they are capable of. The built in battery is another thing to bear in mind, that retains your settings and time/date, I have details of the battery and how to get at it if the need arrises, it's a soldering iron job but nothing too testing. Like Eric said, a two button reset is a good idea, it resets most of the settings to the factory settings which isn't a bad place to start. There are two buttons The CSM and ISO, Attachment: D1X Two button reset.jpg (Downloaded 43 times)
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by Eric: Sun Dec 15th, 2013 04:02 | 8th Post |
Robert wrote:
It's been so long I forgot how many buttons it was. 
____________________ Eric |
| Posted by jk: Sun Dec 15th, 2013 04:08 | 9th Post |
| One extra thought make sure the EV compensation is set to 0 zero as that can throw you big time!! I would stick with the matrix metering as it does work well.
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
| Posted by Robert: Sun Dec 15th, 2013 08:52 | 10th Post |
jk wrote:One extra thought make sure the EV compensation is set to 0 zero as that can throw you big time!! Been there, done that! 7 exposures at ½ stop increments, every exposure different! Then the penny drops...
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by R3N0: Mon Dec 16th, 2013 12:02 | 11th Post |
| Thanks for all the input guys. Can someone point me to the Li-ion conversion? I think I will need to do that. I tend to chimp like crazy. Also. On that note, I also have to get used to the fact that the LCD is way darker that the actual exposure. Have to start trusting the metering. Which I found WAS better in Matrix mode than center weighted for most things. I love this camera, I just have to work more on the limitations of low light. Guess I was spoiled with the high ISO sensitivity of the Olympus. I could push it to 800 and have very little grain. I can also push the D1x to 800 but there is slightly more grain. BUT.... the quality of the picture is much better. And at lower ISO like 125-400, WOW. no comparison. Thanks for all the info guys.
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| Posted by Robert: Mon Dec 16th, 2013 13:29 | 12th Post |
R3N0 wrote:Can someone point me to the Li-ion conversion? http://www.jmknights.com/photography/downloads/files/EN4_Lion_battery.pdf This is Jk's first version but there is another somewhere I will look it out later, Less soldering... One very important point: Make sure the wires from the batteries to the contacts are at least as heavy as the Nikon ones were otherwise it won't fire the shutter. The shutter has a large draw on the battery and is very demanding of Amps. I will also post a couple of pix of my conversions.
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by R3N0: Mon Dec 16th, 2013 14:27 | 13th Post |
| Thanks Robert!
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| Posted by Robert: Mon Dec 16th, 2013 16:25 | 14th Post |
| My pleasure Jason, I still can't find the other conversion I was looking for I am sure it was Philip Tomlinson Wild Snaps: http://www.wildsnaps.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk I found another similar conversion (in French!!!) but the pix tell the story: http://vincenttrepanier.com/pack_d1/ The removable cells are easier to charge and manage but my set up works perfectly and I also use the same cells for my Nichia 365Nm UV LED Lamp so the same charger does both jobs. I expect I could make up an external battery for my D200's using the same cells, Mmmm... Now there's an idea! The downside of the removable cells is the springs but I understand JK has had no issues with them so perhaps I worry about nothing. Any issues I have read about relate to the springs. This is my conversion: Attachment: Screen Shot 2013-12-16 at 21.06.41.jpg (Downloaded 23 times)
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by Robert: Mon Dec 16th, 2013 16:28 | 15th Post |
| These are my two D1/D1x packs EN-4. Slightly messy epoxy but they work perfectly. The lower battery has the charger plugged in. I used miniature 4 pin XLR latching plugs and sockets. Attachment: Screen Shot 2013-12-16 at 21.06.55.jpg (Downloaded 23 times)
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by Robert: Mon Dec 16th, 2013 16:34 | 16th Post |
| Finally another conversion, quite a good photo I found on the web. Perhaps JK has a link to Tomo's conversion? Attachment: Screen Shot 2013-12-16 at 21.13.27.jpg (Downloaded 24 times)
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by jk: Tue Dec 17th, 2013 03:20 | 17th Post |
| The version2 method document is on my website here. http://www.jmknights.com/photography/downloads/files/AltConv-EH4-battery-2010.pdf Please note email addresses at the end of the document are no longer active so PM if you want to get additional help.
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
| Posted by Robert: Tue Dec 17th, 2013 07:36 | 18th Post |
Thanks JK, I will bookmark that one, but as I am at the moment I will forget where the bookmark is! Or that I ever had it... 
____________________ Robert. |
| Posted by jk: Tue Dec 17th, 2013 11:48 | 19th Post |
| I have now loaded the two versions instructions here on the website in this topic. http://www.nikondslr.uk/view_topic.php?id=808&forum_id=23
____________________ Still learning after all these years! https://nikondslr.uk/gallery_view.php?user=2&folderid=none |
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