Manual setting turns my pictures black?

I have a D70S and I just bought a micro nikkor 55 mm. It's a manual focus lens so to shoot with that lens I have to put my camera in the manual setting and I have to turn the switch to manual also. No problem… Until I try to take a picture in manual. I can see through the lens fine, no error messages flash anywhere, it's just that when I go back and review the pictures I had taken, they're all black. ISO 400, apperature 1/60. I tried to reset all the settings on my menu but that didn't do anything. I'm kind of new to the world of photography but this lens is awesome for me and I need to figure out what's going down and how to fix it. Any advice would be appreciated. Oh, and just so there aren't any questions on if my camera works with other lenses, yes, it does. I have another nikkor and it works fine on every auto setting but when I go to P, S, or m it all turns back.

You are underexposing the photo. In manual mode, the camera relies on you to make the correct decisions as to how to set the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. After all, that is what manual mode is supposed to do.

Conversely, when you put the camera into S, which is shutter speed mode, you set the desired shutter speed, and the camera matches it with adjusting the aperture. Same thing happens with A and P modes (in A mode, you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed to ensure the correct exposure, and so on).

But in manual, this matching is turned off, and you have full control - I mean full control over the exposure. If you do not set it correctly, the photo will be under or over exposed.

In your optical viewfinder, you should find a scale. That scale is the exposure meter. When the meter is centered, the photo will be exposed properly.

Watch the scale as you adjust the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Do this one control at a time so you can tell what each setting changes.

When you are done adjusting, the meter should be at the center of the scale, which will result in the correct exposure. Or turn the dial back to S, set the shutter speed, and watch the aperture value change, and the exposure scale will become centered. Move the camera around so that you see different light values and watch the camera change the aperture while keeping the meter centered.

(note, you may have to depress your shutter release half way down to activate the metering system)

In manual mode, keeping the meter centered is your job.

So why use manual mode if it is so hard? Well once you get used to it, it really is not that hard. But manual mode gives you maximum control over your camera so that you can make those creative and killer shots, and when you use a lens that can't be controlled otherwise. Your lens comes from an era when we all had to use manual mode.

In the scheme of things, automatic exposure cameras are a recent thing. All of us old-timers learned how to use cameras manually - as that is all that existed years ago.

Note that the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are interrelated, and you just can't arbitrarily set them willy nilly.

Best to Google "exposure triangle" and find out what you can on the topic. The Exposure Triangle dictates how the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO works.

http://www.althephoto.com/concepts/triangle.php

Yep, that's what happens when you don't have a clue about the basics of photography and exposure.

If you knew nothing about flying a plane, would you be surprised when you crashed after taking the controls?

Take a class, or start reading beginner photography books.

Your camera's lightmeter does not go on with your lens. You need to learn photography. Your first problem is how to asses light using your eyes and brain. You will be the lightmeter. Here is one way to start. Search for the "Sunny f/16 Rule". Once you get the hang of it, there's no turning back. You will be come the master of the camera.

Start reading the camera manual!
http://support.nikonusa.com/...hotography

When shooting in Manual mode, you have to pay attention to the light meter, which is only visible on the D70S through the viewfinder. When your ISO, aperture, and shutter speed are correctly set, the meter will be on the zero mark. Even then, you may still have to adjust brighter or darker depending on what you're shooting (e.g.snowy mountains, Wesley Snipes in the shade, waterfowl against the sun).

Three other settings are useful in Manual mode. Read up on these:
• Exposure Compensation (+/-)
• Metering mode (Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot)
• Bracketing (BKT)

The autofocus system can help you figure out if a particular AF target is in focus. (page 74 Electronic Range Finder)

For quick pointers, put your 18-55mm back on and see what exposure settings it uses in Program mode.