Nikon D5100 manual settings?

I just got the nikon d5100, and i really want to start using manual mode (i'm a COMPLETE beginner) and all of the pictures i take come out completely black. I set the apperture and shutter speed, and then it tells me my picture is under exposed (the little number line is all the way to negative) but in manual mode, when i go to change the exposure (pressing the [+/-] button and spinning the wheel) it changes the apperture… Help!

Added (1). The owners manual hasn't helped.

Do You Still Have The Lovely Owners Manual That Came With The Camera? If So You Can Find So Much Information Simply By Picking Up Reading The Owners Manual.

Do some research on a few of the key concepts. I'd learn first about the aperture, the sensor, ISO settings, and shutter speed, that could give you the basics. All of those things kind of fit together. Read your camera's manual as well if you'd like.

Then you need to read the owner's manual over and over again until you understand how to create a proper exposure.

Exposure is controlled by three things
1. ISO- the sensitivity to light
2. Aperture- how much light gets in
3.shutter speed- how long that light hits the sensor

in manual mode, you change those things, which in turn, changes exposure value (EV)

if you get black pictures, you need to either
A. Up the ISO to make the camera more sensitive
B. Slow down the shutter speed to allow the sensor to capture more light
C. Make the aperture larger to let in more light
or a combination of the three, depending on what you want to do.

I suggest a book called "understanding exposure"

If you want to use M and want the aperture to be fixed, you have to change the shutter speed or the ISO until the little number (as you termed) will stay at 0. Keep the +/- (compensation) at 0.

Anyway, since you are keeping the aperture fixed, use A (aperture priority) instead of M with the same results. Don't punish yourself.

The +/- button is the exposure compensation button and it doesn't work in manual mode - it's there to override the settings in the Auto modes only. By pressing this button at the same time as the rear wheel - that is how you are supposed to change the aperture! Turning the rear wheel on its own adjusts the shutter speed.

When you're in manual mode and looking at the meter, you need to either increase the ISO, open up the aperture (ie a SMALLER f number) or slow down the shutter speed (or a combination of two or more of the above). These are the three parameters that control exposure.

Try to get used to the idea of working in stops - full stops for aperture are;

more light <- f1, f1.4, f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32 -> less light

for shutter speed are;

more light <- 1" (second), 1/2sec, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 -> less light

for ISO are;

more light <- 3200, 1600, 800, 400, 200, 100 -> less light

each 1 stop change is a doubling or halving of the light. Your controls will probably have numbers in between - these are half or third stops.

If you change one parameter to increase (or decrease) the light, then to maintain the same exposure, you have to alter one or both of the other two parameters to decrease (or increase) the light by the same amount. This is known as the exposure triangle.

Your D5100 either has two wheels for shutter speed and aperture, or you have to hold another button while rotating the wheel in order to change the other setting.

You don't understand what the shutter speed is right, and how it affects the shot? Manual is indeed not always the most helpful.

Here's a Shutter Speed Tutorial - http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/10/shutter-speed-tutorial/

Here's a Aperture Tutorial - http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/10/shutter-speed-tutorial/

Here is a link that should help (two actually)

http://camerasim.com/slr-camera-explained/

http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator.html

The +/- is an EV control, NOT what you need to adjust the exposure using the cameras light meter.

Look on page 77 of your user manual to see how to manually adjust your cameras exposure.