Why is my nikon D80 is taking very dark photos? - 1

Its the middle of the day and I want to take photos inside, lights are on as well, and my camera is taking very dark pictures

Its on Manual
shutter speed 1/80 sec
aperture 4.5
ISO 100
lens Nikon nikkor 18-35mm

What is going on?

Are you using the exposure meter in the viewfinder to check the exposure?

The photos are dark because the shutter speed is too short and/or the ISO is too low and/or the aperture is too small.

Depending on the metering mode and focus point the camera may be exposing for a bright part of the image, leaving the rest dark.

As far as a camera is concerned, room lights are not very bright.

I've just checked in my room with the lights on, at night admittedly, and the exposure is around 1s at f4.5 ISO100.

Here is a link to help you learn how to balance ISO, shutter speed and lens aperture.

This will show you what you need to do to take photos in low light

Clearly, you have not been using the camera's light meter

Simple answer is that you are not allowing enough light to strike the sensor. You need to either increase the time the shutter is open or increase your ISO. Your camera should have an exposure scale which looks something like this: -3,-2,-2,0,1,2,3 There will be a free-flowing dot that will move left or right depending upon the reflectance of whatever you're meter off of. It helps if you use spot metering instead of matrix. With matrix, the camera is analyzing the entire scene. With spot metering, the camera is only metering off of the center. Usually you'll see a small circle in the viewfinder which is the area that's being metered.

All meters work the same way. They will provide a shutter speed & aperture based on the amount of light reflecting off of the metered area. Cameras are designed to produce an exposure that will render the metered area as a middle-gray tone. Since we live in a color world, visualizing things in terms of gray can be difficult at first. But if you realize that green grass, for example, is a perfect middle-gray tone. If outside meter off green grass or trees and choose an exposure that puts the dot right on zero. Now move the camera around the scene and pay attention to how the dot moves left (dark) or right (bright). When you're using a good exposure, middle-gray objects will put the dot on zero, dark subjects will be in the negative and bright subjects will put the dot in the positive side of the scale. How much left or right depends upon how dark or bright the subject is. For example, white skin should be +1. Snow, clouds or a white wedding dress will cause the dot to be around +2. A black car should be around -2.

This is how you should use the camera when in manual mode.

It has been said here so many times. Manual mode does NOT allow you to just pick numbers out of the air and set them into the camera and expect a good photo. A proper exposure requires a correct balance of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Until you understand this and learn to read the light meter inside the camera, you should not be using Manual mode.

Also, what is bright inside to you is NOT bright to a camera. Your shutter speed is too fast, your aperture is too small, and the ISO is too low. The light meter in the camera is no doubt flashing under exposure with your settings.

You are probably working on Manual Mode using calculations based in ridiculous estimates and "formulas" given to you, rather than using its metering system to guide you with the given lighting situation you may find yourself in; you're not using the metering system to get a proper light evaluation so you can set the aperture and shutter speed accordingly regardless of the ISO setting, which you can increase or decrease as you need to. Use your camera's instruction manual, look up each of the metering modes, learn what they do and when to use them.

Learn the fundamentals of photography. Learn what the aperture is and how to use it. Learn what the shutter speed is and how to use it. Learn what the ISO is and how to use it and when to change it. Learn what the camera's built-in metering modes are, and when to use each and HOW to use each. Your camera's instructions manual will explain each and explain when to use each, too.

Otherwise, use the camera on Program Automatic, and let it decide what aperture, what shutter speed and what ISO to set for you without YOUR input; it will give you fairly good exposures but NOT ALL THE TIME.

The reason your images are coming out too dark is that you're using the wrong settings. Want to verify? Set the camera on automatic mode, aim and focus, and shoot a roll. You'll see different results from when you use Manual Mode without knowing exactly how to use manual settings.

It is depressed.

Because it's possessed by a demon.

Use flash. If it works, then your settings are wrong. Go back to Auto mode.

If it's still dark then put down the flash and check the lens from the front. Do you see the aperture blades? Take note of the size of the hole. Now set to 18mm and lowest f/number. Set shutter speed to Bulb. Press and hold the shutter release button while looking at the lens from the front. Do you still see the blades? Did the hole become bigger? If yes, then Auto mode is for you. If not, and the hole is really small (like f/32 or something), the aperture motor of your camera is broken. It's an old camera. You will be better off buying a new one rather than having it fixed. Nikon might not accept it anymore, no more parts.

A book came with your camera. It is called the manual. It explains how the camera works. Pay special attention to the chapter on the Light Meter. If you lost or threw the book away, you can download it from Nikon.com.

Then go take a class or look on YouTube for videos on basic photography. The links fhotoace gave you are good.

Just buying a camera does not magically turn anyone into a competent photographer. I've been doing this for decades. I bought a new camera in December. I'm still working my way through the manual to learn what the camera functions are and how/when to apply each of them. Always start with the light meter.

That lens is too slow. Use the built-in flash.

My Nikon D90 has the same issue. It happens inconsistently and has nothing to do with the settings. I can take a series of shots with the same settings and the same lighting, and from time to time, the pictures will get darker and darker. If I stop taking pics for a few seconds, and then start again, they will return to normal. I read there could be issues with the contacts between the lens and the camera body in a different forum, and that's the best explanation I've found so far. I've been dealing with the issue for a few years now. I've read the manual inside and out. I take a lot of photos, and since it's a hobby, not a career, I just work through it.