Exposure Help

[DangerouslyMoody]

Hey! I just got a new D40X and I am having a real hard time with my exposures when I am in a dimmly lit area. If I am in Manual mode..for example, sitting in my kitchen..dining room light and kitchn light both on...I try to take a pic of my cat..My meter doesn't balance, no matter how slow of a shutter speed I have and no matter what appature I put it at. I have tried going up to 400 ISO. I have tried BULB but then I don't know what speed I should go...I can make my flash go but then every thing gets blown out. I don't know if there is a trick I am missing or a different way to make your flash go..I am new to DSLR's and pretty new to manual speed..any help or advice would be appreciated :)

[Craig]

You will need to go way over 400 ISO. Try putting your camera on Program Auto and see what settings it comes up with. Then tweak to your own liking.

[bob0925]

If you don't want to use a flash you can set the ISO to 1600 and "P" Program mode and it should be OK. Don't be afraid to use high ISO's -- if the noise reduction is turned on it'll look OK.

If you want to use the flash and the flash is too bright (assuming because the camera is close to the cat) you can set the ISO to 100 or 200 and pop the flash up with the little lightning bolt button near the lens. Then hold down that same button at the same time you hold down the +/- exposure compensation button on the top of the camera on the right side - this activates the flash compensation mode - while holding the two buttons down you turn the little wheel (you don't need three hands - use the left hand middle finger for the flash button and the right hand middle finger to hold the +/- button while turning the wheel with the right thumb) to -1. Take the shot and if it's still too bright, re-set the flash compensation to -2 and shoot again.

[venchka]

If in Program mode, watch the shutter speed that tha camera sets. You may get perfectly exposed blurs.

[mderrjohnson]

Originally Posted by venchka

If in Program mode, watch the shutter speed that tha camera sets. You may get perfectly exposed blurs.

Isn't that the truth! ;) I never thought I could go beyond P and now I look back at how limiting it truly was!