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Is this normal???

cincyspidercincyspider Posts: 24Member
in D5x00
Every pic I take on the D5500 is like this.....when I view it on the camera's screen...there are "light" parts of the photo that blink black and white, black and white, black and white....constantly! The photos are fine....normal when viewed on my pc and all...but distracting as hell on the camera! Normal?? Or do I have a problem?
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Comments

  • esquiloesquilo Posts: 71Member
    You have activated "highlight warning". A very convenient function that tell you what part of the photo that is overexposed. Just press upp or down to get rid of it.
    Nikon D7100 with Sigma 10-20 mm, Nikon 16-85 mm, Nikon 70-300 mm, Sigma 150-500 mm, Nikon 28 mm f/1.8G and Nikon 50 mm f/1.8G.
    Nikon1 J3 with 10-30 mm and 10 mm f/2.8
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  • spraynprayspraynpray Posts: 6,545Moderator
    The bigger issue is that you are over-exposing your shots which is what the highlights are warning you about. Using the correct exposure mode and understanding the scene you are photographing is a normal part of the learning process. You say they are fine on your PC, but normally Nikons are very accurate at telling you which parts are blown out (white) or blocked out (black (under-exposed)). All of my friend's Canons warn him of blown highlights when there is still data that is recoverable in post. With Nikons, in my experience, blinking highlights is lost data so you need to use under-exposure compensation or a more suitable exposure mode (probably matrix) to get round them. Have a closer look at your images, they probably aren't fine.
    Always learning.
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  • MsmotoMsmoto Posts: 5,398Moderator
    Can the blinking highlights in play back be disabled in the Playback viewing options on a D5500? I do not have a manual in front of me.

    There are some situations where the highlights will blink in spite of accurate exposure. The histogram is the best way to decide on where to go with exposure in this situation, IMO. Sometimes, the dynamic range is so great it exceeds the sensor capabilities and one must decide as to highlights or shadows.
    Msmoto, mod
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  • esquiloesquilo Posts: 71Member
    Can the blinking highlights in play back be disabled in the Playback viewing options on a D5500? I do not have a manual in front of me.
    Just use the "up" and "down" controls to change playback information. Image only, Image + info, Highligt warning, Histogram, EXIF-data and whatever else there is.
    Nikon D7100 with Sigma 10-20 mm, Nikon 16-85 mm, Nikon 70-300 mm, Sigma 150-500 mm, Nikon 28 mm f/1.8G and Nikon 50 mm f/1.8G.
    Nikon1 J3 with 10-30 mm and 10 mm f/2.8
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  • spraynprayspraynpray Posts: 6,545Moderator
    Yes, blinkies can be disabled, you just set that screen to no be displayed when you are cycling through the screens using the multi-function button on the rear of the camera.

    @Msmoto: I don't know of any other way to get, or reason to want to get, blinkies for any other reason than over-exposed highlights. Can you expand on how you do please?
    Always learning.
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  • Dominique_RDominique_R Posts: 27Member
    Another symbolic case of RTFM. Internet forums fora are now use as a valid alternative for the reading-impaired homini sapientes (or so-called).
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  • tcole1983tcole1983 Posts: 981Member
    edited October 2015
    Yep. Just hit up or down when in the preview screen on the round button on the back that has the ok button in the middle of it. It will cycle through the different viewing modes.
    Post edited by tcole1983 on
    D5200, D5000, S31, 18-55 VR, 17-55 F2.8, 35 F1.8G, 105 F2.8 VR, 300 F4 AF-S (Previously owned 18-200 VRI, Tokina 12-24 F4 II)
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  • cincyspidercincyspider Posts: 24Member
    Ahhh thank you! I must have unknowingly turned on the highlight mode without realizing. My exposures have been fine....like taking pics of kids in a shaded area, but the sky behind is overexposed. Or taking pics of kids on their bikes and the areas showing "over-exposed" are the shiny parts of the bike. So really this ability can have uses, but also simply show useless info. One day I will get around to actually reading the entire manual...but at this point it's too much to subject myself to when there are pictures to take!! :)
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  • MsmotoMsmoto Posts: 5,398Moderator
    In shooting vehicles in dark ambient lighting, i.e., cars at night, the headlights will always be "overexposed". And, one of the secrets to shooting these venues is to shoot into the headlights, cars coming toward the camera, compensating exposure by opening up a stop or so, as the camera will underexpose, and again some of the lights will blink.

    Exposure needs changing to shoot the cars in panning mode. But, night venues can produce many "blinking highlights" when the overall scene is exposed correctly.

    In the pro bodies, one can completely disable the highlight thing in the playback menus, as I have done.
    Msmoto, mod
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  • BVSBVS Posts: 440Member
    So, how are you liking your new camera so far? You got it with the 18-140, right?
    D7100, 85 1.8G, 50 1.8G, 35 1.8G DX, Tokina 12-28 F4, 18-140, 55-200 VR DX
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  • cincyspidercincyspider Posts: 24Member
    BVS...I am thrilled with the camera! Hands down it takes far superior pics than my old Canon! But...the comparison isn't really even fair since the Canon was an "early" DSLR with far fewer stats than the Nikon! This camera is just plain FUN!

    What I've been using alot is the continuous mode to take literally hundreds of shots of the kids, looking for that one perfect expression. Magnificent! One thing I'm not liking is how fast the battery winds down when I have the camera connected to the computer. I just haven't "learned" that this is different than the old canon. This one stays on and active the whole time, while the canon would go to sleep while connected, saving battery charge. Just a quirk to relearn! However....I'll be getting a spare battery just to be safe!
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  • Parke1953Parke1953 Posts: 456Member
    Just a thought you could take the memory card out of the camera and put it in a card reader and save your battery. It will probably download faster from the card reader than from the camera. You could give it a try and see what your results are.
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  • cincyspidercincyspider Posts: 24Member
    edited October 2015

    It's on my list...! Good idea!
    Post edited by cincyspider on
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  • WestEndFotoWestEndFoto Posts: 3,745Member
    Ahhh thank you! I must have unknowingly turned on the highlight mode without realizing. My exposures have been fine....like taking pics of kids in a shaded area, but the sky behind is overexposed. Or taking pics of kids on their bikes and the areas showing "over-exposed" are the shiny parts of the bike. So really this ability can have uses, but also simply show useless info. One day I will get around to actually reading the entire manual...but at this point it's too much to subject myself to when there are pictures to take!! :)
    This is not useless info. It is info that if acted upon, will help you take better pictures.

    Specifically, reduce exposure using exposure compensation until the over exposure warning is gone. Shoot in raw, then using the raw file in post, bring up the shadows, for which there are a variety of techniques.

    Properly exposed people with nicely exposed skies is always an improvement, unless you are deliberately shooting high key.
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  • WestEndFotoWestEndFoto Posts: 3,745Member
    Ahhh thank you! I must have unknowingly turned on the highlight mode without realizing. My exposures have been fine....like taking pics of kids in a shaded area, but the sky behind is overexposed. Or taking pics of kids on their bikes and the areas showing "over-exposed" are the shiny parts of the bike. So really this ability can have uses, but also simply show useless info. One day I will get around to actually reading the entire manual...but at this point it's too much to subject myself to when there are pictures to take!! :)
    Do yourself a favour. Book a weekend and read the manual. For good measure, throw in a good book about digital photography techniques. There is nothing worse than your technical knowledge (or lack thereof) getting between your subjects and good pictures. You might even find a fix to the battery issue you described in your next post.
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  • MsmotoMsmoto Posts: 5,398Moderator
    FYI, download the manual from Nikon

    https://support.nikonusa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/13948

    Once downloaded you can open it in a reader and search words when questions arise. For example, if highlights are a problem, searching this will give you everyplace in the manual where this is discussed.

    Many times on NRF questions are asked and I simply go to the respective manual to answer these. I have about 70 manuals on my computer at present, about thirty for Nikon/Nikkor stuff.
    Msmoto, mod
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