E-bay D60 LEMON?!?! Help?

[visreality]

Hi,

I am a professional videoagrapher, but know little of still photography. Just bought a D60 on ebay, but am a little concerned. It came with a Tamron AF 28-300mm lens, so that is all I am using it with right now.

Mainly I have 2 questions, and I have included a web page that shows images for both questions as well as detailed settings for every image. A tripod was used for all images.

Here is a link to the web page that contains the image info: http://www.visualrealityonline.com/album/testimages.htm

1. I took 5 pictures 1 in AUTO, PROGRAM, TV, AE and M modes. In AUTO and PROGRAM, the camera set shutter speed to 1/60 and aperture to 5.6. So, when I did TV, I set the shutter to 1/60 and the camera set the aperture and the camera set the shutter speed to 5.6. However, when I set the camera to AE, and set the aperture to 5.6, the camera set the shutter to 1. Shouldn't it have set it to 1/60? The image came out blurry and orange.

Also, the D60 images have been kind of dark. These images I shot in my dining room with the overhead light on and another light right within 5 feet of my daughter.

2. The second question is this: I took five shots in a row of my daughter in AUTO mode. The only thing I changed was auto focus and manual focus. I switched back and forth. However, some images are dark and some are light. Why would this be? A tripod was used on all images.

As I said, I am an amateur here coming from a video perspective where I can see the changes on the screen as I adjust shutter and aperture. However, my video camera never makes these kind of drastic changes by itself.

Please help. I need to know if I should send this camera back or not?!?!

Thanks!

Craig L.

[RichardtheSane]

I can defintly explain question 1, as the effects you are seeing are definitly normal. When you use TV mode the camera sets the aperture up and exposes correctly with the flash. When you use AV mode the camera meters the entire scene to get a correct balanced exposure, then fires the flash for fill in. You got an orange cast on that scene due to the white balance being setup for dayligh/flash and the room being artificially lit.

THe only explanation I have for the other series is the flash not having enough time to fully charge before firing again.

I would suggest doing some similar tests outside in daylight not using flash at all, you should get accurate results then. I believe the flash is the cause for your inaccurate results.

[mrbobco]

hi craig...

the d-60 was three cameras ago for me...but i remember this aberration well...i especially had trouble with subjects wearing dark clothes or light clothes...you have to lock exposure somewhere other than where you lock focus...you didn't specify what kind of flash you were using, BUT if the flash wasn't fully charged for the shot, that could yield the same results, also. lastly...in av mode, the shutter speed is set to expose the ambient light in the shot, also...hence the peculiar yellow/orange glow from the light...

the only really predictable way to get the exposure the same on every shot with the d-60 is to use the fel button (it will take a flash/light reading and give you a reasonable exposure every time) you'll have to read the manual for the right procedure...you can set up the controls on your d-60 so the * button will lock focus and depressing the shutter button halfway will meter the exposure...

the best way to keep this from being a disaster is to shoot in raw all the time...and make adjustments if you have underexposure...

the d-60 is a nice camera...but it has the typical (workable) flimsy autofocus that was in the first two generations of canon's prosumer dslrs...

in short...i don't think it's a bum camera (but if you spend enough time reading out here on the web, they ALL look like some crazy sort of conspiracy by canon...don't believe EVERYthing you read :)

bob

[visreality]

Thanks so much for the great feedback. It is a little frustrating that this camera needs that much "babying." Would a better/faster/different lens, or adding a speedlite help?

Thanks again for your time and help!

Craig L.

[mrbobco]

a faster lens and speedlite would make a BIG difference...i'm impressed that you could even get the internal flash to take successive shots without forcing you to wait...

the 550 ex was my next purchase moments after my first canon dslr (d-30). a faster lens would make a difference too...just depends on what you want to spend...

bob

[RGorrill]

Hi,

You have received several good answers to your query about the exposures. When you are using the flash in Aperture Priority mode the camera changes things a bit and will give you a shutter speed that will allow the flash to blend with the background. This is a great tool to use when doing night scenes where there is some interesting background lighting and you want to make sure that your subject is recorded with the light from the flash. Of course, when you use this method you should have the camera mounted on a tripod.

Bob