First ever DSLR D90 with photos and questions....

[Gloor]

I bought my first ever DSLR 2 days ago and am now reading on how to improve my skill as a photographer. I got this book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson which was recommended to me but as I haven't finished the book and am on a holiday then I am shooting in AUTO mode so I have nice pictures from my holiday and don't mess it up with my lack of skill.

Anyway, today we went to Redwoods and I took loads of pictures but most of them have really purple tint and I am wondering whether that is normal and I just need to tweak them in Aperture or iPhoto or whether the camera is faulty and I need to return it? I figured that as I shoot in AUTO mode then those pictures should be good and not tinted with purple colour - correct?
(I turned on the flash for those picture in the woods as it worked ok)

To compare, I am adding another picture I did earlier today as that shows correct colours (at least for me) so you can see how the camera shoots somewhere else.

Also, what does one do to have really crispy photos? Is it the lens? Settings? Or just skill I will gather in the future?

I would appreciate any help as this is really new to me. Also, if you have any suggestions for staging etc. then feel free to help as I will really be grateful for that.

Thank you all

 

[Designer Dale]

I have an old Canon, so this is just a bit of speculation/suggestion. Go to one of those areas where you got a lot of off color pictures and shoot in a couple of different modes. Auto, Aperture Priority (Av on Canon) and Shutter Priority (Tv in my camera). Check the camera's White Balance. If it is set to anything other than Auto, reset it. Take notes and frame numbers so that you are sure of what is what when you get it back in the computer.

Good luck and welcome to photography.

My first rule of new equipment is Keep the Receipt...

Dale

 

[Artful Dodger]

All I can add is that I picked up a D90 last week and it doesn't do this. Just check your settings like Dale mentioned and as per the manual and see what happens. Good luck and please post back once you find out what it was.

 

[ChrisA]

So the exposure s set to "auto" but what is white balance set to? Set it to "auto" also.

If yu shoot raw (NEF) format the WB setting realy does not matter you will be setting it in Aperture.

Possibly what's going on is the green tinted light from deep shade in a rain forest-like setting. Green tinted light would no doubt fool the camera's auto WB system. Shot a pure white object once each time the light changes so you can have a reference later. Then in Aperture you WB this then "stamp" that correction on the other frames in the same light.

 

[Techhie]

No matter what you have done to the camera, it should not be misinterpreting colors to that extreme. Most likely it is a faulty sensor, I would exchange it.

 

[Gloor]

I had it on AUTO with no flash (the flash icon crossed) and when I go to settings it doesn't allow me to change the auto balance but it shows that its on AUTO too.

Here are some more pics from the forest. If you really think the sensor is faulty and I should return it then please let me know and I'll do it tomorrow.

I took around 400 photos so far and they were all fine except those from the forest so I really don't know what to think here.

I appreciate all the feedback.

 

[TheJae]

I had it on AUTO with no flash (the flash icon crossed) and when I go to settings it doesn't allow me to change the auto balance but it shows that its on AUTO too.

Here are some more pics from the forest. If you really think the sensor is faulty and I should return it then please let me know and I'll do it tomorrow.

I took around 400 photos so far and they were all fine except those from the forest so I really don't know what to think here.

I appreciate all the feedback.

Looks like sensor fault, doesnt seem to be filtering IR correctly. Go for exchange.

 

[compuwar]

You're shooting in an area with a heavy color cast, either read your camera manual and set the white balance manually or shoot in raw and fix it later, preferably with at least one reference shot each day or major lighting change with a white object for calibrating the balance. Auto white balance is good, but not perfect as it requires the camera to be in the same light as the subject to work well- just learn to set it manually under teh same light youre' shooting under or learn to shoot a reference shot with a white object and apply the adjustment to all the images shot under the same lighting as the white object.

 

[Gloor]

I forgot to mention that I have UV filter on the lens to protect it but it is clear. Would that effect it at all?

Compuwar - you don't think its faulty and I should exchange it?

I will not be able to go back to the same place so how do I check it again in different setting? Or shall I just exchange it ?

I'm on 38th page of the book so until I read it all I won't be able to be so manually skilled. That is why I shot those pics in AUTO mode only.

 

[Phrasikleia]

Try using the camera in a variety of locations (indoors and outdoors) and see if there is still a purple cast. If yes, then return it.

 

[telecomm]

I forgot to mention that I have UV filter on the lens to protect it but it is clear. Would that effect it at all?

When you do take more sample shots, take versions with the filter off as well.

 

[Techhie]

When you do take more sample shots, take versions with the filter off as well.

You could try this, but be aware that if it is in fact a UV filter (and not a polarizing one) there should be absolutely no effect on the photo.

 

[pageerror404]

Whenever colors are off I have usually found the while balance to be the culprit. You should change it accordingly based on your lighting.

I just bought a D90 myself (today actually) and I am really pleased. Not getting the same problem. But then again I rarely shoot in auto mode.

 

[Anapo14]

White Balance is your problem

I had a somewhat similar problem on my d3000, and in your pics it seems like it was a cloudy day. Maybe you should have set your white balance to "cloudy day." Hope this helps.

 

[redbuzzybug]

hey Gloor , I have had the d90 for over a year now, the AUTO setting does not allow you to change the white balance setting, hence it is on AUTO WB. its the same with all nikon model below d90, d60, d3000, and no its not a sensor fault so don't believe it, having it on Auto white balance does not necessarily have exact colours, cause often the camera can confuse itself on the environment.


I suggest you adjust white balance to 'pre' which in its default setting is netural in all colours. Eg. Red , 0, blue, 0 green, 0
To adjust White balance, You need to adjust the dial to either aperture (A), Shutter (S) priority. not any of the automatic settings,

Reggie,

 

[telecomm]

You could try this, but be aware that if it is in fact a UV filter (and not a polarizing one) there should be absolutely no effect on the photo.

I don't have any experience using UV filters (I've never really had the need), but UV filters do, of course, affect the photo (by filtering UV light). Since this is a problem in the violet end of the spectrum, it seems plausible that the filter (particularly if it's a cheap one) could be affecting the camera's automatic adjustments in certain conditions.

 

[Gloor]

Thank you all for the feedback. I am going to shoot some pictures now and will come back very soon.
Btw, if the sensor was faulty, would the fault exhibit every time or only sometimes and therefore I won't ever now until it shows again, right? I'm here in US for another week so I will either have to exchange it then or wait till I get to UK and hope for the best ))

 

[aimhigh]

Gloor,
Perhaps you could post the extended EXIF information for one of the purple tinted images in the forest.
Download a copy of 'EXIF VIEWER' to view the extended information that will include WB information.
This will help the contributors here give more focussed advice.

 

[sidewinder]

Go into Live View and see what the scene looks like from the LCD display. You can get a good sense of white balance from there.

Throw away that junk UV filter and get a good clear multi-coated non-UV filter.

What are your camera settings?

S-

 

[Gloor]

Ok, the exif worked fine so here is the result for the first photo that showed the purple tint. I hope that will help to isolate the problem.

Took a lot of pics in Alcatraz today and no issues except that the camera likes green colour (grass etc. looks nice) which doesn't look off but just slightly boosted. Will add an example )))

So, are you guys wiser with the specs?

 

[Gloor]

Go into Live View and see what the scene looks like from the LCD display. You can get a good sense of white balance from there.

Throw away that junk UV filter and get a good clear multi-coated non-UV filter.

What are your camera settings?

S-

I had it on AUTO with no flash. As it came out of the box.
I got this : http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sunpak+...ci_sku=7668516&ref=06&loc=01&id=1134701342521

I'm very happy to buy another one but would like an advice so I don't buy another wrong one. Could you please help me with it?

 

[Gloor]

anyone wiser from the stats ??

 

[dimme]

Looks to me as just a white balance problem. But I would for sure try some shots in daylight around noon. When shooting is shade the photo is heavely influenced by the surroundings.

 

[Gloor]

Looks to me as just a white balance problem. But I would for sure try some shots in daylight around noon. When shooting is shade the photo is heavely influenced by the surroundings.

Well, everything else was fine even today when I went to the petrified forest etc. Only the redwoods exhibit the purple tint with no flash so I wanted to know whether is the AUTO mode just confusing and setting it incorrectly or whether the chip is faulty as some people suggested. Hard to judge myself as this is my first ever DSLR camera and I am completely new to this thing

So I guess the chip is fine, right?

 

[run-kmc]

There's a very outside chance it's a bad sensor. It probably is just white balance.


Setting white balance to "auto" is different than setting other options on your camera to "auto." Next time you're in a wooded area like that, take a picture of the same scene with every white balance mode your camera has (or at least "cloudy" and "sunny.")

Alternatively, you could shoot in RAW and set your white balance after the fact, on your computer.