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I just don't understand the bracketing options on the D200.

While I was in NZ, I realised I had lots of "film" left towards the end of the trip, so I had a play with bracketing.
I set the camera to a 9 shot bracket at 1EV between shots (or so I understand - or don't as the case may be)
I set the sequence to be under... normal...over because that's what makes sense to me.
Then I set the Function button to do the bracketing burst. As expected 9 shots in quick succession. BUT

they are all the same. I would have expected that a spread of 9EV would produce very underexposed...correctly exposed... very over exposed Not what I got at all.

These shots are the 1st, 5th and 9th of a bracket burst. They are all OOC except for resizing (I even left the big dust bunny) and adding GeoTags.

they all look the same (within reason). The exif claim they all have the same shutter, ISO, Aperture and EV compensation
This particular sequence is on manual, but I also tried Aperture priority with the same result.

What is going wrong? DO I need to go back to doing fully manual bracketing? (i.e. change the exposure myself between shots) Or is there some simple step I am missing? Or do I misunderstand the concept of bracketing altogether?
Shot1:


Shot5:


Shot9:
 BTW they are of the view from the top of the Crown Range Road looking towards Queenstown

check your settings in the setup menu, you may have bracketing to be controlled by flash only hence your results.

That's odd Greg. I use bracketing and it works fine (I use Aperture priority) and it should work as you thought (ie a range of EV values) and this should show in the EXIF.. When you say you used the function button - did it show BKT in the LCD dsiplay and the range of the burst? My guess is that you didn't turn it on. The easy test for bracketing is to set high speed burst mode and hold the shutter down. It should lag when it hits the last in the sequence (aside from it showing BKT as I said earlier)

Try setting it via the BKT button combined with the dial. Is the result the same?

Peter,
If I hold the BKT button in, I see 9F, 1.0, BKT and +/- When I let go the BKT button, I see BKT, +/- and a series of bars on the exposure bar as well as the normal displays.

aim54x,
I will go through the setup options, but it will take a while. Will report back when I have done so.

Cameron,
I think you have it.

Settings for Custom e are:
Flash Sync Speed: 1/250
FLash Shutter SPed: 1/60
Built in FLash: Commander mode
Modelling FLash: Off
Auto BKT Set: Flash
Manual Mode Bkting: FLash/Aperture
Auto BKT Order: - > +
Auto BKT Selection: Preset Value Select

And for Custom f
F4 Func Button : Bracketing Burst

I will change E5 to AE + Flash and have another go. Probably tomorrow.

Just a link from the guy that we all either love or hate, in this case hate (his descriptions here dont help) but by cross referencing my D300 i think you should check option e5 (Auto Bracket set) and e6 (manual mode bracketing). If these are set to flash only then that would explain your strange results in your bracketing, I have mine set in AE + flash and flash + speed respectively.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d200/users-guide/menus-custom-bkt.htm

Hope this helps

Mr Darcy wrote:Cameron,
I think you have it.

Settings for Custom e are:
Flash Sync Speed: 1/250
FLash Shutter SPed: 1/60
Built in FLash: Commander mode
Modelling FLash: Off
Auto BKT Set: Flash
Manual Mode Bkting: FLash/Aperture
Auto BKT Order: - > +
Auto BKT Selection: Preset Value Select

And for Custom f
F4 Func Button : Bracketing Burst

I will change E5 to AE + Flash and have another go. Probably tomorrow.

just beat me to it!

Some time ago, I wrote a tutorial on bracketing. It can be found in the tutorial section of this site, here.

Although the settings relate to a D70, it is easily translatable to other Nikon cameras.

I hope it might be useful for you.

I bracket all the time but on the D200 with the dedicated button, and it certainly works as you expect it and you get differently exposed images. Good luck sorting out the problem.

I tried changing that setting. It worked a treat. Thanks heaps Cameron.

fotofanatic thanks for the pointer to the article. In this case it was a how to use ( the D200) problem, rather than a why to use.
It did give me a few more ideas though.

Stubbsy, if you haven't looked at it already, setting the FUNC buttion to BKT basically enables rapid fire for the duration of the bracket burst. No need to set continupus & remember to put it back; and no need to remember you are partway through a bracket set. Since I don't use it for anything else I will leave it there for the moment. Even though I was not getting the bracketing because of the wrong setting, I found it a really handy way to do the bracketing in NZ.

Now all I need to do is recover all those photos with dark mountains, snow, clouds and sheep

My photographic journey continues apace, thanks in large measure to this forum

Mr Darcy wrote:I tried changing that setting. It worked a treat. Thanks heaps Cameron.

no worries it is a pleasure, great to be able to help someone.

Mr Darcy wrote:setting the FUNC buttion to BKT basically enables rapid fire for the duration of the bracket burst. No need to set continupus & remember to put it back

Yes this has been pointed out as a way to 'supercharge' your D300 to faster than 6fps if you dont have the grip. Having tried it once or twice I do say it does feel faster. I do think it was mr rockwell that posted that tip (with cautions).

I can't add much more on the bracketing issue as it has been well covered. I use it quite a lot on the D200 and it works really well.

But, I did recognise the view:D

http://inernest.smugmug.com/photos/166020407_vWzyH-L.jpg