authorizeduser Loc: Monroe, Michigan

I took 83 photos at a car show in bright sunshine and they ALL came out dark. Now since I shot RAW they can be corrected but I want to know what I am doing wrong. I shot a D300 in Program mode. ISO 200 in Color Matrix mode

Here is a sample

(Download)

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

I suspect it may be metering. The car is a glossy yellow that reflects a lot more light than an 18% gray card. I've always found it helpful in situations like this to take a reading off the palm of my hand to get an idea of what the exposure should be.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Don't know anything about your camera, but mine is sometimes fooled when shooting things that have specular highlights like the reflection on the bumper, the auto modes tend to try to darken the photo so as not to blow that highlight (not possible, specular highlights are going to blow). Some prime situations where this has happened to me: shooting into the sun, and shooting old cars at a car show on a sunny day, or anything with the sun reflecting off glass.

You may want to use some exposure compensation or manual settings next time to brighten it up, just to see if you can get a better result. Hope someone with your camera that is more certain about how your settings work will contribute

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

I learned that trick when shooting BW and it's discussed in the Zone workshops... :thumbup:

twowindsbear

Could you have set your camera to -1 exposure compensation by accident?

authorizeduser Loc: Monroe, Michigan

Exposure Comp is set to 0.0

My concern is 95% came out this way. A few are ok.

Close ups are fine and in doors is fine. This only happens in very bright sun light.

Even a wide view shot is dark.

(Download)

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

So now you know that your camera may have a tendency to meter a scene a bit wrong when in over bright sunlight. Maybe particularly when there are bright objects to fool it (specular highlights, that white vehicle on the right in the wide angle shot). Unless you discover some setting that is either causing it or can cure it, you can just decide to compensate for it. You could try +EC, or different metering maneuvers.

I had a camera like that once. Give it a scene in the brightest sun and the shots were like they were taken at dusk, shadows all blocked up. I ended up making a preferences set (don't know what your camera calls them, mine called them my sets) that had +EC built in to deal with this. Like yours, it performed as expected in early and late light, indoors and in shade and with closeups. But it had an aversion to midday shoots.

Hope you find your answers. I know it can be frustrating.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

First, "P" mode means pre-programed. In other words, settings that YOU pre-set as P mode, which will then always be the same.
Second, based on the Exif info of your image #1, your exposure was in full Auto mode, not Program mode, and under exposed from the "Sunny 16 Rule" (at ISO 200, 1/200 at f/16).
Exif info:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Image Date: 2014-06-08
Focal Length: 30.0mm
Focus Distance: 5.62m
Aperture: f/13.0
Exposure Time: 0.0016 s (1/640-sec)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: program (Auto)
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Your image #2 is differently exposed.
Exif info:
Camera Model: NIKON D300
Image Date: 2014-06-08
Focal Length: 30.0mm
Focus Distance: 7.94m
Aperture: f/9.0
Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320-sec)
ISO equiv: 200
Exposure Bias: none
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: program (Auto)
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No