Just purchased a 30D

[alias_man25]

hey everyone this is my first post...
i just got my 30D about 2 weeks ago and i cant seem to figure out how to use the metering on M mode, i came from a nikon so its way different for me, all my pics on Manual never come close to turning out just "ok" like in the manual for the camera it says that if i adjust everything to where the meter mark is in the middle, the picture will be normal and will turn out, but when ever i do that it comes out waaaaaay overexposed, and i've tried different ISOs and everything lol i need help

and i mainly shoot sport (motocross) and tips??

[Ronald S. Jr.]

For your metering, it'll be the same button above the top lcd that does your EC (don't have my camera in front of me, but I believe it's the one just to the right of ISO). After you press it, give the little wheel behind the shutter release a spin to go through the metering modes.

[alias_man25]

ok well i can move that meter around but the pic doesnt look anydifferent

[AFcrosshair-1]

you should be careful with your 30D, it is very prone to dust, from when it is open, till being used in a weeks time. Make sure you have any methods of cleaning the sensor or keep your viewfinder safe from dust... it happened to me an it can certainly happen to anyone else...

[alias_man25]

ok will do thanks for the heads up

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Well, you've got 4 modes. Spot, center-weighted, partial, and evaluative. I'd leave it on spot unless the lighting was awful tricky and I just couldn't get it right. As for everything looking "the same", well, it's only gonna make a difference really when there's at least a couple very different types of lighting going on (e.g. - taking a shot of someone in front of a sunset). If you take that kind of shot, and you use spot metering, and you meter for the couple, you're going to have an incredibly blown out shot. Meter for the sunset (sky), and the couple's gonna be dark as all get out. So you put it to spot metering, meter for the sky, set your FEC to +2/3 or whatever you like, and fire with a flash. Now you've got a nicely exposed shot all the way 'round!

[alias_man25]

ok i think i might have figured it out, so where should i set the meter mark at (the one that i move when pushing the button above the shutter) and is the one that is constantly changing when u look through the viewfinder supposed to be put in the center???

[Ronald S. Jr.]

As for that dust issue...it's no more prone to dust than any other camera. Keep your camera off when you change lenses, don't be stupid and change lenses outside on a windy day (unless you have to), and don't leave the sensor exposed for extended periods of time. Use common sense, and you'll only have to blow off your sensor as much as the next guy. Hey...dust happens. It's called preventive maintenance.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

ok i think i might have figured it out, so where should i set the meter mark at (the one that i move when pushing the button above the shutter) and is the one that is constantly changing when u look through the viewfinder supposed to be put in the center???

Where you set the mark on the meter is for exposure compensation. If you want your subject exposed more or less than the rest of your shot. the "1" and "2" are how many stops you want it over or underexposed. The "active" meter you see in your viewfinder is the camera giving you an idea as to how your scene is exposed. If it's by -1, that means the camera thinks your shot, taken as is, will be underexposed by one stop. ...and so on.

[alias_man25]

so i should just leave it in spot metering?? and that will be good for sports right? sorry i'm a total newbie at digital but i want to learn everything i can so enlighten me haha

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Depends on what you're shooting, really. If the lighting is fairly even, then yes, I'd leave it on spot. If you're using a flash, I'd set it to evaluative or partial (empty square or empty parenthesis, respectively), and use the FEC like I explained about the "sunset shot". Experiment ahead of time if you can. Don't want to miss those shots!

[alias_man25]

oh ok thats simple enough haha wow i'm a newbie haha

[SeanH]

I shoot alot of MX also. Personally I just use AV( making sure I have a fast enough S Speed in that lighting), Servo, and Partial metering. The spot would be to small, you could meter a reflection off of the a pipe, or a black section of the riders gear and mess up the exposure. Here's a few I shot when we were riding a week or so ago. The sky was that nasty white haze, but using the partial metering worked very well.

http://www.pbase.com/blue622/starwest_5606

Should be a few more gallerys with SX if you wanna check the exif.

[alias_man25]

those are some sick shots

can u take a look at mine and tell me what i should work on??
(give it some time to load)
http://www.heyphotoguy.com/pics.html

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Some nice shots there, alias_man25, but I'd say just work on your panning technique, and concentrate on how you frame your shot. You cut off a lot of front wheels.

[alias_man25]

ok i will do that, thanks for your input

[SeanH]

Too funny....... shots from the same track (Starwest) LOL

[alias_man25]

haha yea thats right lol thats pretty funny