5D, who has one?

[cactusclay]

I just got this camera this morning and it seems like it's a lot easier to blow the highlights, than my other bodies. Anyone have any tips. I'm shooting raw in evaluative metering. Thanks Clay

[JohnnyBlood]

What mode are you shooting in? I tend to use spot metering in aperture priority mode (Av). Have you considered using Exposure Compensation (page 92 of your manual)?

[cactusclay]

Thanks Johnny, I use AV mostly too. I guess I didn't think I would have to compensate the exposure, right off the bat. I guess I was hoping it was just a matter of a different setting. Do you use exposure comp all the time?

[JohnnyBlood]

No, I don't use exposure compensation all of the time, but I do much of the time. I tend to "expose right," which means that I am exposing my photographs to a bit more light than not. It is a common practice with digital cameras to do this because it preserves much more data than if you expose to the left. This is not to say I over expose, I try to have the right leading edge of the histogram pushed to the right.

Generally my exposure compensation is set to +1, although I will bracket important shots and adjust exposure compensation just to make sure I go the shot right. This is a result of inexperience on my part; I've only been taking photographs for a year now.

[Hellashot]

My Drebel was always scared of blowing highlights. Always underexposed by 2/3 stop if using EC of 0. I find I need to monitor my EC on my 5D going from -2/3 to +1/3 depending on how challenging the lighting is. Just watch your histogram.

RAW gives you about 1 stop overexposure protection and 2 or 3 stops underexposure protection.

[cactusclay]

It just seems like this camera blows the highlights more in the same situation, than the 300D 350D or 20D. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet.

[::John::]

What picture style are you using?

[cactusclay]

What picture style are you using?
I'm shooting in standard, but I'm in raw, so guess I thought it wouldn't make a difference. Does it?

[::John::]

Sorry - not sure. I rarely use RAW. I notice my pictures taken in RAW tend to open up with the picture style active and I can change the picture with the style (using DPP) but I'll sit back and watch - there are experts here with the 5D who will hopefully come up with an answer for you.

Good luck.

[calicokat]

I have one and love it, it makes my 15 fisheye and 16-35L oh so wide :)

[cactusclay]

My Drebel was always scared of blowing highlights. Always underexposed by 2/3 stop if using EC of 0. I find I need to monitor my EC on my 5D going from -2/3 to +1/3 depending on how challenging the lighting is. Just watch your histogram.

RAW gives you about 1 stop overexposure protection and 2 or 3 stops underexposure protection.
Thanks Hellashot.

[mebailey]

Ive got a little over 2000 shots on mine. I have not noticed the problem you mention. It exposes similar to my XT, imo. The 5D gets exposure right most of the time. Have you tried different metering modes?

[kprince]

There's a great book called "Understanding Exposure" It's pretty good, it's helped me expose a bit differently.

[nancypics]

While I have noticed some blown highlights I haven't really explored solutions because it doesn't really affect what I do (stock, mostly still-life, controlled lighting, etc.). I tend to avoid high contrast lighting to begin with, so I don't encounter this issue often. Sorry - I wish I had more info for you :-(

[Choderboy]

I have found the opposite. I find the metering to be much better on the 5D.
I take a fair few watersports pics so often used negative exposure compensation on the 20D to avoid white water blowout. Often 1 stop or more , but 5D I find none or 1/3 stop -ve does the trick.
I'm using neutral picture style.

[Anthony J Howe]

Apart from one or two images with bad highlights that I discovered that I took all other images have been spot on with the 5D. But those bad highlights I can only say that it was down to me. I have the 20D too but havent seen any difference in either the cameras in blowing the highlights. I have found though the there is advantage with 5D, with spot metering, this comes in quite useful.
I think it's a case in just getting used to the power of the 5D.

[Tom W]

I have to agree with others - you will probably need to get accustomed to the 5D. Mine exposes very well in most situations, short of the occasional shots where contrast is extreme (for example, shooting a subject in a deep shadow, but with some bright sky exposed in the image). But those situations are always a challenge.

You may have to play around a bit with the picture styles, contrast, saturation and such to get the combination that provides the best results. "Standard" mode does bump saturation up a bit, and has a bit higher contrast than "neutral" or "faithful" modes. Since you're shooting RAW, you can change picture styles in PP rather than having to do so during the shoot.

Give it a few days in various situations. Shoot side-by-side with your other camera and compare. Unless something is amiss, you should find that the 5D does expose very well.

[curryjc@ktc.com]

That is a tough shot to take. If your subject is in the shadows then spot meter them and give up on the highlights. You can't always get what you want. Sometimes you can move around until you subject has a background that won't blow the highlights.