Document photgraphy

[Canon User]

I often need to keep copies of documents or send them over email. Its a lot quicker to capture them with my Canon A20 than use a scanner particularly if they are more than 1 page - but why do they always come out very dark. Is it the large amount of white paper background shutting down the AE.

[iwatkins]

Probably a bit like snow. Snow always causes underexposure, usually 1.5 to 2 stops worth.

if you have manual exposure compensation, try dialing in +2 stops.

There again, if you are using flash, that could the problem.

I would really recommend using a scanner. Even the cheap Canon Lide series scanners are fast. I would say faster than taking a shot, downloading it to PC etc.

Cheers

Ian

[John_T]

Maybe he is in industrial espionage and a notebook and scanner are a bit much to carry around...

[Canon User]

Unfortunatley I'm in a business where we need to share information that nobody ever reads again! The Camera is portable and handier than a scanner, particuarly when your at a customers and they offer to lend you a competitors price list for 5 minutes.

[pradeep1]

You know, I am business too and I could use your trick of photographing competitors price lists...hmm...

I would use a flashclip to do that. It's a little diffuser you can clip on your G3's flash and take photos. It works well for these types of sneaky purposes.

Contact Craig (who makes them) at this email:

aspowers[at]cox.net