exposure probs

[c0ntr0lz]

ok so i'm new at this loaded camera stuff
on the 300d you have the exposure meter in the eyepiece
i set it to where the meter is centered
take my pic and then see it over exposured
so i set it 2 notches down and take the pic
and it's fine

so wasup with this??
are there some setting i need to change on the system?

thanks in advance

[Belmondo]

It would be helpful to know what metering mode you're using and to show us an example of what you're getting without the EC adjustment. It could just be a matter of your metering being taken off a bright object in the image.

[c0ntr0lz]

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/viewfinder.jpg


on there you'll see the meter at the bottom
i'm basing the exposure on that getting that center and it blows the pic
knock it down 2 or 1 and it's fine or ok



ps thank you http://dpreview.com for the image
just in case they see it

[PhotosGuy]

ok so i'm new at this loaded camera stuff
What do you mean by that?

take my pic and then see it over exposured
What was it pointing at? Something gray? White?
We need more info. How about posting the pic with the exif info?
Plus the metering mode, too.

[c0ntr0lz]

PhotosGuy i mean that i've never used a camera with all these options

and i'm pointing it at anything
bright things dark things reflective and non reflective
i'll have to post pix later
i'm at work right now
i went and even setup a few shots to test my theory
took the same pic the meter 1 above, even and one below
the below came out the best
even was ok had hotspots bright whites
one above was just toasted white
maybe i'll do a test here at work
brb

thanks for the help guys

[c0ntr0lz]

ok so here are the pix i took last night at work



http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/2up.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/1up.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/center.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/1down.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/2down.jpg

[drisley]

I think that looks about right.

If you are using M mode, center weighted average (CWA) metering is used.
The object near the center is quite dark, so that would account for the lights and ceiling being blown out.

However, that is a tough scene with a fairly large dynamic range.
I think any digicam would have a tough time, and it appears the 300D did a good job.

[PhotosGuy]

pix i took last night at work

Still not telling us where the meter was pointing or what mode it’s in.
Try this – set the metering mode to Partial (9%) by using AE Lock (pg. 84 of the manual.)
Take one pic with the exposure ‘suggested’ when the center of the viewfinder is on the gray divider.
Take one pic with the exposure ‘suggested’ when the center of the viewfinder is on the wall behind the gray divider.
Note that you’ll get two different ‘suggested’ exposures even tho the light doesn’t change, only the ‘suggested’ exposure does.
Do you see what’s happening here?

[Belmondo]

---- that is a tough scene with a fairly large dynamic range.
I think any digicam would have a tough time, and it appears the 300D did a good job.

Agreed. :!: :!:
It sure doesn't look like you have a problem, at least to me.

[Tom W]

I agree with drisley - it looks as though the weighted metering performed as designed, taking into account the dark wall in the center of the scene. Really, in this case, I would think that a slight "blown-out" effect on the ceiling wouldn't be objectionable since there is little useful detail up there anyway.

This would have probably been a good candidate for fill-flash if you were looking for detail on this side of the wall.

[c0ntr0lz]

ok so weighted metering issue that is not correctable on the camera
alright here are some pix from my walk today
all the detail are on each image


http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/1-250_lake.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/1-500_lake.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/blue_fire.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/yellow_fire.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/creek.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/lake.jpg

[drisley]

I think they look fine!

Again, shots like these really stretch the dynamic range of any digital camera.

Usually when you have a shot like one of these, you have to choose between blowing out the sky, or having a dark ground.

One fix is to shoot Raw, then you can set exposure compensation afterwards in software (which I do).

In addition, you can output two images from one Raw pic, one with the sky properly exposed, one with the ground properly exposed, then combine them.

Have a look at this thread...
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=31857&highlight=dynamic+range

Again, digital cameras, even the most expensive DSLR's mimic slide format's somewhat limited dynamic range.

The 300D and 10D both have a very good dynamic range as far as DSLR's go. They have a dynamic range of 8.5 stops. Compare that to the VERY expensive MKII which has the greatest range of all DSLR's at 9 stops.

Really, only film would be able to properly expose outdoor scenes like that, and I think even film may have a hard time.

[Tom W]

ok so weighted metering issue that is not correctable on the camera
alright here are some pix from my walk today
all the detail are on each image


http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/1-250_lake.jpg

http://ctrlzproduction.com/images/exposure/1-500_lake.jpg


They both look fine, really. You're shooting evaluative so your metering depends partly on the active focus point. In the top picture, I'm guessing that your active focus point was right in those trees beyond the dam. In the second one, you caught some sky in that metering zone so the camera stopped the shutter down a bit (1 stop).

A couple of points - first, you probably want to keep your contrast at "normal" most of the time. Why? Because it makes the subtle change of making dark things a little darker and light things a little lighter. In other words, it tends to eat up a little of your dynamic range. On a really wide-ranging photo, you could lose detail in both bright and dark areas at the same time.

Also, keep an eye on the histogram - if the shot looks extreme on either end, adjust exposure compensation 1/3 to 1 stop or so in the other direction and retake the shot. Its digital so the shot is free, and you have a good opportunity to experiment.

[c0ntr0lz]

thanks guys for everything
my freind came over and said they look good to
so i guess i need to learn how to read a photo and understand what it will look like in the end

thanks again