HELP!

[Photonut29]

I just got my Canon Digital Rebel 300D and I am having trouble with really dark pictures. .

They look great on the viewfinder but when I transfer them to my computer they are very dark. I could fix them in Photoshop but I dont want to have to that every time I take an indoor picture without my studio lighting. Is it a problem with the on board flash? should I invest in a hot shoe flash? I have only taken about 50 pictures with my camera (litterly just got it yesterday)

I took some photos of my daughter with the easter bunny today and they are very dark.... and when I lighten it up in Photoshop I get some grainy effect and a little bit of a yellow tone to the skin.

I maybe should have read up on how to use this camera before I shelled out the 800 bucks.

I got a better lens. well thats what the sales guy said. its a Sigma lens not the regular canon one it usually comes with.

I know some of you out there own a digital rebel and I would so much appriciate your help. I am just so frustrated and I have only just begun:cry:

[CyberDyneSystems]

Exposure compensation?
Check ypur histogram when shooting.

[andygrif]

Can you say what setting you took the photos on? For example the green rectange on the dial, or did you have to manually select things like exposure value and aperture value?

[johndm]

I just got my Canon Digital Rebel 300D and I am having trouble with really dark pictures. .

They look great on the viewfinder but when I transfer them to my computer they are very dark. I could fix them in Photoshop but I dont want to have to that every time I take an indoor picture without my studio lighting. Is it a problem with the on board flash? should I invest in a hot shoe flash? I have only taken about 50 pictures with my camera (litterly just got it yesterday)

I took some photos of my daughter with the easter bunny today and they are very dark.... and when I lighten it up in Photoshop I get some grainy effect and a little bit of a yellow tone to the skin.

I maybe should have read up on how to use this camera before I shelled out the 800 bucks.

I got a better lens. well thats what the sales guy said. its a Sigma lens not the regular canon one it usually comes with.

I know some of you out there own a digital rebel and I would so much appriciate your help. I am just so frustrated and I have only just begun:cry:

Most important......is your computer monitor correctly calibrated??

If not, your gonna be in trouble before you even start.

regards

[Photonut29]

cant afford monitor calibration. I was shooting on the portrait setting on my camera. I am sure I should have been using a different setting. I have gotten better pictures on manual where i have to adjust the apature and shutter speed. I am just trying to learn how to use my camera. I have read over the book. Maybe I should take a class thanks for your help

[mtndew]

Hows does the picture look when you print it? Just print up a few pictures before you use photoshop on them. Or even post a few so we can see if there is a problem.

[andygrif]

I was shooting on the portrait setting on my camera. I am sure I should have been using a different setting. I have gotten better pictures on manual where i have to adjust the apature and shutter speed. I am just trying to learn how to use my camera. I have read over the book.

As mtndew suggests, post a few examples up here and I am sure we'll get to the bottom of it.

It's a little odd that the portrait setting should deliver duff results. As far as I can remember the 300d opens up the aperture to 5.6 and if necessary pops up the autoflash (which I don't think you can override in that setting).

So in theory it should handle most portraits you're going to throw at it.

If you took the photos outdoors, particularly if it was a bright day then it could be that the camera is metering too much of the sky, which would make your subject too dark (underexposed).

To correct this, move to a better lit location (i.e less bright in this case) or meter for the subject better by pointing the camera downwards to take your reading (when you press the shutter button half way down) before returning to your composed shot.


Maybe I should take a class thanks for your help

There's lots of great books and websites out there that will explain the principles. Once you understand how the camera works you'll never use an auto setting again!!

[lucasdigital]

Photonut29,

Have faith!

My first few hours with the D350 left me cold. I was used to the A80 resetting to default when switched off - so was mighty disapointed when I got home from my first EOS 350 shoot to find I'd left the ISO at 400 ( no wonder the camera was reacting so well to a rather dull day!)

Your results like this?
http://www.lucas-digital.com/design/photography/slr/dark1.jpg
(looked fine through the view finder - but came out very dark)
Shutter speed: 1/200.00
F-stop: 5.6
ISO speed: 400
Focal length: 55.0000
Flash: 16
Orientation: 1
Aperture: 4.9709

Remember, the exposure meter, not the "as seen" image will tell you if the results will be suitably exposed. The viewfinder doesn't show you the affect of your apperture settings.

Keep working at it, re-check the manual, or at the very least, your assumptions. Its working for me!

Mk

[tim]

Photonut29, can you post a full sized picture for us to look at, or even email it to me if you can't do that? It'll be something simple I bet.

[Photonut29]

Here is what the pic looks like sorry for
http://jupiter.walagata.com/w/my2girlsknh/2005-03-26_059.jpg

[Dante King]

you need to be setting custom white balances. Get a grey card, expodisk or the like. This will help to a large degree. YOu might also want to change exposure settings a tad. If you are shooting in raw format, you will be able to easily change exposure issues like this.

Well thats my take on it.

[tim]

The EXIF data says the flash fired, and Photoshop confirmed the photo is quite underexposed, by my guess somewhere between 1.5 and 2 stops. There are ways to correct it, like using exposure compensation or applying the firmware update and using FEC, but I don't think the camera should be underexposing so badly.

Can you take a few photos outside in normal light, of a variety of subjects, with and without flash, and see if they come out properly exposed? If they don't i'd tend to talk to the place I bought it from.

[robertwgross]

You know, when the flash pre-fires, the metering happens, and then the main flash fires, you are going to get this very result... with a subject that is largely white.

That is one of the main purposes behind sneaking away from automatic settings and trying exposure compensation and flash exposure compensation (depending on your equipment). I would punch this up 1.0-1.5 stops and see what you get.

---Bob Gross---

[tim]

Bob makes a good point, I now remember discovering this the hard way myself a while back. There's a thread on it somewhere.

[snibbetsj]

It looks like the exposure meter was weighted on the white bunny suit which caused the auto exposure to under expose. Try the same settings in manual using centerweighted metering and push up the exposure by 1-1.5 stops.

[robertwgross]

This is almost the same as the classic wedding exposure problem. The bride wears a nice white gown, and then the camera's metering tries its best to make it appear to be 18% gray.

It is this, if for no other reason, that delineates the difference between a snapshooter and a photographer.

---Bob Gross---

[Photonut29]

I have been reading my manual and I guess I am just stupid I cant figure out the settings. I dont know how to set the apature or the white balance. I think its going to take ma a while to learn how to use my camera. this is my first DSLR I took some photography in high school but I dont remember much about apature and things. I know how to read the hystogram and I can tell by that they are underexposed. there is a spike on the left side of the hystogram. and even in the fully manual setting it has this same problem. Maybe I should take it down to the camera shop and let them check it out. Also does anyone know of a training video for this paticular camera?

[robertwgross]

I have been reading my manual and I guess I am just stupid I cant figure out the settings. I dont know how to set the apature or the white balance. I think its going to take ma a while to learn how to use my camera. ...
Maybe I should take it down to the camera shop and let them check it out.

Does your mother post in this forum also?

I doubt that the camera shop is going to find anything wrong with the camera. Maybe some extra time with the instruction manual is the way to go.

---Bob Gross---

[robertwgross]

Read page 75 in your manual, about exposure compensation.

Your problem does not have anything to do with white balance.

---Bob Gross---

[Dante King]

Go here my man. Ther eis much useful info for you. May not be your exact camera, but you will get the basics and some of the lessions are quite useful for some one in your position.

http://www.photoworkshop.com/canon/index.html

Hope htat helps

[funpix]

I too just purchased the 350D this past week and have experienced a fast learning curve which showed me quickly that the pre-sets were different even from another canon digital that i own. I have now been using the TV setting which is helping me to understand the overall settings. The menu set up on the 350D is difficult to grasp and the manual will help! Take you time to learn the camera and I expect you will soon be on the way to enjoying pristine photos.

[Photonut29]

I am a woman but thats ok. I decided to buy the Digital Rebel training DVD. I hear its a good one and will teach me more than reading my manual. I know its just going to take some time and I have to be ok with that. I dont want to give up. But you would think that the fully auto setting would take average to good pictures in doors. Thanks everyone for your help. This was an expensive venture for me and I shouldnt be giving up so easily.

[Nightcrawler]

Keep trying, you will get the hang of it eventually.

[Photonut29]

Ok I read page 75 and I went ahead and set the exposure compensation to +1 stop then took a shot then to +2 stop and took a shot and they look exactly the same no change even on the histogram. I have read almost every page in my manual and I still dont get it. I feel really dumb.

I took some outdoor pictures of my cherry tree the white balance is off I know this because the white flowers look yellow. but the picture is still a little on the dark side (it is overcast today)

I really need to learn this camera I have a non formal wedding to shoot in May

[Duder]

no need to be hard on yourself. you only just got the camera, so give it time. It's merely a matter of getting used to a new camera with different abilities. Keep reading the manual, and experiment with all the settings. ;)

[Photonut29]

thanks for the encouragement. I am going to keep trying. I went ahead And orderd a training DVD and I am looking into getting a new hot shoe flash. I am going to try some portraits with my studio lighting and background tomrrow and see how that goes. (portraits are what I bought the camera for) I will play with the settings. I will post some more pics tomorrow thank you all for your help.

[Mark_48]

Ok I read page 75 and I went ahead and set the exposure compensation to +1 stop then took a shot then to +2 stop and took a shot and they look exactly the same no change even on the histogram. I have read almost every page in my manual and I still dont get it. I feel really dumb.

I took some outdoor pictures of my cherry tree the white balance is off I know this because the white flowers look yellow. but the picture is still a little on the dark side (it is overcast today)

I really need to learn this camera I have a non formal wedding to shoot in May

I suspect you may still have the camera in the "Auto" mode (Green square) for the shots you took above. In the Auto mode the Exposure Compensation function is not available. There is a chart on page 122 that indicates what functions are available at different camera settings. Try the same shots in P, Tv, or Av with the Exposure Compensation settings you previously tried. P is sort of like Auto, but has more functions available to use. (Note: The Exposure Compensation function on the 300D does not affect exposures in which flash is used as the main lighting source. Take a look at page 83 on Flash Exposure Lock using the star button. Focus on the subject, reaim the camera center point to something more midtoned, push the star button and then recompose and shoot. P, Av, Tv, or M)
In the cherry tree shot are the white blossoms the predominant part of the picture? If so, like the white bunny shot you did, the camera will adjust itself to balance out overall tones of the composition and appear to underexpose. Again try the blossom shots in M, Av, or Tv using some Exposure Compensation.
I started as you did using the Auto mode and for most shots that the compositions did not have alot of dark or light predominating, the camera exposed correctly.
Fortunately the "film and developing" are free for the most part, so you can practice alot trying different things to get the hang of how things work.