EF-S 10-22mm under-exposures

[jokar]

After finding that the kit lens supplied with my 300D just didn't go wide enough for me, I purchased the EF-S 10-22mm lens about a month ago.

Since then I've been very happy with wide angle (LOTS of fun!) and the build quality of the lens itself. However it appears to have a strong tendency to under-expose, producing histograms way over to the left when compared to my other lenses photographing the same scenes. I've taken to routinely over-exposing when I put this lens on to try and compensate for this.

I'm using this lens mostly with landscapes and architectural shots in good natural lighting, with or without circular PL filter. Some long exposure night scenes, some limted use indoors or with flash.

Is anyone else having the same experience, or have I maybe just got a bad copy of the lens?

[radar-eclipse]

That is puzzling. Not me. Mine has been great. Sorry your having a bad experience.

[drisley]

It depends on the angle I would say.
Ultra wide angle is very tricky to meter since it often encompasses so much; sky, ground, window, dark shadows. The dynamic range is much greater than with a normal range lens. Often evaluative metering isn't up to task with such an ultra wide lens.
Have a read here (http://194.100.88.243/petteri/pont/How_to/m_Mastering_Wide-Angle/m_Mastering_Wide-Angle.html).

[jokar]

Drisley - thanks for that link, there's some very good info and advice on wide angle photography there.

The wide dynamic range theory has merit - I've certainly been trying to capture a lot of varied content (bright skies to shadows) into some of my wide angle shots, and this may be just too much for the 300D exposure meter to cope with. (In these cases I do try to take spot meter readings on my subject... when I remember to)

BTW (and this may not be pertinent) I'm usually shooting in AV mode, 100ASA and often right down near the 10mm focal length (because that's exactly what I got an ultra-WA lens for!)

[CyberDyneSystems]

I find that in my kit differnt lenses on the same body will tend more towards one end of the exposure and anothe rmay be the opposite. Certain lenses will seem to be spot on at the center,. but many need a little + compensation.

[drisley]

CDS, I wonder why that is?
You would think the lens shouldn't have much to do with it, since it's the camera that does the metering.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I agree,. but it seems consistant to me,. and this is not a single camera issue I am bringing up.. this is something that I have observed over the years on all cameras I have used.

It may have something to do with ambient,.. and unwanted light getting into the works and messing things up. I notice that wider is definately worse,. and well with a telephot the lens hoods REALLY do there job well,. the wider you get the more stray light is getting oin there annd bouncing around,. maybe this light which we allready know can cause your images to look less contrasty and in extreme cases almost "faded" is still adding to the light meter reading even if it is not getting onto the sensor in a way that helps the image?

Wider,. and Zooms.. tend to underexpose IMHO,. and 90% of the "My 20D underexposes" threads are being posted by users with lower quality, wide zooms. Slap a 135mm f/2 on that same camera and watch the complaints disappear.