Exposure level indicator problem

[Mike2005]

This afternoon, I quickly grabbed my camera to get a shot of a moose in my back yard. In doing so, I banged the lens against my desk....slightly. Thereafter, I went to take a couple shots in AV mode and noticed that my exposure level indicator would not budge past -2. I switched to different modes to no avail. The only mode that worked properly was manual mode. The exposure level indicator functioned properly as I adjusted for exposure. I fooled around a bit, then I went into the menu and cleared the camera's settings. Thereafter, things went back to normal. Things seem to be functioning normally now. Has this every happened to anyone? If not, can anyone speculate what may have happened? Thanks.

[robertwgross]

Are you sure that you didn't have exposure compensation cranked into it?

When the arrow is semi-permanently offset from the center, that is usually exposure compensation. It will show there in a Creative Zone mode, but it will drop out otherwise.

---Bob Gross---

[rfreschner]

I'm with Bob - check the exposure compensation, it's very easy on the 20D to change this inadvertantly. This happened to me a couple of times recently, I'd reset it and then it would happen again. I've now started to leave the power switch in the ON position instead of in the upper position, which will prevent this from happening by accidentally moving the Quick Control Dial.

[Mike2005]

I'm not very familiar with the exposure compensation setting and how I may have inadvertently activated it. Gonna delve further when I get home. Thanks for the insight!

Mike

[rfreschner]

I'm not very familiar with the exposure compensation setting and how I may have inadvertently activated it.

I wasn't either until a week or two ago when I overexposed about 45 shots by 2 stops. If you depress the shutter button half way and then move the QCD within 4 seconds, it will change the exposure compensation. Still don't know how I was doing it, probably hit it with my big nose when looking through the viewfinder. :)

I was away for the weekend doing a 40 mile walk and didn't have my manual so I didn't figure out how to stop doing it until I got home. Unfortunately, when I'm in a hurry to shoot, I don't always take the time to look at all the information in the viewfinder (I trust the settings I made stay there) or I would have noticed right off.

[robertwgross]

I'm not very familiar with the exposure compensation setting and how I may have inadvertently activated it.

I believe that is a common event that happens to new 20D users during the first couple of days of use. Once you've seen it and corrected it, you'll know what you did.

---Bob Gross---