underexposed 20d

[biggin]

Does anyone else find on average the 20d is underexposing and if so what exposure compensation setting do you find to work best. It seems to me about 2/3 stop.What do you think?

[lancea]

I mostly use P mode, and adjust according to the histogram. If compensation is needed, I find that mostly I'm reducing exposure - so I guess the opposite to what you've found. I'm very happy with the results. When I first got my 20D I did think the images were in general too dark - but then I bought a new monitor and that fixed it :)

[Ikinaa]

I never had a problem with underexposure with the 20D. It all depends on how you meter the picture.

If you meter on the light part of the scene, the cam will probably under-expose, if you meter on the dark part, it will over-expose.

I mostly use AV or if I take pictures of the same scene, I take some test-shots in M and set the parameters according to the histogram, exposing to the right like here (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml)

[Wazza]

my 17-40 always seems to be about 1/3 stop underexposing in comparison to my Sigma 70-300. EC depends drastically on the situation. I'm often shooting +2/3 and -2/3, and that's just shooting aircraft.

[Nicky D]

I tend to have this problem as well. I am chaliking it up to my inexperience with SLR's. I use the meter and the histogram to try and compensate. Thank god for the RAW format, it has saved quite a few pictures that otherwise would have been lost. Also, I only shoot in manual mode. I tried the AV mode one day when I was outside and all of my pictures came out very dark. Other than that one time I have not really used any of the other modes.

[robertwgross]

I couldn't call an average for daylight photos. Mine is pretty close. For flash, it seems about 1/2 stop underexposed on average.

---Bob Gross---

[tim]

Yes, many people have reported the 20D underexposing images, a search will bring you a lot of results. Learn your camera, use exposure compensation, learn the metering modes, and you'll be fine.

[biggin]

thanks for all the input!

[Marvinspu36]

My understanding of how the 20D chooses exposure:

The 20D assumes that the scene you are shooting averages out to middle gray, regardless of what it really is. According to what I've read, this is a reasonably good assumption.

However, if the scene you are shooting really averages out to something lighter than middle gray, then the camera will underexpose as it reduces exposure to make the scene average out to middle gray.

The opposite is true if the scene really averages out to something darker than middle gray. The 20D will increase the exposure to average the scene again to middle gray, resulting in an overexposed image.

If you want to test this, take a picture of a black card, an 18% gray card, and a white card, all in the same light and letting the camera choose the exposure. They should all appear middle gray (18% gray) in the photos. Make sure nothing but the card fills the entire image when you take the picture.

Hope I got that right. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

I always check the histogram and adjust my exposure accordingly.

[InskiP]

You can only check the histogram after you take the picture, correct?
Then make your adjustments and take another pic. There's no way to check the histogram before you hit the shutter button, is there? I just got my first digital camera a 20D. :confused:

[TheObiJuan]

I almost always go atleast +1/3. The 20D underexposed 1/3 when compared to the 350D I had.

[Marvinspu36]

You can only check the histogram after you take the picture, correct?
Then make your adjustments and take another pic. There's no way to check the histogram before you hit the shutter button, is there? I just got my first digital camera a 20D. :confused:

You are correct. There is no way that I know of to view a historgram pior to taking the picture.