5D2 metering: anyone else need +2/3 or +1 all the time?

datadump wrote in post #9356184
i have to dial +1/3 or 2/3 all the time too

same here

Yeah, I found that the 5dMKII is about 1/3 under compare to the 5D. When I was shooting along side with my friend, that was the case.

I have a calibrated Gossen light meter and the readings compare well with my 5D2.

Ianfp wrote in post #9358624
I have a calibrated Gossen light meter and the readings compare well with my 5D2.

How about trying to meter a bright blue sky with it and see how that compares with your 5DII. That is where I get the most underexposure.

bohdank wrote in post #9353668
I find that, in anything but very good light, my 5DII seems to underexpose at least 1/3 stop. I often find myself at +2/3 or +1.

My default is +1/3 in good light.

Same here, same with my 7D also.

Okay, sorry for the delay -- we were all pretty much crippled sick (as they say in Texas) for half of January, and my son's contempt for prolonged periods of sleep since then has limited my opportunities to dig this sequence up and get it posted.

Here's a sequence I shot for the purpose of posting. Av, all four within 30 seconds, indoors with consistent light and nearly identical framing:

Spot, 0 EC
Spot, +1EV
Pattern, 0 EC
Pattern, +1 EC

How did you use the spot meter to set your exposure? Did you meter off a specific tone equivalent to an 18% gray, did you meter the light colored walls or a skin tone and add a stop and a half, or something else?

I did a rough check on the spot meter on my 5D2 when I got it a few weeks ago and it was pretty much dead on with my Sekonic. The evaluative metering works pretty well too most of the time, and tends to be biased towards an exposure that produces deeper looking tones and prevents highlights from being blown out in my limited experience.

I don't think your crazy. Daylight etc I usually -1, and Hmm...yeah I can agree with you.

No worries.

The background is actually better lit than the subject. Doesn't surprise me too much that in Pattern, that it would underexpose the subject.

I usually have to dial in +2/3 or +1 when shooting indoors. Of course if there's backlight or a white wedding dress (or both) I have to dial in a lot more. Sometimes +2 isn't enough, which is unfortunately the 5D's max.

I don't have to add any EC when outdoors, in fact sometimes I underexpose 1/3.

This pattern of exposure behavior has held true for all of my cams, both 5D series and 1D series.

I usually have to keep mine at +1/3 to keep the subject well lit.

How am I using the spot meter? Is that a trick question? I set the metering mode to spot and I pressed the shutter release.

The need for +1 remains if the slider isn't in the frame, when everything is elsewhere, etc.

anthony11 wrote in post #9770978
How am I using the spot meter? Is that a trick question? I set the metering mode to spot and I pressed the shutter release.

Generally, for the type of shooting that I do I'm using Manual mode 99% of the time, and for the last year or so my de-facto metering mode has been partial (as close to spot as I can get on my 350D). To meter, I use some rule-of thumb metering values (black is generally -1EV, white is generally +1EV, the palm of my hand is ~1 2/3EV etc.). For a particular scene I'll do several meterings, dial in what I've determined to be the correct exposure, focus, recompose, and then finally press the shutter.

For the most part, spot metering isn't really a "set it and forget" kind of a metering mode. To really use it correctly you need to change your technique.

mins is always at +2/3...

unless im shooting something that has alot of white in it

Always +2/3... doesn't matter about metering mode or lighting.... I always leave it at +2/3. Sometimes it may be slightly over exposed (expose to the right ) the rest of the time it's spot on.