7D Exposure Question

Just got the 7D today. So far I really like it. Upgraded from the T2i. I have one question though, it seems that alot of my photos are coming out underexposed even though the meter on the camera is showing correct exposure (mostly Av mode). Hopefully it's just me learning how to use the camera. I know some posted photos would be nice, but for now I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar.
Thanks,
Randall

What are you metering in the scene? It's gonna underexpose a bright sandy beach and overexpose a black bear in a cave at the zoo. that's where exposure compensation comes into play.

My 7D seems to consistently underexpose in AV mode by about 1/3 stop, so I keep EC at +1/3 and start from there.

Therein may lie the problem. It was a sunny day here, however some of my shots were in the shade which may account for part of the problem. I've always struggled with the different meter choices (i.e. evaluative, center-weighted, etc.).
Randall

if you're shooting a portrait on a bright sunny day and your subject is in the shade, you would probably want to use your spot meter to get an accurate exposure for your subject, but you'll more than likely blow out your background.

For a better result, learn to use fill flash to expose for your subject while preserving the background. Do a search on it, there's tons of info around here.

What mode are you shooting in (Av/Tv/P/M/etc) and what metering mode are you using (Eval/CWA/Spot)?

All: Thanks for the tips.
I shoot in Av mostly and use Partial metering quite a bit.
Randall

Try using Evaluative most of the time... That will bias exposure for the active AF point, which presumably will be on your subject.

I use Partial about the least of all. It's like a "big spot meter", that just doesn't seem to do much for me. In some situations I'll use Spot Metering, other times I'll use Center Weighted. A lot of the time I use a separate, handheld incidence meter, which is the most accurate of all.

But Evaluative on 7D is pretty good... even in backlit situations.

Thanks Alan.