Rebel T1i/500D producing black images

Hi,

I've been using a Rebel t1i/500D for a couple of years with no problems until now. A couple of weeks ago it randomly stopped working, produced a 'Err 20' message and made a horrible grinding noise. I took it to a well regarded camera repair shop who replaced the shutter system.

All seemed well, but a couple of days passed and I was shooting in Aperture Priority mode on a bright day when I realized some photos were all black. I was using f4.0 and 200 ISO. When I examined the metadata I saw it had chosen a shutter speed of 3200. If it was too dark why did it not choose a slower speed? I've attached a reference to see if anyone can explain this as I'm worried the camera has some hangover problem from the repair.

Incidentally, I opened it in Photoshop and boosted the levels to the extreme. You can see a hint of what I was shooting so it captured an image. Is it possible it was so bright that it couldn't choose an appropriate speed? I'd have expected the image to be white in that instance though.

Thanks for the help!

I'd say the metering was bollixed up, and the camera is reading the scene as much brighter than it really is. I'd be going back to the people who did the shutter replacement and getting their view on what's what. I don't know enough about the optics and sensor arrangement for exposure metering to guess at what the ultimate cause could be.

As a bit of an experiment, go to M mode and see if the exposure meter moves sensibly with changes in light, shutter speed, ISO, and aperture settings. It may shed some light (ha ha) on the problem.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to experiment today and if it reoccurs then I'll take it back and let you know the result.

I just wanted to post an update on this in case anyone had a similar issue as I couldn't get back to the repair shop for a couple of weeks. In the meantime I kept shooting and most images were great, but periodically I got a run of vastly underexposed ones. When I returned it and demonstrated the exif data they seemed to agree with xarqi the metering was faulty. It's still being looked at so I'll add more when I have further details.

Only happening with 1 lens? Camera isn't likely to make grinding noise, whereas a lens is. I had a similar, but opposite situation with a lens. In my case I was getting overexposed shots. It was the aperture diaphragm on the lens not stopping down. In your case it could be that the diaphragm on your lens is sticking in the stopped down position

crn3371 wrote in post #14540611
Only happening with 1 lens? Camera isn't likely to make grinding noise, whereas a lens is.

What if there is a shutter failure?

derickcarss wrote in post #14485437
A couple of weeks ago it randomly stopped working, produced a 'Err 20' message and made a horrible grinding noise. I took it to a well regarded camera repair shop who replaced the shutter system.

derickcarss wrote in post #14485437
I was shooting in Aperture Priority mode on a bright day when I realized some photos were all black. I was using f4.0 and 200 ISO. When I examined the metadata I saw it had chosen a shutter speed of 3200.

Now I look at these numbers again, f/4, 1/3200 and ISO 200 is *exactly* what the "sunny 16" rule would predict for a bright day. Maybe the metering is correct after all.

I'm not sure where that leaves us though. Options seem to be a lens diaphragm that is stopping down further than instructed (or is stuck) allowing through less light than the exposure system was expecting; a faulty shutter, opening for less time than instructed (but even the fastest shutter speed available couldn't underexpose this much compared to 1/3200 s); a sensor or other electronic fault affecting collection or amplification of the light signal; something else.

Thanks everyone for the help and replies. I now have my camera back and all seems (touch wood) to be in working order.

First they replaced the shutter system and that sorted the Err 20/Grinding noise situation. Then, after it produced the dark images, they replaced the sensor. After a weekend's shooting there's been no problems - long may it continue. Incidentally crn3371, I had tried it with multiple lenses and it made not difference, plus, after the repairs I've been using that lens with no issues so it must have been internal.

Thanks!