Problems With Under Exposure

dbvirago wrote in post #14636958
I'm not sure that lens works with your body unless in manual mode

Manual focus or full Manual? I've had this camera for over two years and didn't have this problem originally, so I know the lens works with the camera.

Just dial in some + EC. My 20D and 30D almost always under exposed.

What is that, and how would I do it?

EsotericForest wrote in post #14637194
What is that, and how would I do it?

Take a look at this site:

http://web.canon.jp/im​aging/enjoydslr/

Once you read, try and understand most of it, your camera will stop having problems.

I have that same lens and it works fine in all modes with my 60D.

One thing I have noticed is all the files supplied are in "png" format. PNG files were developed to build upon the purpose of gifs, specifically the ability to incorporate low-resolution images that load quickly but also look great. I realize the wife's Canon Power Shot SX130 IS images are also PNG and look OK but can we get some plain old JPG images? I can't help thinking that this is one reason the EXIF is screwed up, as a starter.

In my graphic design work I always save in png. because it doesn't compress the file like a jpg. Each time you save and resave in jpg, it compresses the file again which causes it to pixelate, and in my opinion ruining the graphic. You can choose low compression when you save in jpg, but I don't see the point if I can just save in png.

i use TIFF, because when I did convert my images to png, it didn't save the exif info, or didn't display it correctly in windows (using the properties tab). TIFF shows the info correctly, so I'm using that. Flickr, razzi and facebook don't like tiff though, so I convert the TIFF to jpg and use the JPG to upload. I delete the JPG after I'm done w/ it and keep the TIFFs. PNGs do save the images a little bit smaller, but I have a lot of HDD space, so I'm ok with the slightly larger files.

I just tried it, and PNG doesn't keep the EXIF (everything is blank) when I convert it in photoshop (I'm just doing a save as->PNG and viewing the camera data in photoshop).

Also, what are you shooting in camera? JPG or RAW? Can you take a couple of test shots in JPG and upload those (straight out of camera)?

You said that it recently started doing this...does that mean it didn't do this before? I would either try shooting it in green box mode and see what happens there, or maybe resetting the camera back to default in case the settings changed something somewhere. Also, check to make sure you don't have any polarizers or filters on your lens...it could be affecting the metering some how.

Oh, are you shooting in live view or through the viewfinder?

Just trying to find out as much info as possible to help narrow down the solution.

Normally I do shoot in RAW because I like the options it leaves me in post production. The photos that were posted were not shot in RAW however, because I actually did do a reset on the camera, because I did consider that may have been the problem. Obviously it didn't help however. I haven't changed it back to shooting RAW though.

I will post some more pictures tomorrow straight out of the camera, when I have daylight to take the pictures. Then we can look at the EXIF on them.

I don't have the polarizer on the lens at the moment, but the UV filter that came with the lens, and that is always on the lens is in place.

I shoot through the viewfinder, I don't like trying to look at a screen to take a picture .

crn3371 wrote in post #14637189
Just dial in some + EC. My 20D and 30D almost always under exposed.

Alright so I take it you mean Exposure Compensation. I shoot manual however, so I am controlling my shutter and my aperture to adjust my exposure already. My main problem is that my camera doesn't seem to be taking in enough light in order to get the right exposure. Even in high light conditions I'm forced to use a low shutter speed in order to get the proper exposure. The problem with that is that then everything blurs because I have too low of a shutter speed. I would like to be shooting at least 1/800 or higher most of the time because I'm usually shooting people or wildlife. However I'm unable to do that without the photo being extremely under exposed.

Could you please post a link to an image that is jpeg straight from the camera? Don't do anything to it, just give us a link to the original full-sized image. I can see why this is frustrating to you since:

1. The lens is definitely ok to use on your camera (I use one on my 20D)
2. You reset the camera and it didn't help

EsotericForest wrote in post #14637517
Alright so I take it you mean Exposure Compensation. I shoot manual however, so I am controlling my shutter and my aperture to adjust my exposure already. My main problem is that my camera doesn't seem to be taking in enough light in order to get the right exposure. Even in high light conditions I'm forced to use a low shutter speed in order to get the proper exposure. The problem with that is that then everything blurs because I have too low of a shutter speed. I would like to be shooting at least 1/800 or higher most of the time because I'm usually shooting people or wildlife. However I'm unable to do that without the photo being extremely under exposed.

Yup. As per my first post, if this was a Sunny 16 type exposure situation and you change from f/16 to f/4 the shutter-speed would need to be increased from 1/100s to 1/1600s.

Is there any chance the Picture Style you are using has been messed up and Contrast has accidentally been increased to the maximum? Following is the histogram for the last image you posted from the XSi:

f16 seems pretty high but it should still allow enough light in during bring sunlight. you would get a blurry pic but it shouldnt be super underexposed.

those photos are weird to me also.

EsotericForest wrote in post #14635789
This one is with the ISO at 100, F/16 and Shutter 1/1600th


And this one is with the ISO at 100, F/16 and Shutter 1/100th

According to the EXIF data on the second image the shot was taken on June 25 at 9:41 PM without flash. Your original post was about dark images obtained in full sun conditions, but this image was shot in night time full darkness. No wonder that the shutter was open for 15 seconds. I guess that the lens data can't be trusted.

Bill Boehme wrote in post #14638090
According to the EXIF data on the second image the shot was taken on June 25 at 9:41 PM without flash. Your original post was about dark images obtained in full sun conditions, but this image was shot in night time full darkness. No wonder that the shutter was open for 15 seconds. I guess that the lens data can't be trusted.

LOL. If thes are taken during the blue hour or later no wonder they're underexposed. I missed the timestamp.

The second batch of photos I took with my SLR and my wife's point and shoot were taken about 6:30pm, in full sun. I unfortunately didn't save the pictures from the day I spoke of in the original post.

I have the Picture Style set to standard.

As I said earlier, I'll post some new pictures later today once I get home from work.