T3i exposure questions

Good morning!
I'm trying to make headway with my new T3i.

Is there a way to under-expose a bit when in macro mode? As soon as I set it to macro, most of the options in the menu disappear. If I'm taking a picture of some bright flowers against darker green background the flowers are blown out. Can I maybe use some of the spot exposure settings?

Also, the camera seems to be over-exposing a bit with landscape shots. I tried using the bracketing feature yesterday on a hike to Tongue Mtn. (Central Cascades). Set it to bracket a full f-stop both ways. The -1 pic looked pretty good, the one the camera wanted was over-exposed, and the +1 pic was worthless.

I don't yet have a UV filter or polarizing filter, which I need to get ASAP.

Is there a way to tell the camera to under-expose a bit from what it wants all the time?

Yes. Read your manual for how to set up "Exposure Compensation".

Alternatively, you can switch to manual mode and under exposure to a level which suits your artistic eye.

DunnoWhen wrote in post #14684034
Yes. Read your manual for how to set up "Exposure Compensation".

Alternatively, you can switch to manual mode and under exposure to a level which suits your artistic eye.

Can you even modify exposure compensation in one of the auto modes?

mwsilver wrote in post #14684368
Can you even modify exposure compensation in one of the auto modes?

I was just playing around looking in Auto mode and the only option to change was single shot, 2 second timer, and remote.

Learn to use the Manual mode and you will never go back to the auto modes ever again.

Don't get a UV filter, I bought a polarizer but I never ended up using it. Just by tweaking the picture in lightroom you can get the same effect as having a polarizer.

maverick75 wrote in post #14684402
Learn to use the Manual mode and you will never go back to the auto modes ever again.

I switched to Manual mode the day after I got my T3i and haven't moved it from there since. It takes some trial & error, but well worth the effort!

Don't waste your money on a UV filter. But you DO need a polarizer; you can't replicate the effect of a polarizer in any post processing program that I know of.

As you can see, the auto modes are a bit of a PITA when the situations arise that you want control over what is going on. Switch over the P,Av,Tv,M modes and start working on taking control of your photos.

A really easy way to get your feet wet with this:
Set to whatever mode you normally shoot in
Note the ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed that the camera is choosing
Switch to M
Dial in those same settings
Take the picture and see how it turned out
Make your own adjustments from there
- Be sure try several different settings of all 3, just so you can start to get a good feel for what those settings are doing to your shots

Also, get a good book on exposure, like Understanding Exposure, and read through it several times. Make sure you have your camera at hand while you do

maverick75 wrote in post #14684402
Learn to use the Manual mode and you will never go back to the auto modes ever again.

Don't get a UV filter, I bought a polarizer but I never ended up using it. Just by tweaking the picture in lightroom you can get the same effect as having a polarizer.

No you cannot.

How do you help stop reflections with LR?

While replying with "RTFM newbie" is easy and fun, it's not very helpful. Please note that I said "while in macro mode".
Exposure compensation, described on Page 103 of the T3i manual, does not work in Macro.
Nor does Metering Mode, described on Page 102.
Those look like very handy tools. When they're available.

So, let's try this. I was using an Olympus SP-500UZ before the T3i. When I clicked it into Macro, the camera definitely did something with the lens that allowed me to get closer to the subject. With the T3i, I'm not seeing an obvious benefit of going to macro. What do you guys do when trying to get small? What does the T3i's Macro Mode do to make close-ups work better?

Snydremark, making note of what the camera wants to do in Auto then going to M sounds like a good learning tool. Thanks for that.

NinetyEight wrote in post #14686605
No you cannot.

How do you help stop reflections with LR?

I think he was probably referring to lightroom's ability to add saturation and luminescence to give a deepened sky and cloud color but doesn't understand what a polarizer actually does.

This is from a review of the T3i:

Close-up Mode (Macro Mode): Turning the Mode dial to the macro flower symbol sets the camera for capturing smaller subjects such as flowers, jewelry, and other small details. The autofocus mode is automatically adjusted to One Shot, the drive mode choices are Single, 10-second Self-timer, and Continuous Self-timer, and the metering mode is set to Evaluative. ISO and white balance are set to Auto, and ambience / lighting selections are available. Close-up mode takes advantage of the current lens' minimum focal distance. However, an EOS-dedicated macro lens and the Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX are recommended for better close-up photography. Note that unlike the macro mode on most consumer digital cameras, Macro mode on the Canon T3i has no effect on lens focusing range, as that parameter is entirely determined by the lens being used.

The "Macro mode" does absolutely nothing to allow you to get the camera closer to a subject than you could in manual mode. For that, you may want to purchase a true macro lens.

My recommendation is to forget all of the silly "picture type" positions for the exposure mode dial and, instead, learn how to control your camera. You would do well to put the dial into the "M" position (with ISO also manually set to a value - NOT auto) and learn to do all of your exposure control manually while learning the basics of photography. THEN, you could migrate to some of the automation modes (such as Tv or Av) if you find them useful. I work almost exclusively with my cameras' dials in the "M" position.

Telkwa wrote in post #14686964
...
Exposure compensation, described on Page 103 of the T3i manual, does not work in Macro.
Nor does Metering Mode, described on Page 102.
Those look like very handy tools. When they're available.

So, let's try this. I was using an Olympus SP-500UZ before the T3i. When I clicked it into Macro, the camera definitely did something with the lens that allowed me to get closer to the subject. With the T3i, I'm not seeing an obvious benefit of going to macro. What do you guys do when trying to get small? What does the T3i's Macro Mode do to make close-ups work better?

Snydremark, making note of what the camera wants to do in Auto then going to M sounds like a good learning tool. Thanks for that.

Metering and Exposure Compensation are not, just, 'handy' tools for an SLR; they're critical to getting good shots.

So, as Skip pointed out, you WON'T see anything like you did on your old Olympus when trying to use "macro" mode on your T3i, because unlike the point and shoots, SLRs can't make whatever adjustment were done with the P&S. The only things the Auto modes on the SLRs do is set default settings that the manufacturer has decided are best for that type of shooting; and taking away control from the photographer.

To do macro or close up shooting now, you are going to need either a lens with a short, minimum focus distance (MFD) or a true, Macro lens.

The SLRs are much different animals than a P&S. What was your reasoning for moving to the T3i.

Get yourself a copy of Understanding Exposure, by Bryan Peterson, to get started on understanding how aperture, shutter speed and ISO affect your pictures; and go hang out in the Macro discussion forums to start getting a better understanding of how to deal with macro shots in your 'new' world

Telkwa wrote in post #14683043
I don't yet have a UV filter or polarizing filter, which I need to get ASAP.

Why do you feel you need to get a UV filter ASAP? Do you intend it for protection, or do you think it will benefit your pictures? Second point first, it will not benefit your pictures and will in fact will likely degrade them a bit, although you may or may not notice it. For protection, a UV lens is a mixed bag. it will provide some protection from blowing sand and gravel when you're in those situations, and will help fully seal an L lens that has weather protection, but most here generally prefer not to go with one, preferring to protect the front elements with a lens hood. A polarizing filter is a whole other animal. They are extremely useful in various conditions, and for various purposes, but generally should not be kept on your lens full time. You should also do a little research to select the best polarizer you can afford. B+W and Hoya are the brands most often used. The top of the line B+W Kaesemann are considered by many the cream of the crop, but are expensive.

Not to hijack, but...I picked up a circular UV polarizer for $20. I know it's probably crap, but it felt pretty solid & heavy, and figured I'd give it a go. I've never used anything like that before, and honestly, don't really know what it's supposed to do. I was going to use it on sunsets and such...is there any particular lens it works better on? Are there any "no-no's" or tips for using one?