Dark photos After Correct exposure

Hi, I'm not sure whether I should post this question here, or in the PP forum, since I'm not sure exactly where the problem lay.

My problem is this: I am consistently faced with dark photos when I view them in DPP on my computer. I expose either right in the middle of the exposure meter in the viewfinder, or 2/3 stop to the right. The pictures always look great and correctly exposed on the LCD panel on the camera, but when I get home and look at them in DPP they look much darker, and i have to brighten them. It's not a HUGE deal, but I would much rather make nice pictures with the camera instead of fussing around with DPP. Plus, if I wanted a picture to look bright, i'd have to REALLLY overexpose them with the camera.

So, is this an inherent property of DPP? or is there something I should change in the camera itself?

Any help would be great.

-Kirk

When I used to shoot in jpeg I would notice that the LCD displays photos substantially brighter than they turn up on my computer. That was on my 10D, I would have hoped Canon would eventually correct this. apparently they haven't...

is the monitor calibrated? how does this histogram look like?

I have not calibrated my monitor. Hmm...that could be. I'll look into that. However, I've used a different camera for years on this same uncalibrated monitor and every photo seemed okay as far as brightness. The histogram seems okay, as far as I know...I'd have to do some formal tests, but I've noticed a fairly wide range on each historgram. When I brighten, I end up losing a lot of shadow detail since I can see the histogram being shifted towards the right.

I have yet to compare the histograms in teh camera with the histograms in DPP. THAT might be a clue.


-Kirk

I have a 30d and dont have that problem. Dont trust the camera's LCD.

haha, thanks JJ...the LCD is one of the reasons I got the 30D. I assume you don't trust the LCD? Do you ever find the photos a little dark in DPP?

-Kirk

I agree with looking at the histogram; that's the main thing I use the LCD on my 20D for. I would not use the LCD for judging exposure on even on the 30d, as there are too many variables (ambient light, viewing angle, display settings) that can affect it. What mode are you using? Some modes can be sort of non-intuitive when it comes to exposure, especially flash exposure, so that the camera is trying to accomplish one thing and you are trying to accomplish something else.

A 'quick and dirty' monitor adjustment involves going to dpreview.com and looking up a camera test report for something (like the 5D) and viewing the greyscale bars on the opening page and if you are unable to see the different density levels across the full range, you need to adjust brightness and contrast.

One can also use these photo images to determine whether or not your monitor is at least close. There are gray scales as well as fairly easily recognizable colors. If the colors are off more than just a tad, you will usually recognize them visually.


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Thanks guys! First thing I'm gonna do is calibrate my monitor....THEN I'll learn how to properly read the histogram. From what I know, I have to keep either end of the histogram from being cut off. I'll look all that up..I'm sure there's tonnes of info on here for that!

-Kirk

KAS -
You might be interested in this thread that I happened to notice yesterday:
http://www.fredmiranda​.com/forum/topic/41783​4/0

Elie