Digital Rebel XT and to much flash in auto-mode

Wierd that the couches in the foreground are less blown out than the top of the shelf unit on the far wall. ALso the picture off to the RH side. It's almost as if the flash is being focussed in on the center area. That was at 18 mm, but I thought the pop-up was supposed to be able to cover 18 mm on a crop. Yeah - take it back. It's not right.

I would like to see the EXIF info from the 10' basement shot.

... Looks like Canon finally fixed the problem of underexposure with E-TTL.

Curtis N wrote in post #2326024
I would like to see the EXIF info from the 10' basement shot.

... Looks like Canon finally fixed the problem of underexposure with E-TTL.

This what you want?

f4
1/60

I am new to this.

Jon wrote in post #2326006
Wierd that the couches in the foreground are less blown out than the top of the shelf unit on the far wall. ALso the picture off to the RH side. It's almost as if the flash is being focussed in on the center area. That was at 18 mm, but I thought the pop-up was supposed to be able to cover 18 mm on a crop. Yeah - take it back. It's not right.

Nothing weird there, Jon. The walls and ceiling are probably white or very close to it so it could blow out very easily. And the couch and sofa are probably dark in color.

Curtis, you're such a comedian.

Just got off of the phone with Canon for the second time. This person seems to think there is an issue. His reasoning is that the picture taken from 10' is f4 and the picture from 5' is also f4. He said the camera should compensate and the appeture should change. They want me to send it in.

PS: My walls are GREEN!

MonkeyBoy wrote in post #2326139
Just got off of the phone with Canon for the second time. This person seems to think there is an issue. His reasoning is that the picture taken from 10' is f4 and the picture from 5' is also f4. He said the camera should compensate and the appeture should change. They want me to send it in.

PS: My walls are GREEN!

LIGHT green, right?



Anyway, it really doesn't matter if the subjet is 5' from you or 10'. If the ambient lighting is low enough, the camera will usually always open up to the widest aperture available on the camera when shooing in Auto mode. Nevertheless, there definitely is something wrong with your camera and you should take it back to where you bought it from and have it exchanged, if you can, or send it to Canon repair to have it fixed.

PacAce wrote in post #2326216
LIGHT green, right?



Anyway, it really doesn't matter if the subjet is 5' from you or 10'. If the ambient lighting is low enough, the camera will usually always open up to the widest aperture available on the camera when shooing in Auto mode. Nevertheless, there definitely is something wrong with your camera and you should take it back to where you bought it from and have it exchanged, if you can, or send it to Canon repair to have it fixed.

That is what I am doing. I cant decide if I want to send it back to Canon for repair or wait until their warranty is up and just get a credit at the place I bought it. I have a 4 year warranty at Circuit City so they may just give me the credit no questions asked. That way I can get a higher end camera for only a few extra beans.

Thanks everyone for your help.

I think I will stick around here.

Go straight back to CC with the receipt and camera and speak to a manager. I had my 300D for a couple of weeks before discovering an intermittent AF issue (though looking back, it was probably the kit lens, not the cam) and CC exchanged the whole thing on the spot.

PacAce wrote in post #2326102
Nothing weird there, Jon. The walls and ceiling are probably white or very close to it so it could blow out very easily. And the couch and sofa are probably dark in color.

Curtis, you're such a comedian.

Oh, I'm sure they're dark. They're also half the distance, so should be getting 2 stops more light from the flash. So either the camera was E-TTL metering and concentrating on them and why was the background blown, or on the back wall and shelf unit and why weren't they blown even more than that?

MonkeyBoy wrote in post #2326050
This what you want? f/4, 1/60

The only important part missing is the ISO.

The pop-up flash has a GN of 43 feet at ISO 100, or 86 feet at ISO 400.

If the shot was at ISO 100 and f/4, the flash at full power would give you "correct" exposure at 10.75 feet.

If it was at ISO 400, it would be two stops overexposed at that distance if the flash fired at full power (which it shouldn't do).

So I'm guessing it was ISO 400?

The only possible thing I can think of to make the camera act that way in [green box] mode is to hit the FEL (*) button while aiming at something black, or while holding your hand in front of the flash or lens, then take the shot.

EXIF's in the pictures. IIRC from when I looked it recorded ISO 400. 18 mm w/ the 18-55.

Curtis N wrote in post #2326658
The only important part missing is the ISO.

The pop-up flash has a GN of 43 feet at ISO 100, or 86 feet at ISO 400.

If the shot was at ISO 100 and f/4, the flash at full power would give you "correct" exposure at 10.75 feet.

If it was at ISO 400, it would be two stops overexposed at that distance if the flash fired at full power (which it shouldn't do).

So I'm guessing it was ISO 400?

The only possible thing I can think of to make the camera act that way in [green box] mode is to hit the FEL (*) button while aiming at something black, or while holding your hand in front of the flash or lens, then take the shot.

Yes, it was at ISO 400. But the FEL doesn't work in Green Box mode. Try as I might, there's nothing I can do to my 30D to make it over expose an shot like the OP's camera is doing.

MonkeyBoy wrote in post #2326260
That is what I am doing. I cant decide if I want to send it back to Canon for repair or wait until their warranty is up and just get a credit at the place I bought it. I have a 4 year warranty at Circuit City so they may just give me the credit no questions asked. That way I can get a higher end camera for only a few extra beans.

Thanks everyone for your help.

I think I will stick around here.

That's what I'd do in this case..

Hermeto wrote in post #2327335
That's what I'd do in this case..

Circuit City wouldnt replace the camera on site. They want ship to their repair facility and see if they can fix it. I have accidental breakage so I may just accidentally let my 2 year old have his way with it for awhile...