I routinely shoot at +2/3 stops exposure compensation on my 40D. There are even times when +2 stops isn't enough. I think Canon dropped the ball on the meter on the 40D.
Maybe.
I've always thought Canon's evaluative metering mode was a bit underpowered. It's one reason I tend not to use it. Since the camera is an artistic tool, I'd prefer to have more control over it anyway.
For that purpose, I find spot metering works better than anything else, because it allows me to control exactly (within a third of a stop) what tonality any given part of a scene has, and allows me to decide what parts of the scene are most important.
You can learn any metering mode if you work hard at it. It's just a question of what you want to accomplish with it.
I'll say this: there are some situations that for which evaluative metering has some real advantages, such as fast action sports in a highly variable lighting environment. Thankfully, that metering mode is there if I need it...
