CANON 30 D under/over exposure

Bountyphotographer

Hello, I have been frustrating lately while using my 30 D.
Often time when there is too much light I am having a problem with the exposure. My pictures are way too dark and sometimes way too bright so I increase or decrease the exposure without changing the f stop and speed setting, yet it barely makes the cut.:scratch :scratch :scratch If I change the f stop or shutter speed it doesn't make a difference, because they self adjust each other

Should I just use the manual Exposure all the time:scratch :scratch
I don't always have that luxury, though

Thanks

bounty

Slinky0390

When you adjust either the aperture or shutter speed in either Av or Tv mode, are you metering correctly? If your light meter is showing perfect exposure, something might be throwing your light meter off, or maybe you have set some exposure compensation and forgot to change it back .

Bountyphotographer

I am metering correctly. I don't see any f stop or shutter speed # flashing.
As far as my exposure compensation I am steering that wheel like crazy going to one extreme to another. it happen mostly when the light is very bright or reflecting off sometime shiny. is my camera too sensitive????

Slinky0390

I haven't had a problem with mine but presumedly, if you were shooting a picture of someone outside on a sunny day, and you accidently metered off the sky, the shutter speed or aperture would change to properly expose the sky, not the subject, so the subject would be underexposed. What is your iso set at?

Bountyphotographer

Slinky0390 wrote:

I haven't had a problem with mine but presumedly, if you were shooting a picture of someone outside on a sunny day, and you accidently metered off the sky, the shutter speed or aperture would change to properly expose the sky, not the subject, so the subject would be underexposed. What is your iso set at?

ISO is set at 100, and I metered the subject not the sky.
I don't have the camera with me right now (I am at work) but perhaps the metering mode was on spot. I really doubt it though

Slinky0390

Hmm, I'm drawing a blank. Other than the light meter being a computer controlled part and it can get tricked very easily by a bright day and many reflective surfaces, I'm stumped. I normally shoot in manual only because I got so used to doing so, but I don't think I had any problems shooting in Av or Tv.

ivar

what metering mode were you using? have any examples?

Bountyphotographer

ivar wrote:

what metering mode were you using? have any examples?

Hi, Ivar

I am at work right now, so I don't know. I think that I am using the evaluative mode. I will have to look at my sample, I deleted on the spot the really bad ones though.
I'll get back to you later with some examples

thanks

Bounty

www.bph.smugmug.com

Slinky0390

Unrelated, but the TransAM on your smugmug is sick

Blackwood

Bountyphotographer wrote:

Should I just use the manual Exposure all the time
I don't always have that luxury, though

Why wouldn't you be able to shoot manual?

Anyway, as was mentioned, you have to be aware of what you meter to. If you're taking a picture of a friend of your who is wearing a hat on a bright day and you meter to the background, you'll most likely underexpose his face (which will be in the shadows of the hat).

If you are taking a landscape photo on a day with bright clouds in the background, you may overexpose them.

Just be aware of the light.

pathfinder

ivar wrote:

what metering mode were you using? have any examples?

I still think Ivar's question is very pertinent. You say you are exposing "correctly" and yet your images are too dark or too bright.

You can't truly be metering accurately and appropriately if you are getting images that are under or over exposed. This suggests that your metering is not being performed appropriately.

Are you using Spot Metering or Central metering, perhaps? Make sure you are using Evaluative or Matrix if you have that ability.

Getting proper exposure does require some understanding of how reflective measuring meters work.