Exposure Problems

[tinman0]

Sounds a bit odd, but the exposure on many of my pictures from last week are either overexposed or underexposed.

All I can think is that the sun was so bright (out in the States in some glorious weather) that even a small amount of sky and my 300D was over compensating for it, making the subject matter too dark. Or that the road surface in Tennesse was so bright, that the camera totally got it wrong.

This afternoon I've bought a Cokin P series set of filters with a graduated Neutral Density filter, in an attempt to reduce the intensity of the sky and give the subject matter (everything below the sky) a better chance.

Is this the right course of action?

[Gemm]

Bright lighting can confused a lot of camera's metering. The easiest way is to use exposure compensation.

[beano500]

I assume you have different metering options, e.g. matrix, centre weighted, spot? Have you checked which setting you're on - for example if you had left the camera on spot and metered from a small part of sky or from something relatively dark this will throw the exposure one way or the other....

[tinman0]

I think the 300D only has one metering function, i think its called "random".

[Gemm]

[redacted]

[V6GTO]

tinman0 said:

This afternoon I've bought a Cokin P series set of filters with a graduated Neutral Density filter....Is this the right course of action?

Yes. And buy a grey card to meter from.

Martin.

[beano500]

tinman0 said:

I think the 300D only has one metering function, i think its called "random".

In which case, you should have got a proper camera


But, then again - I would have thought any recent model Canon* would have at least a modicom of sophistication?






* I know nothing - I moved to Nikon gear in 1997! And my Canon gear was from the '70s - metering? ...you want metering? ...that's a little needle that wobbles round in the viewfinder!!!

[fergusd]

An ND grad filter will certainly help, digital cams just don't have the exposure lattitude to correctly expose images that your eye can . . . yet.

Fd

[beano500]

fergusd said:

... don't have the exposure lattitude ...

Good point.

Bracket and Blend!








(Canons can bracket can't they???)





Like so - (ta da...)

Edited by beano500 on Monday 5th June 12:02

[longers]

I think it was Digital Photo I was reading at the weekend that explained a tip for this (I haven't tried it yet but will give it a go)....

Their idea was to:
1. take image in RAW
2. when converting to JPEG create a couple of versions over / under exposing as necessary to get the detail where needed
3. put the best exposed bits from each image into one image in photoshop

Longers