 Simone Haeusler |
digital rebel blues... hi guys, I am really frustrated right now...I finally bought my first D-SLR, everybody's favorite, the Canon Digital Rebel. I used to take pretty decent pictures with the Canon Powershot S2 IS (in both manual and preset mode). Now with my new Digital Rebel eveything looks overexposed and burned out - even on the program and landscape settings... Please help... Simone
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Autumn Hernandez |
I too have the Rebel and I noticed that my particular camera underexposed by about a third stop. I can't verify this or anything, but I think every camera is different, even with digital, that's why film photographers have to callibrate so they know if their camera is spot on or off by a half stop or whatever. Now that I understand my camera I am able to get the photos I want out of it. I never use the preset modes though, I pretty much use M or TV or AV. I didn't like the way the "portrait" and other automatic modes took photos. So yeah, at first I was kind of disappointed in the camera. Just play around with it for a while. Maybe try some bracketing exercises and write down what exposures were +1, +2, etc. and then see which ones come out true. Make sure to tell the developer not to fix the colors in printing. Good luck!
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Hunter J. Womack |
Lesson learned. Don't Buy a camera because its "everyone's favorite". The rebel is over-rated. Just read about all different types of camera's on your own. I am looking to buy a new camera and I think I have narrowed it down to the Canon 20D or the Nikon D200.
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Autumn Hernandez |
Well, not everyone can afford to jump from a powershoot to a 20D. I don't think it was necessarily a bad idea to go to a lesser camera for the first SLR. While I'm ready to upgrade now, I'm glad I didn't find out all the things I wanted by buying an overpriced SLR that I wasn't happy with in the end. Since this was my first experience with a fully manual camera I didn't really know what I wanted, you know? Even though I have outgrown the Rebel, I'm glad I started with it. ;) Simone, how is it going with the practice?
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Andrew Laverghetta |
Make sure you're exposure compensation is set at zero or in certain cases with my 20D, I set exposure comp to -1/3 or -2/3 so to underexpose what the meter thought. From using my 20D, I feel like the camera has more underexposure latitude or forgiveness than overexposure. One of the times I find this most often works is during concerts. It also helps keep the shutter speeds higher to help with camera shake. After that, it's easy to bring up that 1/3 to 2/3 stop in photoshop. I would suggest you use one of the semi-manual modes. It's pretty much just like full manual exept you don't have to fart around with adjusting two settings. Maybe AV or TV. I always use AV (aperture priority mode), you just have to make sure your shutter speed doesn't drop below the speed where you can't hold the camera steady for the whole exposure. Don't worry, it's a fine camera.
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Simone Haeusler |
Thank you guys for all your encouraging responses. I am not ready to think it was a mistake to buy the Rebel...and I really can't afford one of the higher-end SLRs right now. I have been experimenting the last few days and I think I can narrow my problems down to not knowing how to deal with fairly difficult lighting situations. In the woods, e.g., where the shadows are pretty "harsh" and the foreground is dark but the sun is really bright through the trees. Maybe I have to learn how to meter differently... A point-and-shoot like my previous Powershot S2 IS makes more corrections on its own, I believe. The Rebel is just more "unforgiving" to difficult light... Setting the exposure compensation to -1/3 seems to help to have less burned out highlights... How about adding a filter like a polarizer? Any experience with that?
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Denyse Clark |
I have the digital rebel (upgraded from 35mm rebel) and I LOVE IT. A good test to see if it's a camera problem- try it in EASY light conditions and see what you get. I prefer to shoot full manual or in AV mode, and the only times I've had a problem is when, like you said, the lighting is a little tricky. I like Autumn's suggestion of doing some bracketing experiments.
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Christopher A. Vedros |
I have the Digital Rebel also. I usually underexpose by at least 1/2 to 1 stop. I have found that it is much easier to increase brightness than to salvage blown highlights. Chris
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Andrew Laverghetta |
Something to try, check out the manual and learn how to change the metering modes. On the rebel there should be three displayed by an empty box, the box with a circle in it, and then the box with a filled circle in it. The empty box might be good for contrasting lighting with a lot of shadows as it will take equal readings from the whole scene and average them. The box with the empty circle is called partial metering and it only meters for what's in the center circle or the center 8% of the viewfinder. The filled circle means centerweighted metering. That will take a reading mostly from the center and surrounding areas as if you had somebody standing straight up in the middle of a horizontal frame. It also includes averages for the outer parts of the viewfinder. Generally that last one is the best to stay on unless you're taking photos of something that's a light brighter or darker than it's surroundings, then you can switch to partial and lock exposure from that brighter or darker point. Hope this helps and don't confuse!
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Bob Chance |
Just another thought? Is your cameras' LCD and your computer monitor balanced with the camera? I know both my LCD and computer monitor have always shown my exposures to be underexposed, but my images still yeild good detail in shadow areas, so they must actually be getting the proper exposure, just aren't being dislayed right. My 20D allows me to adjust the brightness of the LCD, which corrects somewhat for the problem. However, my printers are fairly well balanced to my monitor, so I don't want to change that. I know there are programs out there to properly balance your printer/monitor combinations. As far as the actual camera exposures, because of all the variables in viewing your pictures, probably the best way to tell if your exposures are correct of not is to examint the histogram in a photo editing program. That will give you the real story. Bob
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Paul Tobeck |
A quick way to check your particular cameras meter is to snap a shot of a grey card in even lighting, then check where your histogram falls. If you have a narrow peak right in the center, then your meter is correct. A little left or right of center, then you should be dialing in some compensation for your normal exposures. Those tricky lighting situations are tough even for an "evaluative" meter system. Try using the partial meter on your main subject, and if you are still concerned about the highlights, then underexpose about 2/3 of a stop. If it's a once in a lifetime shot, then bracket the hell out of it and do a composite in Photoshop
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