Canon over/under exposure

[Kytus]

I have a canon digital rebel and I've been shooting with it for about a year now. I'm going to Yosemite latter this month and I want to improve my metering readings. Every time I go shooting I never can get the correct exposure setting. I never seem to spot meter correctly. I often use a polarizing filter but I think that does more harm then good. Should I buy a gray card or a handheld meter. Though handheld meters are quite expensive.

 

[Snowcrash]

do you like reading? get the book "understanding exposure" by bryan peterson

 

[Hewland]

Hi Kytus,

I'm glad you like to override the camera meter. However maybe you'd like to use that for starters - you've already paid for it so use it. Based on the exposure the camera gives, you may then want to go up or down the exposure scale. Learning to judge exposure is good training to sharpen your skills. When using manual lens on my D70, not only do I hv to focus fast I also hv to know the exposures fast too. Then when you've got your exposures about right, bracket.

 

[jsbn]

I have a canon digital rebel and I've been shooting with it for about a year now. I'm going to Yosemite latter this month and I want to improve my metering readings. Every time I go shooting I never can get the correct exposure setting. I never seem to spot meter correctly. I often use a polarizing filter but I think that does more harm then good. Should I buy a gray card or a handheld meter. Though handheld meters are quite expensive.

Erm.... I dun think spot metering is available for 300D? Only centre-weighted if I'm not wrong.

Wad mode do u shoot in?
[P]rofessional, Tv, Av or Manual?

 

[adamadam]

It uses Partial metering if you AE lock in M mode.

 

[LittleWolf]

I never seem to spot meter correctly. I often use a polarizing filter but I think that does more harm then good. Should I buy a gray card or a handheld meter. Though handheld meters are quite expensive.

A gray card isn't too useful as for best results, the exposure needs to be based on the highlights, not the midtones. Apart from that, a spotmeter could be helpful.

One can debate though whether the histogram from the camera doesn't deliver more relevant information - and taking a test shot to get the histogram isn't that much different from aiming and triggering a spot meter.

I'm not sure if it is documented in the manual, but you can erase an image before it is written to the compact flash card using the delete button.

 

[Kytus]

Hi Kytus,

I'm glad you like to override the camera meter. However maybe you'd like to use that for starters - you've already paid for it so use it. Based on the exposure the camera gives, you may then want to go up or down the exposure scale. Learning to judge exposure is good training to sharpen your skills. When using manual lens on my D70, not only do I hv to focus fast I also hv to know the exposures fast too. Then when you've got your exposures about right, bracket.

Bracketing is a good idea I've done it several times but it can be a hassle, though I have seen good results from useing it.

 

[Kytus]

A gray card isn't too useful as for best results, the exposure needs to be based on the highlights, not the midtones. Apart from that, a spotmeter could be helpful.

One can debate though whether the histogram from the camera doesn't deliver more relevant information - and taking a test shot to get the histogram isn't that much different from aiming and triggering a spot meter.

I'm not sure if it is documented in the manual, but you can erase an image before it is written to the compact flash card using the delete button.

I'm gonna try doing more test shots next time but the problem with that is looking at the cameras lcd can be difficult during the day even if I shield it from the sun.

I don't know how to interpret the histogram that well. I'm not sure exactly what to look for in each light situation. I've seen that a histogram that is shifting to left or right is not properly exposed

 

[kop]

do you like reading? get the book "understanding exposure" by bryan peterson

agree.............

 

[yaoxing]

Grey card is quite useless for landscapes....isn't it? :dunno:

 

[Kytus]

So in short there is no easy answer to metering for landscape photography

 

[Snow_One]

metering short answer..... use p mode, then do EV bracketing.

 

[Kytus]

One major mistake I've been making is not my camera settings but the time of day I take photos. I live far from anything interesting so I have to drive at least an hour. I'm not someone who likes to get up at 5am to go photo shooting so I often leave home around 9am and get to where I want to shoot around 10am. So that means I'm shooting at the worst time of the day 11am-4pm (maybe even 6pm depending on the time of year). So now I need to either get up early in the morning of spend the late morning/early afternoon prepping for later in the day.

 

[Splutter]

I guess for landscapes u really need the magical light, so you have to either wake up early or stay on later for it!