Any Xsi/450 users here? question...

[Invisodude]

Is yours also kinda funky with over exposure in scenic shots? I never had to check and chimp EV all the time when I had my Nikon DSLR, nor do I with any of my P&S cams, or my wife with her superzoom P&S. But this camera seems to lean kinda to a spot meter-ish deal even with evaluative. I can take a shot, turn a bit, take another, get home, upload the pics and go egads at some of them. They'll be really over exposed. My wife might take the same shot with her cam and the shot looks great.

Here is a sample shot. Nothing important but weird as I had just taken the shot I'll post below.

Same lens, lens hood also. Sun behind on the bottom shot, sun to the left in the over exposed shot

Over

Just right

 

[cfusionpm]

Well there are four different metering modes, and it sounds like it may just be in the wrong one.


Evaluative (outer ring AND center dot icon) looks at the whole scene and determines based on subject importance what the best exposure is for the entire frame. Commonly causes underexposures when there are bright spots in frame.

Spot (center dot icon) looks at the center point and meters based on that one point only.

Partial (outer ring icon) looks ar a slightly larger circle around the middle (about from the top AF point to the bottom) and meters off of that.

Center Weighted (no metering icon) looks from the center and gradually out. There is more emphesis on what is at the center, but it takes into account most of the rest of the frame too.

Hope that clears up some metering woes! I generally leave mine in Center Weighted if I'm not purposely using Spot.

 

[Invisodude]

Thanks, yes really familiar with metering modes, the over exposures with these shots are usually in evaluative mode, but less so with CWA. I've read some use CWA -2/3rds with the 450D for scenic shots, so looks like a lot of people have also had an unpredictable time with some shots and over exposure. The 400D/Xti I see many complained of underexposure and this one over. Maybe the 500D they got it right in the middle

I'm hoping, but not expecting, a firmware upgrade for this. I did some reading and it seems that all 4 modes give varying weight to the focus point, even evaluative. I was used to my Nikon DSLR which used more of a scene recognition type setup in it's Matrix mode, it was never off more than a 3rd and usually right on target.

 

[bigtwinky]

Other than with scenes that have a wide range of contrast (bright sky, dark foreground), I have never had too many issues with getting the shots exposed properly.

 

[Invisodude]

Do you test shoot and adjust, or just leave it in one of the modes and not adjust EV between normal shots? (unless something is of course out of the ordinary)

 

[Invisodude]

Here's a couple links I found with others noting the same
Flickr: Discussing Over-exposure issue of the 450D in Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi - 450D Photographers
Flickr: Discussing Over Exposure in Canon EOS 450D (aka Rebel XSi & Kiss Digital x2)

 

[bigtwinky]

I preselect my metering mode, usually either spot or evaluative.

I then chose a shooting mode (AV, P, TV,...but 95% of the time AV).

I then take a test shot to see if things work. I do this not only for current camera settings but also to make sure that I reset things from the prior shoot such as white balance, ISO and so on.

I check the histogram to get an idea of exposure as the LCD doesn't really reflect the quality of the light or shot enough to judge.

Then off I go.

If I switch spots, I'll do a quick check to make sure things are ok.

Most of the time though, things are pretty much ok and require me doing a different composition to try and eliminate the parts of the scene that are too bright, specially when shooting outdoors in winter time like I did yesterday.

 

[Invisodude]

That's what I'm finding I have to do also. Sure is a lot of work compared to my previous DSLR. It makes it tough when your out shooting and you turn and see something and don't have time to 'test shoot' check the histo, reset settings, ect. It's fine for taking a scenic mountain shot, but if you see an interesting person, or vehicle going by...

What bothers me, is if this was my first DSLR, or first camera, I'd never know the difference. But knowing my last DSLR, nor any of our other current cameras, are this flaky, makes it a hard pill to swallow.

 

[bigtwinky]

I figure this is normal with cameras and dSLRs. With film, you had to check, recheck, and set. With digital, I would think its check, set and then recheck with the bonus of seeing the image.

While I do check things (its always good to once and a while), I don't often find myself having to change metering or shooting modes during a shoot.

 

[Invisodude]

Yes, I'm not saying it should work perfect, but having had a previous DSLR for a few years, along with the other cams I've had and still have, I can for sure say my Xsi is by far the most finicky for exposure and is off by more and more often, then any other cams I've had/have. For 'whole scene' shots I should clarify.
For subject shots, (birds, wild life, flowers, etc.) it does a better then average job of making sure there are no lost shadows.

My old Nikon, in Matrix mode, produced such a nice histogram consistently that I never bothered checking. I knew if I left it set on -1/3, it would be spot on or so close that a 1/3rd adjust in PP would be all I needed. I'm seeing some scenics that are way off with my Canon, like more than a whole EV with blown areas in the center and the edges. Not sure what it thinks it's doing. I mean, look at that shot I posted, the road in the middle is hot white, things on the edges are hot white....

Here is the histogram

but I am starting to wonder if it isn't something with reflected light. I just reviewed a bunch of photos and it seems like every time it's when the sun is to my left and I'm shooting NW to NNW. Has happened with different lenses, but the shooting direction compared to sun placement seems kinda consistent.

 

[cfusionpm]

Here's a couple links I found with others noting the same
Flickr: Discussing Over-exposure issue of the 450D in Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi - 450D Photographers
Flickr: Discussing Over Exposure in Canon EOS 450D (aka Rebel XSi & Kiss Digital x2)

Maybe it's a defect in the XSi? I've not really run into either of these issues in my XTi or 50D.

 

[Invisodude]

Here's a couple links I found with others noting the same
Flickr: Discussing Over-exposure issue of the 450D in Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi - 450D Photographers
Flickr: Discussing Over Exposure in Canon EOS 450D (aka Rebel XSi & Kiss Digital x2)

Maybe it's a defect in the XSi? I've not really run into either of these issues in my XTi or 50D.

From what I've seen from others, I think your right

 

[sanjeed1407]

If you focus on the dark area; sky or bright areas will look over exposed and opposite will happen if you focus on the bright area. In my opinion focusing for landscape shots is little tricky and some work is required on it if the shooter wants to keep the whole canvas sharp and properly focused.

In case you want accurate presentation of the shot keeping both sky and land/plants properly focused; try a GND filter. I shoot in RAW with this DSLR but never experienced this problem and I use 2 metering modes namely evaluative for most of the shots and spot metering for birding and wildlife photography.

Your first shot above is kind of mystery to me. I'll try out a similar shot shortly and get back with findings. In this part of the world we have sunshine in abundance.

 

[Invisodude]

Since posting I do have a handle on this. The main problem was that I was used to my previous DSLR, which was a Nikon. It's Matrix metering will weigh the whole scene evenly, with no special attention to the center or focus point. Matrix metering checks the photo with a built in database of sample photos and produces a good exposure.
Canon's evaluative, looks at the whole scene but gives more attention to the focus point, almost like it's part spot and part general metering. So, if you focus on a dark area, it brings up exposure to try and get the focus point closer to 18% grey, which will blow out other parts of the scene.

IMO, it's really an odd thing to do. As we have spot which does this, we have CWA which pays attention to the a larger part of the center, we have partial which pays full attention to the middle area, why have evaluative do this also?