Exposure in modes

[jgs001]

Thanks to my inability to adjust the camera settings at any sort of reasonable speed. I'm using Manual less and using Av mode, except when trying something that needs a specific shutter speed. However, what I'm finding is, that even though in all three modes the meter is indicating spot on exposure, that in Av mode, the images come out looking, to my eye, a little overexposed and washed out. It's not a problem as I'm shooting in RAW and can easily pull it back and do. I've not noticed this effect in M or Tv, with all the other settings the same. Anyone else come across this or have any ideas as to why that might be ?

 

[KIPAX]

Thanks to my inability to adjust the camera settings at any sort of reasonable speed. I'm using Manual less and using Av mode, except when trying something that needs a specific shutter speed. However, what I'm finding is, that even though in all three modes the meter is indicating spot on exposure, that in Av mode,

Same here.. the latest camera is so good at AV that I find the need for M less and less... there are certain times and situations that I know AV will lose me shots so I go M but quite a lot in AV with the canon mkIII

I use spot meter for manual because i am doing the exposure myself before taking the shot obviously... but as AV does the exposure more on the fly theres no way I personally would use spot.. let it get the whole scene

 

[desantnik]

Sounds more like a metering thing to me.... what metering are you using in aperture priority mode?

You have to be a little careful with your choice... for example spot metering when shooting motorsport can be a bit crazy as each car/bike is a different colour and covered in different coloured stickers... point the centre spot at a white bit and everything else will be dark... equally, hit a dark patch and watch the rest frazzle out.

Even exposure can be a bit of a pain, assuming you are hung up on it, me I use centre weighted and damn the backgrounds! Although obviously if you are shooting landscapes thats not the way to go...

 

[jgs001]

I've generally been using Centre Weighted average, and occasionally spot, if that's mucking up, for instance trying to shoot a bird against a brighter background. It's making sense as to the why, every time I think I've taken a step forward in my understanding, something else leaps up and I take a step back again . Thanks for the tips. Just been and tried an experiment in Av mode, and changing the metering modes, not easy as there are fast moving clouds around changing the light on me to get a better feel, and it's defo the metering mode that's causing it.

 

[KIPAX]

I've generally been using Centre Weighted average, and occasionally spot, if that's mucking up, for instance trying to shoot a bird against a brighter background. .

hmm strange as thats the sort of situation I would find manual a must... meter for the bird... using spot i would meter off a grey church steeple or something... never done it but simmilar situations in sport if say poll vaulting.. manual then when athlete up in sky the sky doesnt mess up the exposure.

 

[jgs001]

I must confess to a slight cheat with shooting birds. I know I'm going to have to crop the images anyway to get some scale... 250mm really isn't long enough, even to my feeder which isn't really very far from the house, so I tend to centre the bird for the shot ... rather then meter and recompose, as I understand it, the centre portion of the lens is going to get better results anyway.

I can't think of a different specific example at the moment, sorry, this was something I was trying to figure out after my trip out on Sunday and as a general observation.

 

[desantnik]

No he doesn't mean off centre shoot, he means point at something and use exposure lock to hold that metering level then recompose with the subject dead centre...

I tend to drop into shutter or aperture priority, meter on something, note the settings, dial that lot into manual mode and then tweak as the clouds come and go with a bit more or less aperture or shutter - its rarely important for me for both to be precisely something, but if it is, then fiddle with the ISO too... even though ISO adjustment is not quite as easy whilst shooting...

 

[jgs001]

Ah ok, thanks. The exposure lock function isn't something I've played with yet...