Over exposed

cartridge_gal

cartridge_gal

Suspended / Banned
Messages
32
Name
Anna
Edit My Images
Yes
So today I have watched the Canon 40d dvd. And the man presenting it says that for landscape photography I should use AV mode and do not use any more than 100 ISO. Go out and take some pictures of my orchard and every picture is over exposed. Finding it all very hard to understand and any help would be greatly received.
 
Welcome to TP. :)

I'll be the first to say "can you post some pictures" ?

With pictures people will be able to see what settings you used and point you in the right direction.
 
Suvv said:
Welcome to TP. :)

I'll be the first to say "can you post some pictures" ?

With pictures people will be able to see what settings you used and point you in the right direction.
Click to expand...


I am sorry I can seem to find the attachment icon.
 
If you're using Av mode and it's overexposing the first thing you need to do is make sure you haven't accidentally set any positive exposure compensation which would make the camera intentionally overexpose.

Look in the viewfinder and on the bottom there should be a scale that goes from -2 to +2 with zero in the middle and markings in thirds (i.e. +/-0, +1/2, +2/3, +1, +1 1/3, +1 2/3, +2). If it's not set to zero set it to zero (see your manual if you don't know how) and try again.

If it is set to zero you need to set some negative exposure compensation (again see the manual if you don't know how), this will make the camera underexpose compared to what it thinks is correct but in reality it will be the correct exposure (as the camera is essentially thick and doesn't know what you're pointing it at).

To be honest your DVD sounds like nonsense, teaching you to use specific settings for specific types of photography is quite simply wrong as it doesn't work like that and it's counter-productive. You're better off learning about exposure in general and then you'll be able to judge for yourself which exposure settings should be prioritised and towards which end of the scale you should be aiming to get them.
 
Probaly knocked EC by a stop?
 
That DVD is spouting nonsense. Some cameras' base ISO doesnt start until 200 for a start.

Once you put some pictures up, we'll sort you out.
 
Your ISO was on 400 is the first thing I notice, although that wont cause over exposure, however being on Program Auto mode may well do as these shots are.

Its a very birght sky, so without filters, you will blow the sky.

On the last photo (nice Landrover btw!) You have ISO 100 and Aperture mode, but you have added +1 EV, which will cause over exposure.
 
Last edited:
TCR4x4 said:
Your ISO was on 400 is the first thing I notice, although that wont cause over exposure, however being on Program Auto mode may well do as these shots are.

Its a very birght sky, so without filters, you will blow the sky.

On the last photo (nice Landrover btw!) You have ISO 100 and Aperture mode, but you have added +1 EV, which will cause over exposure.
Click to expand...


How on earth did you find all that out?? This is fab!!! I have brought some filters but I don't know how to use them lol I have 3 months to become semi okay before I go to NZ. I have changed the plus one back to zero now. So what do I need to do???
 
Its all in the EXIF data embedded in the image ;-)

Every scene is different, so there are no hard and fast rules.

For scenes with bright skies, ideally you need a graduated ND filter that will dull sky but leave the foreground the same.

If you feel comfortable using Av mode, thats fine. For most landscapes you will want between f/8-f/16 to get maximum depth of field. The camera will sort the exposure out, but it can be fooled by really bright skies as you have in your image. This is where exposure compensation can be used, but be careful not to underexpose the foreground. Put your camera on its base ISO, which will be either 100 or 200.

Another option is to use software and apply a graduated filter to the sky that way, you should recover enough detail to get a fairly pleasing image.

If you have blue skies, then a polarising filter will be very usefull. It will deepen the blues and make the clouds pop out.
 
Last edited:
Very quick edit of the small jpg to show what you can recover in software. If you hadnt have shot this at +1 EV, you'd get all the sky back, especially if you shot in RAW.

There some pretty meaty JPG artifacts going on here due to the intense processing, obviuosly you wouldnt get that with a RAW processed within 2-4 stops over exposure


5860902898_68475e8aab_b by TCR4x4, on Flickr
 
TCR4x4 said:
Its all in the EXIF data embedded in the image ;-)

Every scene is different, so there are no hard and fast rules.

For scenes with bright skies, ideally you need a graduated ND filter that will dull sky but leave the foreground the same.

If you feel comfortable using Av mode, thats fine. For most landscapes you will want between f/8-f/16 to get maximum depth of field. The camera will sort the exposure out, but it can be fooled by really bright skies as you have in your image. This is where exposure compensation can be used, but be careful not to underexpose the foreground. Put your camera on its base ISO, which will be either 100 or 200.

Another option is to use software and apply a graduated filter to the sky that way, you should recover enough detail to get a fairly pleasing image.

If you have blue skies, then a polarising filter will be very usefull. It will deepen the blues and make the clouds pop out.
Click to expand...

That looks amazing. I have brought a ND4 graduated neutral grey soft graduation and and a circular polariser a Ptype adapter ring but they were out of stock of the ptype wide angle filter holder. I hope this makes sense to you. But I don't know how or when to use them. Sorry to be so dumb about all this.
 
Everyone starts somewhere!

That filter will be great for that type of shot, but you will need a Cokin P holder before you can use it and the adapter ring the right size for your lens filter thread. Use it whereever you have a sky that is considerably brighter than the foreground. Meter the scene first without the filter, and either note the shutter speed/aperture or lock it using the AE Lock button. Slide the filter in so the graduation just starts to creep into the foreground at the horizon the foreground and take the shot. Youshould see the sky is now the same brightness as the foreground, or pretty close.
 
Last edited:
TCR4x4 said:
Everyone starts somewhere!

That filter will be great for that type of shot, but you will need a Cokin P holder before you can use it and the adapter ring the right size for your lens filter thread. Use it whereever you have a sky that is considerably brighter than the foreground. Meter the scene first without the filter, and either note the shutter speed/aperture or lock it using the AE Lock button. Slide the filter in so the graduation just starts to creep into the foreground at the horizon the foreground and take the shot. Youshould see the sky is now the same brightness as the foreground, or pretty close.
Click to expand...

Do you use the circular polariser and the ND4 at the same time or just one at a time?
 
You can, but I personally wouldnt, as the light loss would be too great and you'd probably get pretty bad vignetting in the corners. Is the polariser a slot in like the ND or a round threaded one?
 
TCR4x4 said:
You can, but I personally wouldnt, as the light loss would be too great and you'd probably get pretty bad vignetting in the corners. Is the polariser a slot in like the ND or a round threaded one?
Click to expand...

It has like little teeth around it.
 
So its round and screws into the front of the lens? You should find part of it still spins, this changes the polarising effect. Best way to test this is to find something reflective, car window for example and spin it whilst looking through the viewfinder. You should see the reflections lessen. Or if you have a blue sky, stand 90 degrees to the sun and spin it. You should see the blue deepen as you spin.
 
TCR4x4 said:
So its round and screws into the front of the lens? You should find part of it still spins, this changes the polarising effect. Best way to test this is to find something reflective, car window for example and spin it whilst looking through the viewfinder. You should see the reflections lessen. Or if you have a blue sky, stand 90 degrees to the sun and spin it. You should see the blue deepen as you spin.
Click to expand...

Yeah it looks like it screws in but just tried and it does not fit, seems to big some how
 
Probably too big for your filter thread. If you look at the rear of your lens cap, it will have a number preceeded by a circle with a line through it. This is your filter thread size. You will need to buy a filter that size. Does the filter say what size it is on it?
 
cartridge_gal said:
Yeah it looks like it screws in but just tried and it does not fit, seems to big some how
Click to expand...

It sounds like a P-fit polariser, which slots in the holder and rotates by turning the 'teeth'. They're damn sharp though!
 
HoppyUK said:
It sounds like a P-fit polariser, which slots in the holder and rotates by turning the 'teeth'. They're damn sharp though!
Click to expand...

Ah ok, Ive never seen or used a p fit polariser before. Sounds interesting!
 
TCR4x4 said:
Ah ok, Ive never seen or used a p fit polariser before. Sounds interesting!
Click to expand...

You're missing nothing. The P-system is a crude thing at best, and with a CPL it is bordering on the unpleasant.

It does, however, work (if you don't cut yourself first).
 
HoppyUK said:
You're missing nothing. The P-system is a crude thing at best, and with a CPL it is bordering on the unpleasant.

It does, however, work (if you don't cut yourself first).
Click to expand...

I used to have a P sysetm with ND Grads, but I found taking pictures of brown wall paper much easier to get that dull muddy look. :lol:
 
ND Grads are the way to go, its just the Cokin system arent the best. They tend to give a muddy brown colour cast in photos and the filters themselves are pretty crudely made with not very good quality plastics.
The best system is LEE, but they are hellishly expensive, even more so the professional glass filters. The filter holder and a set of ND grads would cost as much as a new basic DSLR.

The next best thing is Hi-tech.

Bring the filters with you on Tuesday and we'll see how bad, if any cast is noticeable on the photos, you might be alright and get away with it if you can correct it afterwards on the computer. We can just hold them up to the lens, as Im guessing you wont have the wide angle holder by Tuesday!
 
i'm guessing from the exif data on flickr that you've been using the kit lens 18-55mm? If so, that has a thread size of 58mm.

Personally, i'd just get a Circular Polarising Filter (58mm) and leave that on the lens. It's a bit like putting a pair of sunglasses on your camera and helps with blown skies, harsh bright reflections of water etc..

As long as you've got nice bright weather (which probably won't be an issue in NZ) then just stick the camera in Av mode - select F11 - and have a look at the results. Also, try not to have the camera on autofocus (where you will see more than 1 red square lit up in the viewfinder when you half press the shutter). Select just the centre focus square and then you know that wherever that square is lit up is where you will be focusing.

Hope that makes sense.. i'm just trying to make things easy to kick off, then you can try different settings as you go along. Good luck.
 
Thank you so much for your help. Actually I have the sigma 10-20 lens at the moment. I will try that setting and see how I get on. :)
 
Just replied to your txt :-)

Which version of the sigma is it, beacuse they have two, and they have different filter threads.
Either the sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6 which has a 77mm thread or the
Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 which is a 82mm thread.

You need to be carefull using polarisers on super wide lenses though, as often the poraising effect dowsn cover the whole frame, so you get one side lighter than the other, but its not the end of the world.
 
Last edited:
I have the sigma 10-20 F4-5.6 and my bloke has the sigma 70-300 F4-5.6. They were kood filters I have and I also have the Kood 77mm p type adapter ring, they cost me quite a bit do you think I should return them?
 
Last edited:
Ok, so you need a 77mm adapter and then either the Cokin P wide angle holder, Lee foundation or a Hitech one.

This would do the job if you want to return the others, or just try and source the holder on its own and the adpater. I have a 77mm adapter for the cokin system which should fit if you buy the holder seperately and need an adapter.
I also have an el-cheapo 77mm polariser if you want it.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HITECH-FILTER...es_CameraLensesFilters_JN&hash=item3a60861f2f

or this if you want to keep the filters you have.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEE-FILTER-3-...es_CameraLensesFilters_JN&hash=item4cf828c3a1
 
Last edited:
I cant afford that at the moment. I think I will return them and then wait until I have seen you on Tuesday to discuss what I actually need and then go from there. :)
 
Ok, good plan!
 
TBH there's not much to choose between the grads made by Cokin, Kood and SRB (made by Formatt/Hitech). None of them, apart from Lee, is absolutely neutral and the grad transitions also vary a bit. Their holders are basically the same.

Kood and SRB are very good value. Most of the time you could not tell a Kood/Cokin/SRB shot from a Lee picture. Any colour tints are so slight that you can correct them in post without spoiling the rest of the picture.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top