Dark images with Canon EOS Rebel digital

[v_dharbhamulla]

I purchased Canon EOS digital Rebel a few months ago, and am using

it quite regularly. I have noticed that compared to my analog Canon

eos and Digital Canon powershot G2 (I own them both), the pictures

with Rebel are underexposed and I have to edit them always. I have

to correct the contrast, brightness and gamma correction to get them

to the right exposure. I have used all modes including Auto, P, M

etc etc. Is there something wrong with the CCD sensor?

Please help.

[randy_almquist]

are you shooting in raw or jpeg? i notice that my raw always need the attention you mentioned(thats why i shoot raw) but when i extract the jpegs or just shoot the jpegs i get perfect color!

[igord]

I shoot with D60 very often and did one job with D70 (nikon) and always have had "underexposed" and contras lacking photos. If the contrast of the subject is not high I use correction dial but when you shoot in raw you can easy make it look perfect in Capture1 software. I think that algorythm of the digital cameras work like this to aviod overexposed highlights (but this is my personal opinion).

[dogbert]

I must admit that when I got my DR I did find I had quite a few underexposures, relative to the film EOS 300, which vitually never missed. If you are using the on-camera flash I would recommned getting the firmware hack to get FEC and increase it by 2/3 of a stop. IMHO there are a few other things complicating the DR exposure relative to film. It has significantly lower latitude than print film. The algorithms seemed to be geared to avoid blowouts in hightlights as much as possible. The algorithms are also geared to the focus point, which in turn can pickup contrasty objects in low light, which in turn can produce quite different exposures for the same scene depending on what the camera has focussed on.

 

The upshot is I find myself checking the histogram and reshooting using exposure compensation much more with the DR, especially in low light, than with film or even my digital point and shoot (Pentax). However, if your camera is not taking a reasonable exposure most of the time, in good outdoor light that is not too contrasty and you find yourself having to correct everything I think there must be something wrong.

[always_wanderlust]

Read the Histogram after you take a shot to determine if you underexposed the image. You want to expose your pictures correctly, read more about <a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml">"Exposing to the Right"</a>

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When you meter, meter on parts of the scene that is approaching "Middle Gray" or get a Kodak Grey card and have it by your subject for you to meter - then use the AE Lock to lock your exposure value. Most likely you have been metering or photographing something in the scene that is Lighter than Middle grey and hence you're underexposing.

[mormegil]

If your histogram looks good, but it still looks too dark, perhaps your monitor might be miscalibrated - too dark.

[david_eppstein]

Tweak the exposure compensation until you find a level that is more consistently

satisfactory. If that's significantly above zero your camera may be out of adjustment and

need service -- this is a per-camera adjustment that Canon can easily fix.

[andrew robertson]

What are you metering? The darkness or lightness of your images are controlled by what

you meter (in ANY mode). Anything you point the meter at the camera will think is

medium grey. So, if you aim at the sky and shoot a picture, and the sky comes out grey

and the ground comes out black, don't be surprised.

 

A good instruction on how meters work and how to apply this knowledge can be gleaned

from Ansel Adams' book 'The

Negative'.

[mike_p2]

I owned two brand new DRebels and both of them underexposed to the same degree. The most obvious underexposure (over 2 full stops) was with flashes (I tried them with different flashes).

Needless to say, I got rid of both cameras.

[v_dharbhamulla]

Thanks for all the input. I am shooting in JPEG, largest format possible with a Sandisk 512mb CF card. It seems the way digital camera CCDs are made, they do underexpose. I will also call Canon support, and see what they have to say, and if I get a satisfactory answer will definitely post it.

Thanks again.

[awaraagard]

try using parameters on the camera 4 high contrast. auto focus in DSLRs needs special attention. b sure where u r metering from. then always try 2 use AE lock before shooting the frame.

[wilfred_m_rand]

I find tha results vary with depending on lighting conditions, and it's good to *check the histogram* and adjust on the spot. Easiest wat to adjust is the exposure compensation button (hold down the AV+/- button next to the display and increase/decrease exposure in 1/3 stop increments). I find I have to adjust this setting from time to time.

 

You might also try center-only focus point, which will then meter the center 9% of the frame instead of an overall evaluative reading.

 

There is nothing wrong with the Canon CMOS sensor. The variations are due to the onboard processing regime. The dReb -like any dSLR- gives over fewer functions to the onboard jpeg processor. And even these you can define: Parameter 1, Parameter 2, and three custom parameters you can set up for yourself.

 

Important to remember: the dReb is not a point and shoot the same way the fRebel is.