tom_collins3

<p>Thanks everyone for the tips! Just to clarify a few things:</p>

<ul>

<li>I am one-shot focus mode</li>

<li>I am choosing a single focus point manually (spot focus), but even the points closest to the area I want (typically on the edges) are not exactly where I want to compose my subject's eye. Thus I have to focus and recompose. But I always choose the closest AF point to start with</li>

<li>I realize that the lens is not going to be sharpest at 1.4, so I rarely go larger than 1.8, and I would hope the lens would be fairly sharp at 1.8</li>

<li>I use the "AF-ON" button on the back of the camera and have disabled the focus feature from the shutter half-press</li>

</ul>

<p>@Scott, I'm liking the "shot to crop" idea except for the fact that I'm throwing away pixels that I might need, especially for an enlargement from a wedding.<br>

I'll have to shoot some measuring sticks or focus charts to see if micro-adjustment is in order. </p>

<p>Good Morning! I mainly shoot portraits and weddings and I have been forcing myself to shoot with my 50mm 1.4 lens more often because of all of the rave reviews that I hear about it, but to be honest I haven't had the best luck with it. WHEN my images are sharp with the 50mm 1.4 lens, they look amazing, but I have WAY too many OOF images. I tend to believe that this is because of my focus and recompose technique, especially at more wide open apertures like 1.8 but don't know any other way around it. I shoot with a Canon 7D that has 19 AF points, which seems like a lot but I still don't seem to have a point exactly where I want to put the subject's eye. I guess it's possible that I have a bad copy of the lens, or that it needs micro-adjusting in camera, but I'm fairly certain it's more a technique issue. Is anyone else having this issue? How can I alter my technique to get sharper images after recomposing at apertures like 1.8? Thanks for any insight!</p>

<p>Nadine, I have never heard of the zone system before this post so I will need to read up on that! Apparently my understanding of exposure and metering are not what I thought they were! Basically, I understand shutter speed, ISO, and aperture and how each of them affect the image. Based on those understandings, I would set my manual settings and take a test shot. From there I would review my LCD (first mistake) and rarely check the histogram (second mistake). If it looked good on the LCD, I would move on. I have now learned my lesson that I need to review my histogram and not accept what the LCD preview is showing me. I also had an incorrect understanding of using a gray card. I thought that was used solely as an 18% gray reference for fixing color balance if needed in post. I now understand that I should be using my gray card to determine "proper" exposure, or at least a good starting point. </p>

<p>On test1, I metered off of the corner of my daughter's right eye (where it meets her nose), on test2 I metered off of the middle of the image (the flower closest to the middle of the image), on test3 I metered off of the middle of the scene on the arm of the chair. I chose the metering points based on where I wanted the focus point, but I realize now that is not the correct way to meter. </p>

<p>When taking all of the above images, with spot metering set, I metered off of the middle AF point and they all showed a correct "0" exposure, but you can tell by the histogram that they're underexposed. </p>

<p>Test3</p><div></div>

<p>Test2</p><div></div>

<p>Here are the test images that I took. All available light exposures using spot metering on the center point. </p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Nadine! This definitely clears some things up!<br>

The patio chair is a darker brown color and the background was lighter grey concrete. I may be getting "spot metering for the eye" and "focusing on the eye" confused. I've seen the "metering of a palm trick" and that's a good one. Also, sounds like I need to use my gray card more!</p>

<p>@Antonio, yes, that is the scale that I'm using to determine proper exposure, and the issue that I'm having is that when I set my manual settings to set the meter to "0", my histograms are at least a full stop underexposed. I'll post some pics tonight. </p>

<p>@Rob, that's what I thought, but I wasn't 100% sure. I stated that I was shooting in manual, so I was confused when everyone kept asking about exposure compensation. Thanks for the clarification.</p>

<p>@Rob, I will try to post a sample photo where my meter says that the exposure is correct, but the histogram is underexposed. It will be later tonight. <br>

@George, I haven't found a way to dial in exposure compensation on the 7D while in manual mode. I see where to set exposure bracketing, but it appears that exposure compensation is greyed out in Manual and only available in modes like TV, AV etc. If anyone else knows where to check this on the 7D in manual mode, please let me know. </p>

<p>First of all, thank you so much for everyone's help in solving this problem, and/or educating me. Just to clarify, <strong>in my above tests I have taken the flash completely out of the equation while trying to make sure I understand my camera's light meter and the histogram produced. </strong></p>

<p>In regards to the comments to not use spot metering - help me understand this: when I took the test shots of my daughter inside on the couch using spot metering on the eye closest to me, the meter indicated a perfect "0" exposure, but the histogram was at least a full stop underexposed. <strong>I also tried this same shot using the evaluative metering mode</strong> and the meter showed that the same exact manual settings would produce a "correct" exposure, but the resulting histogram was the same amount underexposed (at least a full stop). So, this doesn't seem to be a case of metering off of the wrong spot unless I'm missing something. </p>

<p>While we're on the topic, when shooting available light only (no flash) what metering mode do most of you use (most often) for portraits and wedding photography, and how do you determine where to take your meter reading? I realize this will change based on extreme situations (harsh back lighting, etc). For available light photography (no flash) I was always taught to spot meter off of the eye. Is this incorrect?</p>

<p>Thanks Gil. I actually have read Understanding Exposure and I feel like I have a good understanding of exposure, I just don't understand why my camera's light meter is that far off. Does everyone else experience this? </p>

<p>@G Dan, I was shooting full manual, so no exposure compensation was set. </p>

<p>To clarify, these exposure tests were all taken with just available light, no flash. </p>

<p>Ok, I tried many of the things suggested (turned the LCD brightness down, changed the picture style to Neutral, and took a "correct" exposure of a neutral wall) and here's what I'm still experiencing:<br>

When I took a "correct" manual exposure of a neutral wall (light tan) the histogram appeared to be properly stacked all in the middle. However, when I take a "correct" exposure of my daughter inside on the couch, or of a patio chair outside in my back yard, (or just about anything else for that matter) the meter says that my exposure is going to be correct, but the histogram is at least 1 stop, almost 1.5 stops underexposed. I tried all metering modes, and nothing changed. The in-camera meter is saying that my exposure is going to be dead on, but the resulting histogram is at least 1 stop underexposed. <br>

Does this mean that there is something wrong with my in camera meter? </p>

<p>@Simon, thanks I'll try that!</p>

<p>@Rob, Good point and thanks I'll have to try that. <br>

@Dan F., it seems to be worse when I'm using flash, off camera, triggered with ETTL Pocket Wizards, shooting with the flash in ETTL. LCD review. Manual exposure. Spot Metering. Canon lenses (17-55 2.8) and Canon flash 580 EX II. <br>

@Dan T. and Matt good tip, thanks!<br>

@Simon, My histogram and RAW file are underexposed, but my LCD preview looks spot on (which leads me to not check my histogram as often as I should). I shoot in Manual, spot metering, one-shot auto focus, typically choose the ISO first based on the environment, then choose an appropriate aperture based on DOF required, then dial in the shutter speed. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hello! I am having a problem where I am consistently underexposing images, almost exactly 1 stop underexposed. I shoot RAW and understand that the camera's LCD is a JPEG preview (and that I really SHOULD be looking at the Histogram for exposure) but is there any way to make the LCD JPEG preview closer to what the RAW image really looks like? I shoot with a Canon 7D camera body. Thanks!</p>

<p>@Swier, thanks so much! Problem fixed with firmware upgrade!</p>

<p>@Jay - It switches points correctly when going from portrait to landscape if the camera is perfectly parallel or perpendicular to the ground, but when I want to shoot an angled shot for effect, or when I'm directly over the subject is when I experience the camera switching into something that appears to be full auto focus. I am most often using One Shot AF and the Manual AF point mode. No, I'm sure that I'm not pressing any buttons because of the frequency that it happens. I'll have to check out that C.FN III 6. Thanks.</p>

<p>@Larry - I actually like the idea of the camera automatically jumping to a predefined manual focus point based on orientation because I like to set my subject off-center quite often, but if I can't get the camera to stop switching to an auto-focus mode so often, I may have to try C.FN III 12. Thanks for the tip. </p>

<p>Hello! I am a proud owner of the Canon 7D and love everything about the body so far EXCEPT for the unintentional switching from manual to auto selection of focus points. I know that there is a built in accelerometer (or something similar) that allows you to set different manual focus points to "jump to" when you switch from portrait to landscape, but the issue I'm having is when I'm shooting those in-between shots (45 degree angles). The camera seems to leave manual focus selection and go to a full auto selection, which is making me miss shots because I need to control the focus point (shooting at wide open apertures 2.8 etc). This problem also happens sometimes when I'm directly over the subject shooting down (overhead shots of newborns, etc). Is anyone else having this issue? It's literally my only complaint about the body. I have read the manual but didn't find anything that helps resolve this. Any help is much appreciated!</p>

<p>Hello! I recently attended a Blue Angel's airshow and have had some interest in buying some of my images. Do I need permission to sell the images I captured (digital files or prints)? Any help is much appreciated. </p>

<p>Hello! I am a portrait and wedding photographer but have an opportunity to attend an airshow this weekend and would love to get some great shots of the planes in action, but am DEFINITELY a beginner when it comes to airshow photography. Here is the gear that I'll have at my disposal:<br /> Canon 7D<br /> Canon 40D (backup body)<br /> Canon 70-200 2.8 (non-image stabilized version)<br /> Canon 17-55 2.8<br /> Canon 50 1.8<br /> Canon 28-135 3.5-5.6<br /> Tripod</p>

<p>I am assuming that the 7D/70-200 2.8 is my best combination but would love a second opinion on that. Also, any tips for focusing as the planes speed past? Would AI Servo with high speed continuous be the best way to capture close fly by's? Any other tips (or corrections to my logic) are much appreciated!</p>

<p> </p>