30D underexposing
 

I got my 30D yesterday and been playing around. All the photo's I have taken are under exposed by about 1 stop is this normal. The saturation and everything else seems fine. I have put an example below.
The histogram on the camera is a little low but not as much is it the software that's not reading the files properly. I have tried all the following programs.
Canon digital professional, Adobe bridge, rawshooter won't take them in, Capture one pro is the worst of the lot I have to give +2 compensation to get a reasonable image. The histograms in all the software are lower that what is seen in the camera. Any ideas.

P.S
1. The first histogram is what it looks like in the camera
2. This is what the histogram looks like in most software

My 20D exposes much better than that. I know it seems silly but have you checked your camera settings, especially the compensation that may or may not be dialled in? All too easy to miss these things on a new camera.

Hi miketoll. I have checked all the settings in the camera there is no compensation set at all. I think it could be down to the software, not reading the files properly, the histogram in the camera was nicely exposed even the photo on the viewing screen looked bright. If you see from the second histogram done in photoshop its underexposed. All the photo's I have taken today I have had to brighten by nearly 1 1/2 stops in the software.

Thought my idea seemed too simple but I've been dafter in my time. I think you need one of the real experts to help you.
Canons own programme ought to read the files ok assuming you are using the latest version that came with the camera, if not update it. Same with the other progs if you are shooting RAW you will have to update by getting the latest plug ins to support the 30D. Other than that I'm baffled. Try different card, reformat the one you have? I will be interested to see what other folks come up with.

Christine,

I know I am not going to be a lot of help but ....

The card theory should be easily checked by reviewing an image from the card in camera.

Have you done a comparison with a jpeg best quality to see if this is a RAW file phenominon only ??

Don

Thanks Don,
I only have the camera set on RAW not on Raw+jpeg. I have just run some extra tests, not the best because I am hand holding. I found the best photo for viewing on the PC screen was with +1 compensation but in the camera it looks overexposed, The more I play I think it is down to software not reading the as shot raw images the same as what you see in the camera. The histograms are so different.

Christine,

Saw you had gone off for the test :D

I was thinking of a test in jpeg only just to see if the histogram in that mode is correct. If so then it is down to the various programs reading of the raw file.

Don

Christine, as a matter of interest, what version of Photoshop are you using? I'm guessing its CS2 If so you will be using Adobe Camera Raw, am I right? Could it be then that the default settings, the ones with the check boxes checked, are doing you no favours. At the end of the day these are only a 'best guess' and are attempting to give you the best fit histogram, its down to you to adjust as you want if you are not satisfied with those default settings.

Stephen, I have just disabled the Auto in Camera RAW and saved the new defaults. Gone back into bridge and selected all images and set them to the Camera Raw default. It has worked they are still about a third of a stop out but nothing like they were.

This image is the same one as above with nothing done to it apart from removed the auto settings.

The histogram is very close to what was in the camera.

For general editing of my workflow I use C1Pro and there doesn't seem to be a way of changing the defaults for the Compensation, so I am not going to be able to use it until they rectify the discrepancies.

Amazing, glad it worked out :)

Thanks for your help Stephen I was beginning to think I would have to have +1 set in the camera permanently and ignore the in camera Histogram, I wouldn't have been able to accurately chimp anymore LOL!

:D To be honest Christine those defaults can be a pain sometimes. I have just done a load of shots this morning, all in Raw with different exposures to compensate for light and shadow areas. When you look at the thumbnails in Bridge they all look to have the same exposure, cos ACR has applied those defaults. Sometimes wonder why I bother to give compensation LOL

Glad it was not the new camera :)

Christine

Before 1 bought my 20D I remembe reading someting about a tendency to slightly underexpose. I find that it underexposes typically by ~1/3 stop. It look like something Canon have built in to try and help us avoid blown highlights. I find the "blinking" pixels wanring very useful and, except in contrastty situations dial in + 1/3 exposure compensation.

As far as the ACR default setting go I never use them - most of us wouldn't use full auto on our camera so why give up control when you get the image into your software :D I find the best way of judging the exposure for the highlights & shaddows is to hold down the Alt key and then when you click & drag the relevant slider it will show the blown/blocked up pixels & even which RBG channel. I can recommend "Real World Camera RAW" by Bruce Frazer as a good book for getting the best out of your RAW images

Thanks everyone,
I am glad its only a software fault and not the camera but I will miss the ease of doing my workflow in capture one. I can now chimp to my hearts content.:D