AV Priority mode

[FlyTVR]

My first post - so hello to everyone out there.

I'm pretty new to digital photography - but really enjoying it.

I own a Canon 400D and most of the time shoot in manual mode (controlling aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings myself). I've tried playing with AV mode but I find (in my somewhat limited opinion) the images are over exposed. Is there something that I am doing wrong?

Cheers.
FlyTVR

 

[AndyB]

An example would be useful. If you use AV priority your camera should meter and set an appropriate shutter speed to expose properly.

The problem might be a combination of the scene you are shooting and the metering type you have set on the camera.

 

[jgs001]

I've had that with the 450d, turned out, I'd been playing with the metering modes, and forgot to change it back from spot meter .

 

[AndyB]

Yeah that would do it

 

[HoppyUK]

My first post - so hello to everyone out there.

I'm pretty new to digital photography - but really enjoying it.

I own a Canon 400D and most of the time shoot in manual mode (controlling aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings myself). I've tried playing with AV mode but I find (in my somewhat limited opinion) the images are over exposed. Is there something that I am doing wrong?

Cheers.
FlyTVR

There is only 'correct' exposure, and you can set it using manual, Av, Tv, or Program. It makes no difference, but some people prefer one method over another.

Perhaps you are talking about exposure metering (as opposed to setting) which is the calculation of correct exposure, using matrix, spot, centre-weighted or whatever method. All these in-camera methods are potentially flawed because they read the light reflected back from the subject, and if that is unusually light or dark, they will get it wrong. That's why you also have the exposure compensation facility, but the camera can't help you much with that - you just have to learn the hard way.

Ideally you should measure the incident light - the light that is falling on the subject - as this doesn't change even if the tone of the subject does. There are ways of doing it; this thread is a good place to start:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=115623