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100mm 2.8L macro with 6D, shutter too slow in bright sunlight

Cindy-Clicks
Enthusiast

When shooting with my 100mm macro in Av,  I cannot get a decent shutter speed even in bright sunlight with ISO at 1000.  I don't seem to have this problem with my 70D even though I am shooting at 200mm+.  The 6D is full-frame so it should actually be shooting faster. What is the problem?

38 REPLIES 38


@Cindy-Clicks wrote:

_MG_0548-1sz.jpg_MG_0549-1sz.jpg

 

These two images were both taken with the 6D ev metering,  f/13, ISO 800.  They were taken seconds apart.  The one on the left was 1/125 sec.  and the one on the right was 1/25 sec.  Why would there be such inconsistancy under the exact same conditions?

 


Let me guess...

 

Do you have Auto ISO on?

 

"These two images were both taken with the 6D ev metering,  f/13, ISO 800."

That's completely impossible. Either something changed in the lighting from one shot to the other... Or, if lighting remained steady, one of the settings changed without you realizing it... Or, if lighting remained the same and the exposures were that different, the images were "corrected" in post-processing.

 

Using Evaluative Metering and any auto exposure mode in a situation like this can result in variances... due to the extremely dark background and bright subject. But in order for exposure to appear idential in two images - unless the lighting conditions changed or image brightness was corrected in post-processing - no single exposure factor can be changed without compensating for it by adjusting another exposure factore.

 

Also note that the difference between 1/125 and 1/25 isn't anywhere near 7 stops. It's actually only a difference of slightly more than 2 stops. (1/125 > 1/60 is one stop.... 1/60 > 1/30 is another stop... 1/25 is one third stop less than 1/30... so the exact differece is 2.33 stops).

 

Macro/close-up makes for very shallow depth of field. To increase depth of field it's often necessary to stop lenses down to smaller apertures... which in turn means either slower shutter speeds or higher ISOs or adding some additional light with a flash or some appropriate combination of the three.

 

If you want to keep ISOs moderately low, you'll have to deal with slower shutter speeds either by using flash or by using a tripod... or at least a monopod. A lot of macro shooting is done from a tripod or monopod, due to the slower shutter speeds that are often needed.

 

Macro flash is something you may want to look into, if you want to do a lot of handheld work. There are special, dedicated macro flashes (Canon MT-24 EX Twin Lite and MR-24 EX Ring Lite). For the type of subject you're shooting, I'd use a twin light. Or, there are ways to use a single, standard flash too, Just diffuse it so it won't overpower a close subject (there are diffuser accessories, but I often just use two or three layers of white gauze bandage, held in place over the flash head with a rubber band). Put the standard flash on an off-camera shoe cord and handhold it to have lots of flexibility where it's located.

 

One of the key advantages of the two Canon 100mm macro lenses. Unlike most (maybe all) other macro lenses in the 90 to 105mm focal length range, the Canon 100mm macro lenses can optionally be fitted with a tripod mounting ring. The 100/2.8 USM uses Tripod Ring B (which it shares with a few other lenses, including the MP-E 65mm ultra high magnification macro lens and the 180/3.5L macro lens) and the 100/2.8L IS USM uses Tripod Ring D.

 

Previous responses are correct... Exposure is exposure, regardless of sensor format. 

 

But for various reasons, compared to a crop sensor camera a full frame camera generally can be used at somewhat higher ISOs before image noise becomes a problem. And, because there's less magnification needed to make a print of any given size from a full frame image, smaller apertures can be used before diffraction becomes an issue.  

 

***********


Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & EXPOSUREMANAGER 

I never ever use auto ISO and I do not think 800 is a low setting, especially in bright light.   Some gardens I visit do not allow the use of tripods.  I just feel that Canon should be more reliable.  At this point I am thinking of selling it and buying another brand.  

"I just feel that Canon should be more reliable."

 

Don't jump off the bridge yet.  We still have not determined it is the camera.  But without more info such as the exif data we will be of little help.

 

"I am thinking of selling it and buying another brand."

 

That is certainly and option and your choice but I am tending to think the problem will remain.

 

 

BTW, do you see the correction from 7 stops and how I got there?

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

In bright sunlight you have Ev 15.  At f/16 the shutter speed should be set to the inverse of the ISO.  At ISO 100 you want 1/100th.  At ISO 400 you want 1/400.  etc.   If you don't want to shoot at f/16 then you can double the shutter speed for each "full" stop below f/16 (full stops down are f/11, f/8, f/5.6, f/4, f/2.8, f/2, f/1.4, and f/1 (but it's very hard to find an f/1 lens -- though they do exist.)

 

This always works for full sun (mid-day sun on a cloudless day.)  You don't even have to meter (the sun is EXTREMELY consistent with it's light output.)

 

If you really are outside, use manual mode and don't even bother to meter -- just set the exposure based on the "Sunny 16" rule and take the shot.  

 

I'm guessing you had something in an 'auto' mode and the camera was tricked by the black background.  If you post a shot with the EXIF data still intact we can probably tell you what happened.

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

I had it set to Av.   I have heard that there is now a lens that is less than f/1.   So saving a photo to jpeg automatically loses the EXIF data?

"I have heard that there is now a lens that is less than f/1"

 

Canon made a 50mm f1 lens.  It is no longer made and has become ledgendary.

 

D3S_0270-0600.jpg

 

It is very expensive on the used market.  Does this question have something to do with your issue or are you just commenting?

 

Saving as a jpg does not remove the exif.  But saving for the web does (or I should say can.).

 

 

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

It was just a comment.  So how do I post it with the EXIF data then?

"So how do I post it with the EXIF data then?"

 

What program are you using?

 

 

BTW, the fastest lens, that is actually made, and, that I know of, is the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH Lens,  It is around 10 grand.  There have been faster lenses but were either specialized for certain aps or a joke.  Sometimes you can find one of these in a flea market or lens junk yard.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

I use photoshop CC, I usually only use Lightroom to upload photos in a gallery for my website, or to print from.  

OK, great.  In LR simply Export.  Change the size to something reasonable like 12".  Set it to 72 dpi.

But make sure you don't check to remove all meta data.  Leave all meta data intact.

 

U/L here using the little picture icon right by the link icon.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
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