Canon 6D Underexposed Images

[catz]

Canon 6D

24 - 105mm f/4L IS USM

Raw

All of my photos are coming out dark and underexposed.  I'm using the light meter inside the view finder after pressing the shutter button half way.  It'a always to the left in the negative.  I adjust to Zero but the settings seem ridiculous.   

Is my camera damaged?    I just bought it three weeks ago so perhaps something is wrong with my body.   

I'm getting better images when using Creative Auto than in Manual with same settings. 

My T5I is getting better images than the new 6D.

Something feels wrong

[Waddizzle]

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@catz wrote:

Meaning my ISO is at 400 or above no matter what and it's driving me crazy.      I should be able to shoot some things at 100 but it's always dark.   The only way the light meter stays in the center with 100 ISO is if I bring my Shutter down to 30 or 40.   I'm trying to shoot animals and I need my shutter at like 200 or above.      I'm hating this camera.  

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That's easy to fix. Raise your ISO.  Don't shoot at 100.  Shoot in Tv mode, dial in a shutter speed, and let the camera figure out the ISO automatically for each photo. 

BTW, where is your F/STOP during all of this?  I would think a setting between f/4 and f/8 should be adequate, for either stationary animals of moderate size, or even if they are moving not too quickly.

[TTMartin]

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@catz wrote:

Canon 6D

24 - 105mm f/4L IS USM

Raw

All of my photos are coming out dark and underexposed.  I'm using the light meter inside the view finder after pressing the shutter button half way.  It'a always to the left in the negative.  I adjust to Zero but the settings seem ridiculous.   

Is my camera damaged?    I just bought it three weeks ago so perhaps something is wrong with my body.   

I'm getting better images when using Creative Auto than in Manual with same settings. 

My T5I is getting better images than the new 6D.

Something feels wrong

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What you seems 'ridiculous' is most likely the correct exposure.

Why do you think they are 'ridiculous'?

Take a shot in green square mode and see what the results and settings are.

[TTMartin]

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@catz wrote:

Meaning my ISO is at 400 or above no matter what and it's driving me crazy.      I should be able to shoot some things at 100 but it's always dark.   The only way the light meter stays in the center with 100 ISO is if I bring my Shutter down to 30 or 40.   I'm trying to shoot animals and I need my shutter at like 200 or above.      I'm hating this camera.  

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No reason to 'hate' the camera.

The camera isn't creating the lighting and required exposure.

Getting a different camera isn't going to change the lighting and the required exposure.

The amount of light you have determines the ISO, shutter speed and aperture required for a given exposure not the camera. 

[Bryston3bsst]

Catz: You mentioned that you're using center point focus. What focus points you're using have nothing to do with exposure and it was my mistake asking you this. As I said I was thinking of center weighted metering and I wrote center point focus. So, I'm sorry for adding more confusion.

I can tell you though, I came from a 600D (T3i) to the 6D and I have found the same underexposure concerns that you are having. From talking to other 6D owners this is not uncommon and the camera does take some getting used to, especially in this regard. I simply started using the 6D as I was using my 600D and I discovered you cannot do that. It takes much different technique especially when shooting in manual.

I don't know what kind of light you're shooting in but you say you have to be at ISO 400 much of the time. So......be at 400 if that's what it takes to keep your shutter speed where it needs to be for the situation. Heck, I was indoors shooting where no flash was allowed and I was at 12500. That's one of the great things about this camera. You do that without compromising the picture.

As others have requested, I'd like to see some of your pictures that you think you're having problems with. You're also not the first person I've heard say that they hate this camera.

It's not a T5i. You can't shoot it like one and expect good results.

[TCampbell]

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@catz wrote:

Meaning my ISO is at 400 or above no matter what and it's driving me crazy.      I should be able to shoot some things at 100 but it's always dark.   The only way the light meter stays in the center with 100 ISO is if I bring my Shutter down to 30 or 40.   I'm trying to shoot animals and I need my shutter at like 200 or above.      I'm hating this camera.  

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Exposure is a combination of ISO, Aperture value (aka f-stop), and Time value (aka shutter speed).  

You can certainly shoot at ISO 100 when in brightly lit situations (such as outdoors on a sunny day.)  In dimmer lighting, you'll need to boost the ISO to avoid long exposure times (especially if you want a higher f-stop for broad depth of field.)

There isn't any issue with the 6D in general (there are a lot of happy 6D owners out there and I don't hear about this issue from other owners) and given that your camera seems to do ok if in other modes, I'm wondering if you might be confused by some aspect of manual exposure.

If you are struggling with aspects of manual exposure then you might want to pick up a book such as Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure".

You can also always post a photo and we can check the camera settings -- but make sure you include the EXIF data which is normally embedded into the image by the camera.  Some software strips that data out (or at least has an option to include/remove the info.)  

[ebiggs1]

"I'm hating this camera."

Exposure is exposure.  It doesn't change or switch camera to camera.  It is a constant.  f4 @ 1/125, ISO 100 is exactly the same amount of exposure no mantter what camera you have.

Like Tim Campbell, I have not heard of any complaints about the 6D exposure wise.  I have other issues with it but exposure is not one of them.

Posibly a sample with exif attached would clear up some stuff.  Can you offer one?