EOS 5D Mk III metering issue - underexposure

[janko]

Hi evrybody. I have been shooting with EOS 5D Mk III since May 2014 before I embarked on 5-week family trip  on the West Coast during July and August. I shot many and many pictures in all sorts of conditions. My major disappointment with the camera is its metering. At least my version  underexposes terribly. I read some discussion threads here and elsewhere, cleared whatever settings there may had been left from the factory but the problem is still there. Sometimes +1 exposure compensation does not help since in LR I need to push it another stop to get it right. When somebody says that Canon is little bit conservative in its in-camera meters I cannot agree less. I had a Nikon D80 before and at least there was no any metering issue. If  Nikon got it right on their cheap camera I cannot see why Canon should be behind. I also read about people sending their 5d mk iii to Canon servic and hed it re-calibrated.

Thanks for any suggestions but I am little bit tired of  tweaking the camera everytime i take a picture.

Jan (lives in Switzerland)

[TCampbell]

Thanks for the catch on me mixing the "incident" vs "reflective" (yes, the meter inside the camera measures "reflected" light that bounces off the subject and scene.)  

Allan, the sample images were posted here:  http://community.usa.canon.com/t5/media/v2/gallerypage/user-id/59200/tab/all

The EXIF data is not inside the images but screenshots of the EXIF data were posted with the images (I just cross-referenced the image name in the EXIF data to the image file in the user gallery.)

[janko]

Dear Tim,

Thank you very much for your valuable thoughts. I use CPL most of the time when sun is out and there are blue skies, preferably with some white clouds.

The RV shot was 99% done with CPL, but still TTL should compensate for it, right? I am using 17-40 4L, 27-80 2.8L and 70-200 2.8L Mk II. When I look on my pictures in photoshop in the "grid" my general impression is that they are darker.

I used Nikon D80 before (not a great camera) but never had such issue. In fact it was opposite: bright sunny blue skies (mid) days meant -0.5 or - 0.75 compensation. With Canon 5D Mk III it is to have +1 compensation as default for any situation and bright sunny blue skies days it is up to +2. Recently I spent a week in Rome, taking pictures in churches etc and sometimes I had to compensate +2 at least. I am considering sending camera to Canon for check up. 

With the best regards,

Jan

[TTMartin]

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@janko wrote:

Dear Tim,

Thank you very much for your valuable thoughts. I use CPL most of the time when sun is out and there are blue skies, preferably with some white clouds.

The RV shot was 99% done with CPL, but still TTL should compensate for it, right? I am using 17-40 4L, 27-80 2.8L and 70-200 2.8L Mk II. When I look on my pictures in photoshop in the "grid" my general impression is that they are darker.

I used Nikon D80 before (not a great camera) but never had such issue. In fact it was opposite: bright sunny blue skies (mid) days meant -0.5 or - 0.75 compensation. With Canon 5D Mk III it is to have +1 compensation as default for any situation and bright sunny blue skies days it is up to +2. Recently I spent a week in Rome, taking pictures in churches etc and sometimes I had to compensate +2 at least. I am considering sending camera to Canon for check up. 

With the best regards,

Jan

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In high contrast situations the camera will expose to protect the highlights. The reason for this is when you 'blowout' a highlight the detail is unrecoverable. However, when there is a slight underexposure, the data is there and can be 'pushed' to bring out the detail in the shadows.

For an ideal exposure you almost always have to do some post processing adjustment. Do a Google search for 'Getting it Right in Camera: Ep 235: Digital Photography 1 on 1: Adorama Photography TV', the video explains why. 

I use Evaluative metering and typically run +2/3 exposure compensation and adjust as necessary. 

[908carl]

Janko, did you ever resolve this? I am still struggling with severe under exposed images. to the extent that 3200 ISO on a cloudy day or indoors is still coming in dark. This is severe not simply a bad user error. Anyone else had this issue and found a resolve? Maybe a firmware update is needed? I am not ready to ditch this camera. It is way out of waranty obviously and may even be out of serviceable recognition by canon.

[Waddizzle]

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@908carl wrote:

Janko, did you ever resolve this? I am still struggling with severe under exposed images. to the extent that 3200 ISO on a cloudy day or indoors is still coming in dark. This is severe not simply a bad user error. Anyone else had this issue and found a resolve? Maybe a firmware update is needed? I am not ready to ditch this camera. It is way out of waranty obviously and may even be out of serviceable recognition by canon.

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This thread is four years old.  Do not expect any replies.  I suggest you start a new thread for your issue.  When you do, I suggest that you post a sample image of your issue.  Don’t forget to state what camera you are using, and whether or not this is a new problem, or one that the camera has always had.