White balance w/EOS utility

[comet]

I just started using an old Rebel XSi to do some photos at work.   I really had no familiarity with this camera or utility but figured out some basics.  I shot an 18% grey backdrop to set a manual white balance and it worked fine.  I retook the backdrop shot a couple times and reset the white balance without issue.

But then for some reason on a reshoot/reset it turned dark.  No matter what I try it still comes out too dark and I can't get anything to look right.  If I set the exposure level higher it sort of gets to where I need to be but every photo then is kind of washed out.   I cannot figure out what changed or why it doesn't work all of a sudden.  I didn't change lighting or the camera in any way.   Any assistance appreciated.

[Mark35mmF2]

Hi there,

That sounds a bit strange, would you happen to be able to take a test shot and post it with the EXIF data (exposure settings) you used? That would probably point us in the right direction to get this figured out, or at least tell us if its a hardware or a software issue.

[Waddizzle]

How old is the lens?  You could be having an issue with the aperture.

[comet]

The lens is new 50mm

[ebiggs1]

OK, good that probably lets it out of consideration for the issue. Just for kicks and grins, reset the camera back to factory defaults. Then try you shots again. 

Samples? 

[comet]

I will have to google how to reset unless you can tell me quick.  FYI when I put it manual and try to set white balance the view screen is now bright green!    I don't know what is going on.

[comet]

Reset got rid of the weird green but still too dark on test shot.   Not sure how to compare what I did yesterday to today but here is exif from a test shot of the 18% grey that I just took.    Below this data I will put data from a shot yesterday but it is not a shot of the grey background, it's just a good image that I took after the white balance was set without issues.

Grey test (too dark)

• Make : Canon
• Model : Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
• Orientation : 6
• XResolution : 72 [72/1]
• YResolution : 72 [72/1]
• ResolutionUnit : 2
• DateTime : 2020:11:05 12:03:54
• YCbCrPositioning : 2
• ExifIFDPointer : 196
• ExposureTime : 0.02 [1/50]
• FNumber : 5.6 [56/10]
• ExposureProgram : Shutter priority
• ISOSpeedRatings : 100
• ExifVersion : 0221
• DateTimeOriginal : 2020:11:05 12:03:54
• DateTimeDigitized : 2020:11:05 12:03:54
• ComponentsConfiguration : YCbCr
• ShutterSpeedValue : 5.625
• ApertureValue : 5 [327680/65536]
• ExposureBias : 0.3333333333333333
• MeteringMode : Pattern
• Flash : Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
• FocalLength : 50 [50/1]
• MakerNote : [8580 values]
• UserComment : [264 values]
• SubsecTime : 32
• SubsecTimeOriginal : 32
• SubsecTimeDigitized : 32
• FlashpixVersion : 0100
• ColorSpace : 1
• PixelXDimension : 4272
• PixelYDimension : 2848
• InteroperabilityIFDPointer : 9506
• FocalPlaneXResolution : 4865.603644646925 [4272000/878]
• FocalPlaneYResolution : 4876.712328767123 [2848000/584]
• FocalPlaneResolutionUnit : 2
• CustomRendered : Normal process
• ExposureMode : 0
• WhiteBalance : Manual white balance
• SceneCaptureType : Standard
• thumbnail : [undefined values]

image from yesterday

Make : Canon
Model : Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Orientation : 1
XResolution : 72 [72/1]
YResolution : 72 [72/1]
ResolutionUnit : 2
DateTime : 2020:11:04 13:53:56
WhitePoint : [2 values]
PrimaryChromaticities : [6 values]
YCbCrCoefficients : [3 values]
YCbCrPositioning : 2
ExifIFDPointer : 320
ExposureTime : 0.07692307692307693 [1/13]
FNumber : 5.6 [56/10]
ExposureProgram : Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings : 100
ExifVersion : 0221
DateTimeOriginal : 2020:11:04 13:53:56
DateTimeDigitized : 2020:11:04 13:53:56
ComponentsConfiguration : YCbCr
ShutterSpeedValue : 3.625
ApertureValue : 5 [327680/65536]
ExposureBias : 0.3333333333333333
MeteringMode : Spot
Flash : Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength : 50 [50/1]
MakerNote : [8580 values]
UserComment : [264 values]
SubsecTime : 50
SubsecTimeOriginal : 50
SubsecTimeDigitized : 50
FlashpixVersion : 0100
ColorSpace : 65535
PixelXDimension : 4272
PixelYDimension : 2848
InteroperabilityIFDPointer : 9642
FocalPlaneXResolution : 4865.603644646925 [4272000/878]
FocalPlaneYResolution : 4876.712328767123 [2848000/584]
FocalPlaneResolutionUnit : 2
CustomRendered : Normal process
ExposureMode : 0
WhiteBalance : Manual white balance
SceneCaptureType : Standard
undefined : 2.2 [22/10]
thumbnail : [undefined values]

[jrhoffman75]

Switch the camera to green square auto, set lens to AF and go outside and take a photo of your house in good daylight.

What happens.

[ebiggs1]

"Reset got rid of the weird green but still too dark on test shot."

It is beginning to sound like the camera has a problem.  It is not a good candidate for repair either. Resetting should have made it work "normally".

[Waddizzle]

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@comet wrote:

The lens is new 50mm

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What shooting mode do you have set on the top dial?

What is shutter mode?  One Shot, Continuuous, Shutter Delay, etc.?