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6D underexposes JPEGs

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arty H

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I just got a 6D at a great price, at least if the rebates come through. Shooting JPEG, it seems to underexpose by 1/3 or 2/3 of a stop. Inside, it is 1/3, but outside it is at least that much, if not a bit more.

Does this sound normal for JPEGs? It is not the lens, since it has occurred with a few different ones on the 6D. Has anyone else seen this?

it is simple enough to use exposure compensation, but Imjust wanted to be sure camera is OK. AF is fine from initial tests. I set the style to neutral, and this exposure tendency occurs with TV and AV.
 
I used evaluative metering. I don't know how to post Images here, but it really doesn't matter. I am getting images that need exposure compensation by 1/3 stop.
 
When you start or reply to a thread, you'll see above the edit window on the far right a little photo icon that looks like a mountain landscape picture. Click on that, and you'll see options to load a photo either from your gallery, a photo posted online or off your computer.

The reason we would like to see samplings is because it's not only a camera's settings that could be causing the under-exposure, but the kind of photos you're taking as well. For example, if you're taking photos with bright background and evaluative metering, the focal point of your picture may well indeed appear under-exposed.
 
c25103c4d8ac4ed7b8a013b36d951025.jpg

Not exactly exciting, with fluorescent lighting. I get the same results in daylight. Everything looks more accurate with +1/3 exposure compensation, indoors and out.
 
arty H said:
c25103c4d8ac4ed7b8a013b36d951025.jpg

Not exactly exciting, with fluorescent lighting. I get the same results in daylight. Everything looks more accurate with +1/3 exposure compensation, indoors and out.
Click to expand...
The sad and obvious answer is... If this is consistent behavior and you feel it looks more like the actual scene with +1/3, then that is the way you should set up the camera. The alternative is add 1/3 in your editing software.

I don't own a 6D, but I've seen worse with 1D series bodies at times. I have to bump or brighten up exposures probably more than 50% of the time. I don't shoot in jpeg though, not that it really matter that much, other than RAW lets me fix the white balance easier which can make the scene appear more accurately lit.

If you were to use the eye dropper in levels and click on one of those White stripes on the bag, I think that shot might look better for you exposure wise. Just babbling

One more... You could send it back to Canon, but they would just send it right back and say it was fine.
 
arty H said:
c25103c4d8ac4ed7b8a013b36d951025.jpg

Not exactly exciting, with fluorescent lighting. I get the same results in daylight. Everything looks more accurate with +1/3 exposure compensation, indoors and out.
Click to expand...
No EXIF. What is the exposure?

IMHO, it does not look underexposed. The dark areas have detail and no noise. Looks about how one would expect considering the lighting, Canon's typical "warm" WB when using Auto ISO with artificial lighting, and that you've chosen Neutral Picture Style.

http://www.canon.co.jp/imaging/picturestyle/style/neutral.html

Instructive that Canon's note on Neutral is "Subjects are recorded in rich detail, giving the greatest latitude for image processing" [emphasis added]

If you want brighter, punchier JPGs in-camera without post-processing, then enable Auto Lighting Optimizer and use Standard Picture Style.

IMHO, YMMV.

--
Unapologetic Canon Apologist :-)
 
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Thanks for the feedback. It is a help. In this instance, I think I had the shutter speed too low for fluorescent lights. I would have to check, but I think it was 1/50. I just upped the shutter speed to 125, and the exposures were better. I think that I was spoiled by my 60D. It actually does pretty well in artificial lighting. Using custom settings for the 6D gets the color just right, but I still think +1/3 will be better in most instances. The increased exposure was better outside, in good lighting.

The 6D is really good at high ISO, but I did notice color accuracy seemed to degrade when I went above 12800. Detail held up pretty well up to about 10,000, but I need to experiment with the camera ...quite a bit.

At first I tried the standard picture setting, but my impression was that color accuracy suffered in artificial lighting. I am going to need to try different noise reduction settings to learn more about the trade offs. I am beginning to think that it is time to learn to use Lightroom, and spend more quality time with Photoshop.

The 6D demands more from the user than a 60D or a Rebel. However, the price of admission is worth it.
 
Schwany said:
arty H said:
c25103c4d8ac4ed7b8a013b36d951025.jpg

Not exactly exciting, with fluorescent lighting. I get the same results in daylight. Everything looks more accurate with +1/3 exposure compensation, indoors and out.
Click to expand...
The sad and obvious answer is... If this is consistent behavior and you feel it looks more like the actual scene with +1/3, then that is the way you should set up the camera. The alternative is add 1/3 in your editing software.

I don't own a 6D, but I've seen worse with 1D series bodies at times. I have to bump or brighten up exposures probably more than 50% of the time. I don't shoot in jpeg though, not that it really matter that much, other than RAW lets me fix the white balance easier which can make the scene appear more accurately lit.

If you were to use the eye dropper in levels and click on one of those White stripes on the bag, I think that shot might look better for you exposure wise. Just babbling

One more... You could send it back to Canon, but they would just send it right back and say it was fine.
Click to expand...
Agreed, mine dont under expose.



--
Alan.
Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.
- Peter Adams
 
arty H said:
The 6D demands more from the user than a 60D or a Rebel. However, the price of admission is worth it.
Click to expand...
Having recently graduated from the 60D to 6D myself, I couldn't agree more.
 
arty H said:
c25103c4d8ac4ed7b8a013b36d951025.jpg

Not exactly exciting, with fluorescent lighting. I get the same results in daylight. Everything looks more accurate with +1/3 exposure compensation, indoors and out.
Click to expand...
Don't forget also that matrix/evaluative exposure gets biased to whatever the active focus point was over. If you have it over a light colored object, it will make the exposure darker, and if you have it over a dark colored object, it will make the exposure lighter. I'm betting in this case it was over the tan bag? If you put it over the dark green cushion/the wood/black bag stripes, it would have exposed much brighter.
 
Lemming51 said:
No EXIF. What is the exposure?

IMHO, it does not look underexposed. The dark areas have detail and no noise. Looks about how one would expect considering the lighting, Canon's typical "warm" WB when using Auto ISO with artificial lighting, and that you've chosen Neutral Picture Style.

http://www.canon.co.jp/imaging/picturestyle/style/neutral.html

Instructive that Canon's note on Neutral is "Subjects are recorded in rich detail, giving the greatest latitude for image processing" [emphasis added]

If you want brighter, punchier JPGs in-camera without post-processing, then enable Auto Lighting Optimizer and use Standard Picture Style.

IMHO, YMMV.
Click to expand...
 
I am green weak, but the cushion on the chair is really tan, not dark green. I wouldn't call it a dark color.

I have a question for any of you who own a 6D, or other Canons. I noticed that when I insert an SD card, with the camera turned off, the SD card slot light flashes. Is this normal? I haven't noticed this with my other cameras. They don't do this.
 
AndraM said:
AndraM said:
The 6D demands more from the user than a 60D or a Rebel. However, the price of admission is worth it.
Click to expand...
Having recently graduated from the 60D to 6D myself, I couldn't agree more.
Click to expand...
I have to say that I've never had much of an issue, but I also have good rates at guessing when I have to compensate due to dark/shadow or bright/white areas in pictures. Helped me a lot when I started thinking scenes in shades of gray, like light metering is supposed to work. It takes a little bit of time to grasp that type of thinking. Also every camera has a different behavior in estimating light according to these aspects (depending on sensor maybe?). When I came from my d5100 I had a first thought of "how bad 6D meters light", but then I just realized that a bigger sensor, with different architecture, will certainly run estimates in a different way.

And yes, shooting raw is much better. I can't actually remember last time I used JPEGs out of the camera. I'm not saying there's no use. Certainly there is. I'm just saying that it can save some bracketing and -whatnot - opportunities.
 
arty H said:
I am green weak, but the cushion on the chair is really tan, not dark green. I wouldn't call it a dark color.

I have a question for any of you who own a 6D, or other Canons. I noticed that when I insert an SD card, with the camera turned off, the SD card slot light flashes. Is this normal? I haven't noticed this with my other cameras. They don't do this.
Click to expand...
Sorry, looked olive to me, that's why I said green. Maybe the warm wb making it look that way.
 
arty H said:
I am green weak, but the cushion on the chair is really tan, not dark green. I wouldn't call it a dark color.

I have a question for any of you who own a 6D, or other Canons. I noticed that when I insert an SD card, with the camera turned off, the SD card slot light flashes. Is this normal? I haven't noticed this with my other cameras. They don't do this.
Click to expand...
Yep. It's quite normal. The camera is merely letting you know it recognized the card.
 
AndraM said:
arty H said:
I am green weak, but the cushion on the chair is really tan, not dark green. I wouldn't call it a dark color.

I have a question for any of you who own a 6D, or other Canons. I noticed that when I insert an SD card, with the camera turned off, the SD card slot light flashes. Is this normal? I haven't noticed this with my other cameras. They don't do this.
Click to expand...
Yep. It's quite normal. The camera is merely letting you know it recognized the card.
Click to expand...
And the other Canons do this too. Including your former 60D (that is what you had, or am I mistaken?).
 
brightcolours said:
AndraM said:
arty H said:
I am green weak, but the cushion on the chair is really tan, not dark green. I wouldn't call it a dark color.

I have a question for any of you who own a 6D, or other Canons. I noticed that when I insert an SD card, with the camera turned off, the SD card slot light flashes. Is this normal? I haven't noticed this with my other cameras. They don't do this.
Click to expand...
Yep. It's quite normal. The camera is merely letting you know it recognized the card.
Click to expand...
And the other Canons do this too. Including your former 60D (that is what you had, or am I mistaken?).
Click to expand...
You are correct -- on both counts.
 
In spot metering every one of them underexpose by 2/3 of a stop in center weighted about 1/3.

Remember the camera is trying for 18% gray as a proper exposure. This automatically makes whites under exposed
 
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