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Archive 2017 · Exposure help with 7DII

  
 
secondclaw
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Exposure help with 7DII


For a long time I have been primarily a landscape shooter, using A7R with Canon glass. Exposure is very easy because I have time to plan out the shot, and with extra DR latitude, it's easy to fix mistakes.
Recently I started shooting with 7DII and my new 100-400 mk2 lens. While I love the combo, I am struggling with getting right exposure at times when I track a subject. I have exposure set to Evaluative metering (which I believe is the only mode in 7DII that evaluates exposure based on currently used focus point).
When I shoot flying birds against the sky, exposure is wrong, heavily underexposed (which shouldn't happen I think if focus point is used) and I have to adjust exposure compensation to +0.7 or +1. But as the bird transitions to ground level, +1 exposure ends up being too slow and too bright, so I have to constantly struggle to shift exposure compensation all while tracking the bird. In some cases, camera nails exposure (like back-lit subjects) perfectly, and in some cases its a mess.
Due to very low adjustment latitude (especially when I shoot at high ISO), I can't figure out how to get the camera to be more accurate with exposure when tracking. Any recommendations, like settings to use, and best practices for this camera?
Thanks!




Jan 22, 2017 at 04:44 PM
newphoto
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Exposure help with 7DII


I have the same setup. If I am not mistaken (and I may be)I don't believe the 7D uses the focus point at any time for exposure. I have gotten better results using center weighted exposure with flying birds. At any rate the 7D II is much more forgiving in DR then the old 7D was in my opinion.


Jan 22, 2017 at 04:54 PM
arbitrage
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Exposure help with 7DII


There is only really one good solution and that is to shoot in full M mode. I shoot full M 100% of the time. You get the exposure set for your subject in the light that you have and then every shot is perfect until the subject enters different light source. If you are shooting a bald eagle you get the white head correct with viewing test images of the eagle or something else that is white and watch the LCD histogram and turn on Blinkies to see blown highlights. Because the preview image on the rear LCD is a jpeg with whatever Picture Style you have set in camera you can usually leave a few small blinkies on an eagles' head and the RAW is fine. I set my Picture Style to Neutral to get as close to a RAW histogram as possible.

7D2 Evaluative weights the metering to the AF point but not like the 1 series does with Spot Metering linked to AF point. I leave all my cameras in Evaluative but I shoot full M so it doesn't matter anyways.

There are some cases when using Auto-ISO can be effective but for BIF M is the way to go. Remember that any time the bird changes size in the frame or crosses in front of a different colour background the EC you set in the other modes will be wrong. Only full Manual can solve this and that is why I forced myself to switch 2.5 years ago and after figuring it all out I rarely miss exposures.



Jan 22, 2017 at 05:02 PM
secondclaw
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Exposure help with 7DII


Umm, looking through the manual, It may be that I misunderstood how the exposure metering works for focus point. Apparently if you use AE Lock, it will lock exposure at the chosen focus point if evaluating metering is used, and at center point in other modes.



Jan 22, 2017 at 05:05 PM
Ferrophot
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Exposure help with 7DII


Evaluative exposure uses some black magic to establish the correct? exposure, it takes into account light levels across the whole frame, in your example this includes the bright sky. By using one of the more restricted settings, centre weighted , or spot, a more appropriate exposure should result. Unfortunately Canon still hasn't introduced 'brain connect' yet.
Back in film days the EOS 30/7 had Eye Controlled Focus and exposure connected to the active focussing point. As near to 'brain connect ' as we could get.



Jan 22, 2017 at 05:08 PM
NCAndy
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Exposure help with 7DII


Any meter will get fooled by a dark subject on a bright background. You can either as suggested use M mode with the correct exposure, or use exposure compensation for the metering mode you are using. Spot metering on the 7D2 works only with the centerpoint and I would think that would be difficult to keep on a moving bird. Evaluative metering on a Canon dslr weights the focus point used but still tries to expose the whole frame correctly. I believe that would render a dark subject darker than liked when the background is bright.


Jan 22, 2017 at 05:20 PM
vijgang
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Exposure help with 7DII


I use the 7D with 100-400 for my flight shots. This is my suggestions to get relatively more shots with accurate exposure.

I shoot AV mode, usually f/5.6 since a bird in flight is usually at a distance. Exceptions apply!
I use center wt. mode. This takes nearly the entire central area for calculating. This will be correct on any day when the sky is blue. If it is a cloudy day, I might go up to +1 on the exp. comp. This is because a cloudy sky will under exposure the bird. Now if that bird flies into ground level, this +1 may cause over exposure. So usually yes, you are right! a bird against the sky and a bird against the ground (with bushes) can be difficult, but you need to decide if u want to +1 or not depending on the sky color & the surrounding.

Now I will switch to spot metering if the bird is white or black and that may surely cause the sky to overexpose/underexpose depending on the color of the bird - but its a call you need to make - do you want a shot or will you wait to get a better shot against a better background.



Jan 22, 2017 at 08:26 PM
secondclaw
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Exposure help with 7DII


Thanks for the suggestions! I guess I also need to practice adjusting exposure quickly.


Jan 22, 2017 at 09:06 PM
arbitrage
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Exposure help with 7DII


secondclaw wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions! I guess I also need to practice adjusting exposure quickly.


Just put it in M and you don't have to adjust exposure at all.

If you use back button focus you can set up the AF-ON button and the * button to be two totally different exposures. Think BIF in sun and BIF in shade for your location that day. Then you just have to train your mind to use each button as needed.

But usually with constant light just setting everything ahead of time in M mode will keep you sane....no adjusting necessary. Aim at the bird against blue sky...same exposure....bird against dark trees....same exposure....bird flying towards you its size in the frame in relation to the background is changing the evaluative metering (or centre weighted metering)....same exposure.

If the bird flies from sun to shade then setting up the two back buttons with the two M exposures is simple to do. Just go into Custom Controls and use the Recall Shooting Function to set up both buttons....if you do make sure to click the very last box on the list that activated back button AF with the button. Because this is a different way to setup BBF than the usually Metering/AF Start way.

One other option is to use the C modes but on the 7D2 if you are handholding a larger lens you can't change them on the fly either. On the 1DX you can change them with your right hand with the M-Fn button but not on 5 and 7 series.

Just a few things to consider....but M mode from he start is the best.....



Jan 22, 2017 at 09:46 PM
Liquidstone
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Exposure help with 7DII


+1. M mode is the best for BIFs.



Jan 22, 2017 at 11:05 PM
Sy Sez
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Exposure help with 7DII


I usually get a good BIF starting point, in M Mode, by metering blue sky + 1 Stop..

The 7D-ll also has a function to allow Exposure Comp., in M Mode, using Auto ISO.



Jan 23, 2017 at 12:09 AM
D.Hussey
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Exposure help with 7DII


arbitrage wrote:
Just put it in M and you don't have to adjust exposure at all.

If you use back button focus you can set up the AF-ON button and the * button to be two totally different exposures. Think BIF in sun and BIF in shade for your location that day. Then you just have to train your mind to use each button as needed.

But usually with constant light just setting everything ahead of time in M mode will keep you sane....no adjusting necessary. Aim at the bird against blue sky...same exposure....bird against dark trees....same exposure....bird flying towards you its size in
...Show more

This is all making insanely good sense .... can't wait to try it out




Jan 23, 2017 at 01:09 AM
JVthePT
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Exposure help with 7DII


This works well. Also I use the partial metering mode with Auto ISO when against a back-lit sky or shooting towards the sun. Works well for portraiture as well as wildlife and I don't notice the large swings in exposure that I see with Evaluative metering in scenarios such as you've described.


Sy Sez wrote:
I usually get a good BIF starting point, in M Mode, by metering blue sky + 1 Stop..

The 7D-ll also has a function to allow Exposure Comp., in M Mode, using Auto ISO.




Jan 23, 2017 at 08:32 AM
Methodical
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Exposure help with 7DII


secondclaw wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions! I guess I also need to practice adjusting exposure quickly.


When shooting manual, choose one parameter you wish to adjust to ensure the exposure is correct (i.e. shutter speed, ISO or aperture) that you can live with. If you constantly try to change more than one parameter at a time, you will be all over the place. For me, depending on the light, I will choose ISO or aperture (never want to go low on shutter speed). If light is not great, then it will be ISO for that day (don't fear high ISO with today's cameras). If light is good, it will be aperture for that day. All my cameras are set to evaluative metering.

Also, be sure to set up the custom functions in the camera (C1-C3) for the different shooting scenarios. I have C1 for general shooting, C2 for sports and C3 for BIF (can quickly spin the dial to C3 without looking if a BIF moment arise)

Note: don't use Av when pointing to the sky, unless you can quickly adjust EC because you will definitely get a badly underexposed shot.

But most of all, practice.



Jan 23, 2017 at 11:16 AM





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