Canon SX110 IS 'auto' setting

[Dolby]

I bought this camera in February and love it for the price!

I'm not a photographer and don't fully understand all the figures and settings, so the majority of my photos are taken on auto.

However, I've just realised the last few weeks it seems to darken all my photos :/ For example I aim and the image looks great on the screen, but the minute I half depress and the camera adjust its own settings, the picture goes dark and takes dark. What I've done is bump up that +- to 1 or 1.5 to take the picture, as it seems lighter.

I took a (dark) photo yesterday and it selected these values :

1/1250
F2.8
+- 0
ISO 125

Do these look correct for a daytime, overcast photo?

 

[swift412]

Try taking the same photo on the three different metering modes and see if it makes any difference.

From the manual (pg 114):
Changing the metering mode:
1. Press the FUNC/SET button
2. Use the up and down buttons to select [(·)] and left or right to change the options
3. Press the FUNC/SET button

The different modes:
[(·)] - Evaluative
Appropriate for standard shooting conditions, inclduing backlit scenes. The camera divides images into several zones for metering. It evaluates complex lighting conditions, such as the position of the subject, the brightness, the direct light, and the backlighting, and adjusts the settings to the correct exposure for the main subject.

[ ] - Center weighted average
Averages the light metered from the entire frame, but gives greater weight to the subject matter at the center.

[ · ] Spot
Adjusts the exposure according to the subject in the center of the frame (meters the area within the spot AE point at the center fo the LCD monitor). Use this mode when there is a large divergence of brightness between the subject and surroundings.

You might also want to learn how to use AE lock, so that you can expose the photo, recompose your shot and then take the photo. That's on pg 110

Point the camera at what you want to expose, then press the shutter half way, then press the +/- button (same as the Delete button). Then recompose your shot, and depress the shutter fully.

 

[bwana]

I took a (dark) photo yesterday and it selected these values :

1/1250
F2.8
+- 0
ISO 125

Do these look correct for a daytime, overcast photo?

Maybe post a sample so we can have a look?

Does the camera offer Auto exposure bracketing?

Overcast doesnt necessarily mean there isnt still plenty of light. It's like having a giant softbox as your main source of light. Great for shooting portraits.

 

[froot]

These ones are brilliant for both light and non-light scenese. My dad took it overseas now (winter there, so dark) and it takes amazing photos when overcast or dark. And this was on auto mode (he's a mik and druk photographer, doesn't know how to use the fancy stuff).

The camera does afaik, have autoexposure - the camera, like I said, does amazing things, and without making you wait 2min to get enough light.

 

[Dolby]

Try taking the same photo on the three different metering modes and see if it makes any difference.

From the manual (pg 114):
Changing the metering mode:
1. Press the FUNC/SET button
2. Use the up and down buttons to select [(·)] and left or right to change the options
3. Press the FUNC/SET button

The different modes:
[(·)] - Evaluative
Appropriate for standard shooting conditions, inclduing backlit scenes. The camera divides images into several zones for metering. It evaluates complex lighting conditions, such as the position of the subject, the brightness, the direct light, and the backlighting, and adjusts the settings to the correct exposure for the main subject.

[ ] - Center weighted average
Averages the light metered from the entire frame, but gives greater weight to the subject matter at the center.

[ · ] Spot
Adjusts the exposure according to the subject in the center of the frame (meters the area within the spot AE point at the center fo the LCD monitor). Use this mode when there is a large divergence of brightness between the subject and surroundings.

You might also want to learn how to use AE lock, so that you can expose the photo, recompose your shot and then take the photo. That's on pg 110

Point the camera at what you want to expose, then press the shutter half way, then press the +/- button (same as the Delete button). Then recompose your shot, and depress the shutter fully.

Thanks for that. It does have those settings, but not in auto mode. I, like froots dad, like a point 'n shoot camera! I do try these edits on manual mode.

Maybe post a sample so we can have a look?

Does the camera offer Auto exposure bracketing?

Overcast doesnt necessarily mean there isnt still plenty of light. It's like having a giant softbox as your main source of light. Great for shooting portraits.

This is on auto - cannot adjust a thing http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14077/title/auto-setting/cat/500

And this is the same photo, where I've turned up exposure (I don't even know what I'm doing tbh http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php/photo/14078/title/exposure/cat/500

These ones are brilliant for both light and non-light scenese. My dad took it overseas now (winter there, so dark) and it takes amazing photos when overcast or dark. And this was on auto mode (he's a mik and druk photographer, doesn't know how to use the fancy stuff).

The camera does afaik, have autoexposure - the camera, like I said, does amazing things, and without making you wait 2min to get enough light.

The camera is awesome - especially for the price (I paid R3,000). This is just one niggle that I've stumbled upon recently. I think I've never seen it as I'm usually in full sunlight or indoors (flash)

 

[swift412]

Wow, that's really underexposed! It looks like it's exposing for the sky instead of the ground

 

[f4ntom]

!? That's really dark. My D3000 on Auto doesnt seem to do that.

 

[Dolby]

Yea mine never did it before :/

Seems to have just happened. Bleh. Maybe I should remove the batteries for a few days and let it reset itself. Or is that stupid?

 

[f4ntom]

maybe try reinstalling firmware (dunno if this is possible) ?