Conflict of info.

[rapidfire]

Hi all,
Forgive me for asking what may to you be a silly question but I am unable to find the answer in the manuals or perhaps have just overlooked it.
Why does my 7D indicate a different shutter speed ( normally lower ) through the viewfinder than it does if you enable the settings information to show on the rear screen ?
Surely they should be the same ?

Also, I normally shoot my wildlife shots in AV mode and try to keep the ISO as low as possible but I get a number of my results looking more like a painting than a photograph so I am obviously doing something fundamentally wrong and I say this because I do get some quite passable results also ( or I think so ).
Can anyone suggest a good book , video or course available because although I subscribe to Photoplus magazine which does impart useful information to the likes of a novice like me the level seems to be very repetitive magazine to magazine and I often feel they have not actually told you anything different from last time ?

Its time someone brought out the 'Complete idiots guide' but in almost a storyboard like fashion ie less wordy and more direct and to the point - those of you who have had the pleasure of writing SOP's for the masses at work as I have will know the more wordy they are the less people will read them and we are all probably the same in that respect.
Just a thought.

John

[chris-p]

Hi John!

Originally Posted by rapidfire

Why does my 7D indicate a different shutter speed ( normally lower ) through the viewfinder than it does if you enable the settings information to show on the rear screen ? Surely they should be the same ?

What mode are you in when this happens? If you're in anything other than Tv or M modes it could be that the act of moving the camera to look through the viewfinder or at the screen means you're pointing it at something else. That would make the camera adjust the shutter speed...

Originally Posted by rapidfire

Also, I normally shoot my wildlife shots in AV mode and try to keep the ISO as low as possible but I get a number of my results looking more like a painting than a photograph so I am obviously doing something fundamentally wrong and I say this because I do get some quite passable results also ( or I think so ).

It's really difficult to suggest what this might be without some more information and an example shot... What format are you shooting (RAW, jpeg etc)? What apertures does this happen at (or is there no pattern)?

As for books or tutorials, I've not got much experience. What I will say is that (although completely unrelated to photography) I've found "Bioinformatics for Dummies" is actually quite good and they do one for the 7D. Here it is on Amazon

[rapidfire]

Hi Chris,
Hope you are well and thanks for the info with apologies for the lack thereof in mine!

I tend to always shoot in AV mode as I rarely shoot anything other than wildlife and nearly everything I have read said that is the mode to use - no other reason.
My basic settings are :- RAW ,
sRGB - not sure if thats the best one but thats what the 7D manual indicates to use.
Evaluative Metering
Standard Picture Style
AL Servo AF
Peripheral Illumination Correction - set to 'enable' but I dont even know what that is so
that must be the factory setting.

Thats the majority of it really and I will try and sort one of the better examples out to post for you.
I dont remember having the same problem with the 450D so could it be the extra pixels throwing me perhaps ?
It is worse the lower the available light it seems.
People have suggested it is due to Canon camera's tending to produce 'soft' pictures but mine would never be candidates for Photoshop to deal with successfully I wouldn't have thought.

John

[chris-p]

Originally Posted by rapidfire

I tend to always shoot in AV mode as I rarely shoot anything other than wildlife and nearly everything I have read said that is the mode to use - no other reason.

Thats most likely why your shutter speed changes. Set the camera to M mode and repeat the process and see if the indicators are different - they shouldn't be as you'll have stopped the camera from changing it.

Originally Posted by rapidfire

My basic settings are :- RAW ,
sRGB - not sure if thats the best one but thats what the 7D manual indicates to use.
Evaluative Metering
Standard Picture Style
AL Servo AF
Peripheral Illumination Correction - set to 'enable' but I dont even know what that is so
that must be the factory setting.

Hmm. If you're shooting in RAW the picture style won't make any difference (thats a jpeg thing). Otherwise there is nothing obviously amiss that I can see. Can you post an example of this cartoon-ing?

[Manxman]

I seem to recall reading that light gets in through the viewfinder and affects exposure when you take your eye away ... that's why some (all?) DSLRs have a rubber plug on the camera strap - not that I've ever used it!
Peter

[rapidfire]

Hi Chris and Manxman,
I will try and find an example to post but as you can imagine and like yourself and everyone else I tend to discard those shots I am not happy with straight away if not only because of the space they take up.
I will try the M mode to see what happens.

The rubber attachment on the strap is for using while shooting in 'live mode' I think but for the reason you correctly state Manxman although I am sure Chris can correct me if I am wrong in that belief.

One encouraging thing so far is that nobody has said "that's a dodgy camera" and I admit to being a bit paranoid as my first 7D had to be returned as it was indeed faulty.

I will have a hunt through my shots for an example but you may have to bear with me on this one.

John

[chris-p]

Originally Posted by rapidfire

The rubber attachment on the strap is for using while shooting in 'live mode' I think but for the reason you correctly state Manxman although I am sure Chris can correct me if I am wrong in that belief.

Thats exactly what it's for. They originally were for long exposures (if I remember correctly, you didn't get live view with film - then again, it was a long time ago ).

John, try M or Tv mode, just to see if the shutter speed value is different between the viewfinder and screen. If you set the shutter speed to something (anything) using the screen and then look through the viewfinder the shutter speed value should be exactly the same because the camera can't change it.

[rapidfire]

Just tried M and TV modes and the numbers matched. Switched back to AV and the numbers fluctuate but I think it may even be me moving the camera slightly to check the settings hand held which would do it wouldn't it?
Not the best evening to try this as 'sunny Devon' certainly isn't doing what it says on the tin so not much light plus I have that f4 lens on together with ( I just couldn't stop myself !) a 1.4x extender so if the weather picks up for the weekend I will run some tests.
I now have the kit but lack the expertise but you guy's are pointing me in the right direction if you can put up with my daft questions.
John

[ap4a]

Originally Posted by rapidfire

Just tried M and TV modes and the numbers matched. Switched back to AV and the numbers fluctuate but I think it may even be me moving the camera slightly to check the settings hand held which would do it wouldn't it?

Yes it would, and it doesn't take much for that to happen - if you meter on someone's face but then shift slightly before taking the shot and the meter takes a reading from their hair it can change by a couple of stops with dark hair.

Have a scan through your camera's manual and look for info on the focus lock and exposure lock. These are often combined when depressing the shutter button half way, but sometimes it's best to set them to different buttons and you can set the * button to be the exposure lock for example; you would then take your meter reading by pressing that button and lock it by keeping it depressed until you take the shot.

[rapidfire]

Thanks ap4a I will give this a try too.
Manuals are fine but a bit overpowering sometimes which is why I asked about video's (sorry DVD now ) and courses but also you guys are explaining it in english not 'cameraees' which also makes it easier.
John