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General discussion

Canon 400D

by xtremephoto May 21, 2007 2:34PM PDT

I have recieved a Canon 400D as a present, it doesnt come with the standard lens. Ive been using it all week, since its a great camera and shoots awesome pictures. It has a "canon zoom lens EF 28-105mm 1:3.5-4.5" lens. Its actually a good lens, the zoom I get is enough.
I have several questions if someone can PLEASE answer them.
Whats the diference from the Rebel Xti and the 400D ???
When I take a picture in the "M" mode, the picture comes all black; even though i have adjusted the aperture and the speed. Is this because of the lens? Do I need to take the picture with brighter light?
THANKS!

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4 Posts
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by fionndruinne May 21, 2007 3:32PM PDT

The XTi is the 400D, the latter is a secondary name used mainly in Europe.

Your settings in M mode are probably incorrect; can you give an example? The camera shouldn't produce radically underexposed photos unless the combination of shutter speed/aperture is incorrect.

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reply to fionndruinne
by xtremephoto May 23, 2007 4:29AM PDT

fionndruinne, the settings i used in the M mode are 1/2000 4.5exp. I tried shooting in this mode with day light inside my house. I wanted the pics to come out natural, so i didnt use the flash. When i went outside with the same settings, the pictures were OK.

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Try a lower shutter speed and higher ISO
by hjfok May 23, 2007 5:41AM PDT

Use the widest aperture available and a slower shutter speed. There is not enough light indoor to pass through your lens to reach the camera's sensor at a shutter speed of 1/2000. To freeze action, you typically only need 1/250 to 1/500. For indoor, you will be lucky to get up to 1/125.
Or try the Aperture priority mode, set the aperture to the widest available (the smallest number, for example 3.5 is wider than 5). Then the camera will automatically set the correct shutter speed and exposure. You can press the shutter half-way to check the shutter speed at the chosen aperture. If the shutter speed is slow, expect blurring, especially if the shutter speed is slower than 1/focal length used (then you may want to try a higher ISO, see below). If you are able to get a fast shutter speed, then you can decrease the aperture if you are concerned with a shallower depth of field.
If it is still dark, go up on the ISO. A lot of times, I have to use 800 and sometimes even 1600 indoor when light is not adequate. And it will also help to increase the exposure compensation (eg. increase at +1/3 increment up to +1 or +2 in extreme cases, or use bracketing). Underexposure at high ISO will give you a very grainy picture.

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What is the camera's light meter reading in 'M' mode when
by Desperado JC May 21, 2007 10:15PM PDT

taking a dark picture?

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