I tend to shoot a lot and not review my photos a lot, but it was recently brought to my attention that my pictures are really dark. I tend to operate in P mode most of the time when I'm doing snapshots and just adjusting EV if I have a particularly bright/dark subject.
However, when shooting in EV +0, my photos are in fact turning out really dark. Even the histogram statistics agree, and I think this behavior has changed over time.
One of the first photos I took with the camera:
Photo I just took:
Histogram:
The on-camera histogram agrees. Everything gets shoved to the left.
Oddly, this doesn't seem to happen all the time. Seems to mostly show up in low-contrast and indoor photos. It seems the camera would rather shove the histogram to the left rather than center it. Even in manual mode, centering the exposure meter still has the histogram shoved to the left.
Things I've tried:
- Turning off the ND filter. I can confirm ND function works as the ISO shoots up when ND is enabled
- Updating the firmware. Running the latest version
- Resetting all camera settings
- Asking on the Ricoh forums.
Things I haven't tried:
- Testing with an 18% grey card (it's in the mail)
Any idea what could be causing this?
@ch00f @DriftingLynx The best way to check if the exposure metering is working correctly is to compare the shutter speed and aperture settings—at a given ISO—provided by your camera with the settings produced by another photographic device under the same conditions. For this purpose, it is best to use an evenly lit matte surface as a test target, and to aim both devices (your camera and the comparison device) at the exact same section of that surface. And make a comparison at the same time. Of course: For this type of comparative test, it is best to use settings that offer greater control over exposure parameters—specifically Manual mode, or at least Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority. That way, you have fewer variables to manage. The best tool for comparison would be an incident light meter paired with an 18% grey card. Ultimately, however, you could use a second camera or even a smartphone app that allows you to control (and read) exposure settings.