Strange Metering Issue with 1D3

[Josh Gahagan]

Hello,

It has been years it seems since I've last posted on this site. This past winter I purchased a used 1D Mark III from famous photographer Marie Read. It was a huge step up from my previous 40D, and all in all a wonderful camera to use. I'm also fortunate to have a model which does not have any of the AF issues previously reported at the cameras release.

However, over the past months I have noticed a definite issue with my camera that I have never experienced before and was wondering if anyone here has. The metering seems to be much slower than it should be, leaving me to use much higher ISO's for the given light or risking not having a high enough shutter speed. For example, this month I have been photographing mainly shorebirds in afternoon light. The average time of day is around 5PM, which results in rather brighter than preferable shooting light and one would assume that an ISO of 400 would be suitable to have action stopping shutter speeds. That is not the case with my camera. In order to obtain a shutter speed of roughly 1/2000, I need to keep my ISO at 800 during this time! This is certainly much higher than normal that I have ever remembered on my older cameras. During overcast days and shooting in the forest is recipe for disaster with my cameras current metering system. I would have to keep my ISO at around 2500 to get a shutter speed of about 1/160, which is barely enough to stop a quick moving warbler.

I am very frustrated with this situation and plan on sending it to Canon to get this issue addressed. The only problem is that classes start in a few days, and I will be taking two photography classes. Sending my camera away for who knows how long when I need it for class is not the best idea. I would just like to pass this on to anyone to see if this problem has been experienced by yourself.

I know it is not my lens, as I have tested my 17-40 at the same settings on a blank wall and had the same shutter speed.............

I would greatly appreciate any input. Thank you!

[Grant Atkinson]

Hi Josh
I am probably completely off target here, but how clean is your sensor. Some 1Dmk3 bodies have spilled lubricant from within onto the sensor specially after heavy use or when used in hot weather. My wife and i have two 1Dmk3 bodies, both bought used, and one was almost new with few actuations. The low-mileage camera actually built-up dark deposits on the sensor, not really visible easily to the naked eye but very clearly visible when using a sensor swab to clean the sensor...the white swab comes off black. I just made sure to clean the sensor a few times between shooting sessions and the messy stuff had all cleaned up by then, but I do recall Canon mentioning this in a service bulletin for the 1Dmk3.
Cheers
Grant

[John Chardine]

Hi Josh- It would be interesting to see how much your meter deviates from the Sunny-16 rule: (from Wikipedia) "On a sunny day set aperture to f/16 and shutter speed to the reciprocal of the ISO setting for a subject in direct sunlight."

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Josh; you have not mentioned the f-stop, which has as much to do with it as anything else. As a matter of fact, everything you mentioned as to ISO and shutter-speed means nothing unless you consider the aperture. Maybe your problem is the lens; could be a sticky diaphram. What lens are you using, and if using other lenses do you have the same problem? Also, have you tried to shoot manually ? By the way, what is slow metering? regards~Bill

[Josh Gahagan]

I use a canon 400 f5.6 mostly with a 1.4x TC, which leaves me with a maximum aperture of f8. I also have a 17-40 and have tried focusing both on a blank, evenly exposed wall and they both reported the same shutter speed at f/8. It just seems strange to me that I need to shoot at ISO 800 during the bright early afternoon hours to obtain a shutter speed fast enough to slow the action. For example, my latest images were of a Least Sandpiper under cloudless skies at 4:30 PM. The exposure of a certain frame is 1/1000 at f/11, ISO 640. I can remember with my older bodies that a ISO of 400 would be suitable to obtain the same settings under the same conditions.........Also I shoot in Av mode as manual doesn't seem to work for me. I don't like to have to constantly change the shutter speed of aperture every time something changes...It could just be that I don't know how to use it properly, but every time I have tried it doesn't interest me at all

[Mike Milicia]

The exposure of a certain frame is 1/1000 at f/11, ISO 640.
Sunny f/16 would be 1/1250, f/11, ISO 640 so the settings for this frame look very reasonable, i.e. only 1/3 stop slower than Sunny f/16.

[John Chardine]

Josh- As Mike says, you are not far off where you should be. A few things. Direct sunlight produces strong shadows because the light is not bounced around. Therefore depending on where you are pointing your camera you may get quite different meter readings. What do you have the metering mode set to on the camera- evaluative, spot etc? A spot meter reading into a dark shadow on a brightly lit day is going to say you don't have a lot of light. Just as an aside, you will get far better results if you pick your times to photography- early and late in the day, or overcast conditions without strong shadows will give you great light.

[Josh Gahagan]

So would anyone suggest not sending it to Canon? Because IMHO, there is something wrong with the camera and it seems like it should be making faster exposures.

[Arthur Morris]

4:30 pm in winter is not full sun, not even close..... Plus you are basing everything on "what you remember." It sounds to me as if your camera is fine. BTW, it is the shutter speeds that are slow(er) than you expect, not the "metering."

[Josh Gahagan]

Artie, it was 4:30 PM during mid August.....................

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Josh. 4:30pm is still well less than full sun...