Horrible Photo Quality

Reef Pets · Aug 6, 2011

I have a Canon XSi with a Canon 60mm lens. I cant figure out what the issue is but when taking photos in RAW anything that is white in color such as the eggcrate is showing bright red. When I convert to jpeg the red is no longer there but I figure something must be wrong?? Since this has happen my photo quality is terrible compared to usual.
Has anyone ever experienced this? I have not changed any setting on my camera or in CS5.
Gary

gparr · Aug 6, 2011

Not to insult you, but you've confirmed that your camera's image quality setting is on RAW? You aren't using any filters on your lens? Is your camera set to one of those "scene" settings? The lighting you're using is just the tank lights?
Gary

ToXIc · Aug 6, 2011

I'm guessing you're seeing the bright red in the software you're editing with. If so that just means that those parts are overexposed.

gparr · Aug 6, 2011

Toxic, Bingo!! I long ago turned that setting off and completely forgot about it. You're right. He's seeing the areas the software is indicating are blown out. Good call.
Gary

Reef Pets · Aug 6, 2011

Hey Gary - Not insulted at all. I have been taking the photos the same way for about 4 years now and never any issues and never used a filter. Of course the quality of photos I take are no where near yours but good enough for taking a high volume of photos. Yes, the photos are taken under 20K 400W Radiums and the camera is in RAW in AV mode. I have taken thousands of photos with these same setting and never has this issue.
What type of filter are you speaking of? Is there a filter that you feel would increase my photo quality?

Yes, I am seeing it is CS5 but I have not changed anything at all from what I have done over the past several years.

Reef Pets · Aug 6, 2011

What would cause this being blown out, I have taken thousand and I do mean thousand of photos in the same settings and under the same lights.
Also, what setting?

ToXIc · Aug 6, 2011

Are you shooting in manual mode? If so which, aperture or shutter priority?

Reef Pets · Aug 6, 2011

Yes, I have it on AV mode. I am thinking something is wrong with the camera or lens. I took photos yesterday with the same settings as always and everything was fine and then I took more last night and they were bad quality and the RAW image was covered int red. Aperture and shutter speed changes depending on how close I am to the lighting.

ToXIc · Aug 6, 2011

There is a cap for the eye piece if your using AV mode to reduce stray light. Day and night pics will differ if using the same settings because of the difference in ambient light getting into the lens, iirc

Reef Pets · Aug 6, 2011

Thanks for the info. Ill look into the cap but again, I have used the camera in the exact same conditions, lighting and setting and all has been been good until last night. Maybe Ill have to try a different manual mode and look into a filter.

I cant figure it out being all has been the same and then an hour between taking photos the quality of the photos instantly changed. Didnt drop the lens, camera or anything like that.

gparr · Aug 6, 2011

Did your metering settings get changed and now your camera's light meter is in spot meter setting, for example? If the meter is reading off of a smaller area than before that could explain the erratic behavior. The red, I'm convinced after Toxic's suggestion, is simply your software indicating areas that are blown out, i.e., so overexposed that they contain no usable data. You can turn that indicator off in the RAW conversion settings.
Gary

Reef Pets · Aug 6, 2011

Thanks. Ill check the metering now to see if that might be the issue. I just took a ton more photos to see what I come up with, in AV and TV mode. I just cant figure it out being nothing was changes....
Ill see what these new photos look like.