shooting in manual mode only comes out black?

[daylenickee]

i have a canon 500D and it seems that no matter what i do, my shots in manual mode come out either completely over or under exposed. theyre white or black.
tips on how to fix?

Step 1. Take the lens cap off.

~Eric

[i speak in math]

Um...expose properly?

Why don't you post one with the exif intact as an example and tell us the conditions you were shooting in.

[Saralonde]

Perhaps try shooting one in Av mode and see what settings the camera uses. Then compare those to the settings you chose in M and see what the difference is.

[BigVinnie]

When you switch to manual your meter is still working. One thing you need to remember is to also set the ISO manually.

Do a half press on the shutter and look at the screen on the back. You will see a graph right below the shutter speed and Fstop display. That graph will have a marker that shows from -2 to +2. A little marker under it will show what the camera thinks your exposure will be. Zero is what it thinks is perfect. The wheel by the shutter button changes your shutter speed. Pressing "AV" and rolling the wheel changes Fstop.

You can use that as a starting point unless you are using flash. Using flash requires a bit longer tutorial.

[Indigo November]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

Step 1. Take the lens cap off.

~Eric

No, no, step 1. is attach a lens.

@ daylenickee: post an example with the exif, and we should be able to help you.
You may want to stick to AV and TV for now though.

Welcome to DPS, I hope someone is able to help you.