Canon 40D manual setting/exposure scale..??

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Help.. I cannot for the life of me figure this one out. Just trying out some Manual settings for use with the studio flash, and when I turn the dial to 'M' the indicator on the exposure scale in the top LCD is showing -2 :thinking:

I don't know why, and furthermore, I can't seem to move this back to centre (assuming it is supposed to be there.!?) I have tried everything but it won't move :bang:

I've tried setting the on/off/¬ switch to both ON and ¬ positions but as you know in 'M' the ¬ position adjusts apature (using the large wheel).

Am I missing something really stupid here or what ! :help:
 
Hi Cas

It is all the way up to the ¬ mark, but when I turn the big wheel, it adjusts the apature, not the exposure comp.
 
Hi I think Cason is right from memory - I remember reading a thread on here where someone had exactly the same issue a week or so back, have a bit of a poke about and you'll probably find it fairly easily. Good luck!
 
There isnt actually exposre comp with manual... not like you know it from AV mode. Adjusting the aperture on its own will make the exposure over or under.. thats how it works
 
Hi Janice

So what is the exposure comp scale showing me then when in 'M' mode..?? :bang:
 
If you've set your camera to manual ("M") then the little scale becomes a light meter indicator, not exposure compensation and because the light in the "studio" is low for the shutter speed you'll have set for flash (1/250 I assume) the meter is showing the shot to be underexposed. Ignore it as you are using your flash to correctly expose the shot.
That meter only indicates the exposure compensation setting if you're shooting in Av or Tv mode as the camera controls the exposure.
 
Well it IS showing you the comp but its the normal light meter really.... but you just alter shutter and aperture accordingly till you get an over or underexposed shot to get your whites right or midtones right etc.
 
Neo... you star! :woot:

That makes sense now. I do understand the exposure comp issue in the other modes and I do use it where necessary. I was worried I'd set it somehow in 'M' and couldn't undo it :bonk:

I can sleep now - cheers everyone for your posts, and thanx Neo :thumbs:
 
Boney Boy said:
Hi Janice

So what is the exposure comp scale showing me then when in 'M' mode..?? :bang:
Click to expand...

As above, it's a lightmeter (a crude one)... Set your camera to manual, point it at something you want to shoot, and then adjust the aperture (big wheel) or shutter speed (small wheel) to correctly expose for the shot. When the indicator is in the middle of the scale, the shot will be correctly exposed (except in certain circumstanses when you have to judge whether to expose a stop up or down to compensate)...
 
Boney Boy said:
Neo... you star! :woot:

That makes sense now. I do understand the exposure comp issue in the other modes and I do use it where necessary. I was worried I'd set it somehow in 'M' and couldn't undo it :bonk:

I can sleep now - cheers everyone for your posts, and thanx Neo :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Glad I've sent you to sleep :thumbs:
 
When in Manual, the Exp Comp meter shows flash exp comp.

Well it does on mine.....


EDIT: I thought about what I said above and just checked... I am an A*** at times.... Of course it's an exposure meter.

I'll go and stand in the corner with a pointy hat on :cuckoo:


Steve
 
On Mon night at class we went into the studio for 1st time to look at lighting , told to set camera in M mode to iso 100 , 1/125 and F11 , portraits , I noticed that my meter was reading - , told to ignore that as its the lighting/flash that will correctly expose , seemed to work fine.
 
Boney Boy, Here's my interpretation for you, in my simplest terms (as I am rather simple!!)... there will be many people jumping in with more techical explanations Im sure, but here goes!

When you have used AV in the past... you have set your aperture at ie F8 (all numbers used for aps and shutterspeeds are hypothetical) it will stay at F8 and as you move the camera around over darker and lighter subjects the meter will stay centralised becuase the shutter speed is changing precisely for that reason.... to keep it properly exposed for you.

The only way you can make it a bit overexposed, because you are shooting a dark subject for instance, is to press the exposure compensation button and turn a wheel and only then will you see the meter change from its centre poiint and show you are one stop overexposed and are using the exp. comp.

Hope thats making sense so far!

MANUAL you have to have a different thought process!

The camera wont automatically show the meter permanently set at the centre point like in AV.
If the two settings you have entered will result in over exposure by one stop... then it will show on the meter as one postion to the right.

If when taking a shot... you have a white that you want to make sure is kept nice and bright and not dulled to 18% grey by the camera... you spot meter on it and turn either your shutter wheel or ap wheel to make the meter show +1.5 or +2 (which will keep whites white) you can juggle the shutter and aperture to settings that work for you for camera shake, depth of field etc.. while still keeping your meter at +1.5 and then when you move your camera to reframe the shot... whatever the meter says you will ignore as you have set it right for the most important bit for you and the rest will fall into place.

Ive probably shown my ignorance here so I am up for being corrected but just wanted to help Boney Boy in laywoman's terms!!! :D
 
Just to add for the sake of clarity. The EC scale/meter only shows the exposure for ambient light not flash so, as Neo said, when using flash to light your subject you can ignore the meter.

The only time you might want to pay any attention to it is when you're mixing ambient light and flash.

When shooting with studio flash your camera settings for exposure are limited to aperture and ISO - shutter speed means nothing as long as it's below the sync speed for the camera. Your real control over exposure is by setting the distance and power of the lights.
 
Also for the sake of clarity, there is no exposure compensation button on a 40D for ambient light - you simply turn the rear wheel (see the post from Janice). The only exposure compensation button available on this model is for flash compensation.
 
Another case of RTFM?
 
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