Beginner Exposure compensation.

SsSsSsSsSnake

SsSsSsSsSnake

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is this for a speedy change of exposure because eg if im in AP mode say and i dial in some EC,it will change the shutter speed i assume(or iso). Amd if im in SP it will change the Aperture(or iso)? So why wouldnt i do it by just adjusting the particular setting myself or is it as i thought just quicker with the EC dial or setting?
Thanks
 
AP and SP automatically adjust to expose based on the metering the camera provides.

If you adjust ISO , SS or aperture in these modes it will just automatically tweak one of the other three variables to still match what the cameras metering is telling it.

Exposure comp is basically adjusting the metered value.
 
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Thanks Dave but why have EC when like you say you adjust meetering with one of the 3,points of the triangle,
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Thanks Dave but why have EC when like you say you adjust meetering with one of the 3,points of the triangle,
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Because in an auto mode the camera will centre the meter, if we know that the meter will be wrong we use compensation.
It's not about 'changing a parameter', it's about overriding the meter.
 
Phil V said:
Because in an auto mode the camera will centre the meter, if we know that the meter will be wrong we use compensation.
It's not about 'changing a parameter', it's about overriding the meter.
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Ahh yes got it, but in manual mode you wouldn't and can't use it right? Thanks
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Ahh yes got it, but in manual mode you wouldn't and can't use it right? Thanks
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Depends on your camera mfr.
Lots of people now use 'manual' mode with auto ISO, and so the ISO would centre the meter, so Nikon allow EC in manual. But only a few Canon bodies allow this.

But in fully manual, there's no need for EC.
 
Phil V said:
But in fully manual, there's no need for EC.
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I disagree. I use auto ISO and EC in manual if I want to fix the aperture and the shutter speed and alter the scene brightness with the ISO.

Maybe some people haven't got a use for it but I reeeeeeeeealy like this ability.
 
woof woof said:
I disagree. I use auto ISO and EC in manual if I want to fix the aperture and the shutter speed and alter the scene brightness with the ISO.

Maybe some people haven't got a use for it but I reeeeeeeeealy like this ability.
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If you'd read my whole post ...
 
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Phil V said:
Depends on your camera mfr.
Lots of people now use 'manual' mode with auto ISO, and so the ISO would centre the meter, so Nikon allow EC in manual. But only a few Canon bodies allow this.

But in fully manual, there's no need for EC.
Click to expand...


What did I miss?
 
Did not know Exposure Comp works in manual mode. Thought it only works in aperture priority. Would it not be much more easier to adjust shutter speed? I would have thought, needing to adjust exposure comp in manual, means you have not chosen the correct shutter speed in the beginning :thinking:.
 
Exposure compensation doesn't change the exposure in manual! But it's quite useful in M with auto ISO. See what I did there? I differentiated between real manual and the M setting. Which may or may not be manual. Depending on your auto ISO setting.
 
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woof woof said:
What did I miss?
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I think what @Phil V meant was in full manal mode (i.e. where aperture, shutter and ISO is fixed by photographer) there is no need for exposure compensation as you fix the exposure settings and the camera meter is no choosing any exposure setting. If you use auto ISO in manual mode the camera is choosing the ISO setting rather than you so it's not true manual control as you don't have full control of all three parts of the exposure.

I often use exposure compensation in aperture or manual with auto ISO enabled as I can 'correct' the camera metering reading. In some circumstances like mist or snow you need to add exposure compensation as the cameras meter is fooled by the conditions. I see exposure compensation as a way to correct the camera metering where I know the conditions will fool the camera into incorrectly exposing the scene.
 
jonbeeza said:
Did not know Exposure Comp works in manual mode. Thought it only works in aperture priority. Would it not be much more easier to adjust shutter speed? I would have thought, needing to adjust exposure comp in manual, means you have not chosen the correct shutter speed in the beginning :thinking:.
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In full manual mode (without auto ISO enabled) exposure compensation doesn't make any difference to the exposure on my Nikon D750. Even if I set exposure compensation to -4 or -5 the resulting exposure is the same as 0 exposure compensation is not applied as I have fixed the shutter, aperture and ISO values using full manual exposure.
 
rob-nikon said:
In full manual mode (without auto ISO enabled) exposure compensation doesn't make any difference to the exposure on my Nikon D750. Even if I set exposure compensation to -4 or -5 the resulting exposure is the same as 0 exposure compensation is not applied as I have fixed the shutter, aperture and ISO values using full manual exposure.
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That is what I mean. If I wanted a darker or brighter exposure in manual mode, I would simply increase or decrease the shutter speed. I thought a few were thinking of adjusting exposure comp, while in manual mode.

PS

Years ago when I first got a DSLR, I did try changing exposure comp while in manual. I found out then, it made no difference. I knew very very little way back then :).
 
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jonbeeza said:
That is what I mean. If I wanted a darker or brighter exposure in manual mode, I would simply increase or decrease the shutter speed. I thought a few were thinking of adjusting exposure comp, while in manual mode.

PS

Years ago when I first got a DSLR, I did try changing exposure comp while in manual. I found out then, it made no difference. I knew very very little way back then :).
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I think the problem now stems from confusion over whether its manual mode or manual mode with auto ISO enabled (which isn't full manual as the camera meter is choosing the ISO setting). Auto ISO has improved so much that's its really an ISO priority mode in its own right. It would be much easier if they added an 'I' priority mode where aperture and shutter are chosen by the user and the camera chooses the ISO setting via the camera meter.
 
Some good discussion above about use of the modes but what nobody has explained is the point of exposure compensation.

The advantage is being able to use the camera in an auto mode, like aperture or shutter priority is because you are tracking a subject through variable light, or the light is changing as you shoot. In an auto mode the camera adjusts the parameters to suit. This is great at times, but where is fails is in it tried to achieve a middle exposure.

This is where compensation comes in, you let the camera vary the exposure based upon the changing light it meters but you override it's middle exposure with positive etc for brighter results and negative ec for darker results. All this whilst fixing the iso and the aperture or shutter speed of your choice whilst the alternative one changes.

Auto iso in manual is slightly different but very useful when you have a camera that allows compensation to be applied as well. Without it for me it's useless in manual just to have auto iso.
 
woof woof said:
What did I miss?
Click to expand...

Phil V said:
Depends on your camera mfr.
Lots of people now use 'manual' mode with auto ISO, and so the ISO would centre the meter, so Nikon allow EC in manual. But only a few Canon bodies allow this.

But in fully manual, there's no need for EC.
Click to expand...
Well you only quoted the last sentence, and made it look like I'd not acknowledged the point in the first, totally changing what I'd said into something you could disagree with

It is a great feature...
If you have a camera where it's available

Not everyone does.
 
Food for thought,thankyou for all your contributions to my question,i need to experiment and get some hands on experience with EC
 
It's EC really. :-)

To add to what Craig wrote:

If you think the light meter is being tricked by some very bright light, maybe snow or the sun is in the frame, try plus 1 or plus 2.

If you are shooting a stage with a lot of blackness in the frame, but spotlights on a person, try minus 1 or 2.

Although many cameras are clever enough realise that, and might compensate to some degree already.

Taking a spot meter reading of just a small area can also get the right value too.
 
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SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Food for thought,thankyou for all your contributions to my question,i need to experiment and get some hands on experience with EC
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Hi Chris

Your opening question is a bit technical for me, I hope it's been answered.

As a keen but slightly lazy amateur shooting street and odds & sods in A or S modes, this is my preferred method:

I have Menu > Playback Display Options set to show, firstly, Highlights then, if required, I can use the Multi-selector to show the Shooting Data (not bothering with Histogram, Overview or that first page showing the date and stuff). So when I hit the Playback Button I'm viewing my image Highlights ... blinking if they're blown. Nine times out of ten I adjust the EC and reshoot. I have this theory that everything but blown highlights can be fixed in PP. Unless I'm attempting something really creative this is the only time I use EC.
 
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