ISO v EC?

tricialclark

tricialclark

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Tricia
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Hi all,

Apologies if this seems like a stupid question, but I'm still at the stupid photographer stage ;)

Please can someone explain exactly what the pros/cons of using ISO as opposed to EC (or vice versa) are? Am I right in thinking that a higher ISO means more noise in the photo, but EC effects aperture/shutter speed? If so, how does it effect these? So why would you use one rather than the other - which circumstances are conducive to which method?

Thank you!
 
I would only pump up the iso when I had exhausted the usable range of shutter speed & aperture.

There is usually a minimum shutter speed appropriate for the type of shot you are taking and the lens you are using.

I would not want to go much lower than 1/60s if shooting handheld on a 50mm lens for example.

Max aperture is governed by lens type, normally f/4 (consumer zoom), f/2.8 (pro zoom), f1.4 (fast prime)
 
Unless the scene has something in it that will fool your camera in to giving the wrong exposure, dialling in EC when it is not required will result in an under/over exposed photograph.
 
Setting the ISO is what you may need to do to be able to shoot a scene at a specific shutter speed and aperture, think of it as a linked three sided triangle, altering one affects one of the other. Ideally use the lowest ISO possible to get the cleanest image.

EC or exposure compensation is where the camera gives an exposure but you know that the meter is being fooled because there are large areas of white for example which the meter would try and underexpose to bring the scene back to 18% grey. Basically it tries to average out the scene to give that result, hence if shooting in snow it will underexpose the scene and you end up with grey snow, so you need to dial in some compensation.
 
Thanks for the replies :)

Artyman, that's exactly what I was after, thank you!
 
Personally, I'd ALWAYS up the ISO to give me enough leeway to then play with faster shutter speeds and wider apertures. Setting the aperture wider is all well and good, but if you're only just getting a decent enough shutter speed, if light changes (i.e. diminishes) then you're stuffed; upping the ISO will always give you at least a stop of extra light*.


*(if you work in full ISO stops that is:)).
 
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