Exposure compensation

9 years 5 months ago #404634 by Cory J
Okay, I'm nearly lost and could use some help here.  I get that my camera will try to expose for the brighter part of my setting.  What I don't understand is the purpose of exposure compensation.  If you take the photo, and it's bright or dark, why not just take the shot with the proper shutter speed set vs using exposure compensation? 


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9 years 5 months ago #404636 by JeremyS
Exposure compensation (EC) is used mainly during the priority or full auto settings. Otherwise, in full manual is just adjusts what your "proper meter" looks like. You would use EC when you shoot in aperture priority and find that well, its over-exposing by about a stop quite consistently, you'd use EC to make that adjustment and fix it because of the lighting situation at the time. I often use EC when shooting in strong light or backlit scenes.


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9 years 5 months ago - 9 years 5 months ago #404658 by KCook

Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/

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9 years 5 months ago #404786 by Shadowfixer1

Cory J wrote: Okay, I'm nearly lost and could use some help here.  I get that my camera will try to expose for the brighter part of my setting.  What I don't understand is the purpose of exposure compensation.  If you take the photo, and it's bright or dark, why not just take the shot with the proper shutter speed set vs using exposure compensation? 

Your camera is not trying to expose for the brighter part of your setting. The camera is exposing for an 18% gray. It it's in spot meter mode, whatever is in the spot will be exposed as an 18% gray. If it's center weighted, it will use that for 18% gray. Matrix metering is a little different. The camera reads however many zones it's capable of and compares it to a data bank and tries to match a file in the data bank to the readings it has, and the camera has a setting for that matched data file which it will use. If you are shooting manual, then yes you can adjust the settings to the correct exposure without compensation. You just use your meter to under and over expose the required number of stops. If in one of the Auto Modes exposure compensation is the quickest and best way to adjust the exposure. The camera gives you it's best estimate of correct exposure, not necessarily the correct exposure. Examples: if you shoot snow or something very bright, the camera will expose that to look 18%gray. Correct exposure would need to be 1.5 to 2 stops more light or in other words more exposure compensation. If you are shooting something very dark like black or navy, the camera will still try to make it look 18% gray, thus requiring less light or a minus exposure compensation to make the correct exposure and to make the image look correct. Modern systems are pretty good, but they are not perfect or 100% correct.
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9 years 5 months ago #404897 by Joves
:goodpost:
I agree. Also with Nikon cameras you can use the EC to zero the meter at a given over, or under exposure. I am not sure if the Canons do this. I found out the hard way when I used EC the only time I used it in Aperture, and then went back to Manual. I find that my Nikons over expose in bright lighting conditions, or at least they do to me in the programmed modes.


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9 years 5 months ago #404956 by garyrhook

Joves wrote: I find that my Nikons over expose in bright lighting conditions, or at least they do to me in the programmed modes.


I don't blindly trust the meter. I take test shots and use the zebra feature to see what gets blown out. But that's in manual mode.

I did not know about zeroing the meter. That's kinda cool, if you know what you're doing.


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9 years 5 months ago #405075 by Joves

garyrhook wrote:

Joves wrote: I find that my Nikons over expose in bright lighting conditions, or at least they do to me in the programmed modes.


I don't blindly trust the meter. I take test shots and use the zebra feature to see what gets blown out. But that's in manual mode.

I did not know about zeroing the meter. That's kinda cool, if you know what you're doing.

:rofl:
I wish I could say I found that little feature out through the manual, but it was an accident after trying the EC in Aperture Mode. It was a sunny day, and I went to the minus side, then went to Manual, and all of my photos were way under exposed. This is why I have never used it again, nor any of the other Modes but Manual. Besides I have been using my D300 long enough that I know how it will behave in various lighting. That is also why I will not replace it till it dies. I am really comfortable with it now.


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9 years 5 months ago #405124 by Vahrenkamp

Joves wrote: :goodpost:
I agree. Also with Nikon cameras you can use the EC to zero the meter at a given over, or under exposure. I am not sure if the Canons do this. I found out the hard way when I used EC the only time I used it in Aperture, and then went back to Manual. I find that my Nikons over expose in bright lighting conditions, or at least they do to me in the programmed modes.



+1


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9 years 5 months ago #405710 by Cory J
Okay, I get it now.  Big help guys.  Boy, why do they need to make this so confusing at times.  


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9 years 5 months ago #405953 by TGonzo
Don't use myself


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