Jusoljoe Loc: Texas

Would not manual mode & manual compensation be better than using the built in compensation tool in current DSLRs?? As I understand this tool, the mode determines whether aperture or shutter speed is changed. Thus the photographer must be aware of which will change in a given situation because of possible depth or blur resulting in the shot. Seems to this only complicates the process for the mind of the photographer. True or not??? :XD: :-(

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

If your in aperture priority the camera will change the shutter speed. In Shutter priority camera will change aperture. Usually in aperture mode your going for depth or background affect and with shutter priority your going for stop motion or blur effect at least that's what I do. So changing the exposure compensation doesn't affect my main mission, Now if your in Auto and use the exposure compensation then the camera will decide aperture or shutter which can screw you up.
I should mention this works if you have the ISO Fixed. If left on auto the ISO will float up and down.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Given that most photographers never leave Auto I think the more the camera can help the better. It is always nice when you can educate them on how to use a better way though.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

If you are in a situation (like a white sandy beach) where the environment is influencing your exposure, you can adjust by shifting EV to compensate, remaining on full Auto, or semi-auto (shutter priority or aperture priority). When shooting manually, the photographer can compensate on every photo, without changing EV of camera.

The trick is to remember to change EV back to normal when finished.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Joe, I'm not really sure if I understand your question properly because you seem to be calling the mode selector the compensation tool or misunderstanding what the compensation dial does.

BUT from your question you seem to have a better handle on how to use these things in manual than in auto.
If that is the case and it gets you good results then I wouldn't try to persuade you away from using manual control of ISO, shutter and aperture.
It does mean that you have to consider all three for every individual shot that you take but it will give you ultimate control over the pic.
In many circumstances I find that it is actually easier to shoot in full manual than in the part manual/part auto settings of shutter priority or aperture priority.
It is unusual though that someone would understand manual shooting without understand aperture and shutter priority.

Whichever way you choose, you are still adjusting just three settings ISO, shutter, and aperture, and M, Av, Tv, (or whatever they are on your camera), can all get you to exactly the same place.

Clif Loc: Central Ca.

I may be missing something here,or the question on the table just leaves me thinking. a danderous thing at times. Understanding the balance of f stop and duration of exposure to achieve a desired effect in the exposure. We are left with the ISO/ASA My quedtion is this, do the image sensors have an optimum that can be used to achieve a best saturation of color and image while minamizing the undesirable artifacts like "noise?" This may not be a real question but I am curious if there is a "best" setting in the ISO range. This could be something that is not a specific but a range, or based on the individual sensor or sensor family/production lot. This could mean that after production they are sorted into various buckets.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

With "full Auto" selected, the camera makes ALL decisions, including ISO. Each camera manufacture has a built-in formula (program) that instructs camera when to change ISO, depending on illumination, etc. (Each threshold is a big trade secret).

In semi-auto (shutter priority or aperture priority) the ISO must be pre-selected by the photographer.

Each sensor type has a curve-shaped relationship between ISO and noise. Each photographer must decide where the noise acceptability limit lies for each situation.

I shoot hummingbirds at ISO 1000, so I can shoot at 1/2000-second. I trade a bit of extra noise for wing-freezing shutter duration.

I shoot star constellations and star trails with lowest possible ISO to record star colors, to avoid extra noise in the star field.

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

There is one week each year that I use EV to help my pictures and this week is it. I am shooting indoors with bad low lighting and with no natural light coming in. I set the camera on "P", ISO on auto, WB on auto, and use EV to get the desired result. I am shooting in fast moving situation and capturing people doing things. I would miss too many moments if I was using manual.

I will batch process about 1000 images from this week (both size and picture). Then I pick the 100 best and make a slide show/video with these images.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

Important "trick". :thumbup: I've had that happen before as well as leaving the auto bracket set on the last shot of the day and not remembering until the next time I picked up the camera and fired off a burst. :thumbup: The first time I used an AE-1 shooting sports outdoors I learned the strap would catch the overhanging shutter speed dial and work the shutter speed up and down as you walked. Always a pleasant surprise to grab the camera up for a quick action shot and the camera shoots 1/15 rather than the 1/500 you left it on. A quick lesson never to be repeated. :roll:

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Clif, you are right.
DSLRs are meant to be "better" at their native ISO.
So generally this is 200 for Nikons and 100 for Canons.
Theoretically, a Canon should have a cleaner image at ISO 100 than when pushed to 50 or shifted to 200.
It becomes obvious when you get into the bigger numbers (eg ISO 3200 plus) that this is the case but at the lower levels (eg under 400) my eyes can't pixel peep the cause of any difference.
I did read an online study that the 5D2 was actually better when the ISO was 2/3 of a stop over.
IE 160 was better than 100, 320 was better than 200, 640 was better than 400 etc etc.
I non scientifically eyeballed a test myself but I couldn't see any difference there either.
I am guessing that in reality at these lower levels the change is so minimal that there is no obvious visible difference.

dar_clicks Loc: Utah

-- It seems to me that the photographer should always be cognizant of where the shutter speed and/or aperture should be to achieve the desired effect. Using A or S semi-auto modes and then having the experience and/or knowledge to know amount of EV adjustment to use for the current lighting conditions is not very different from using manual exposure control. ...provided that there is confidence in the camera's metering method for that particular shot, another detail to be just as aware of as anything else.
-- The trouble with any of these explanations is that they sound worse than they are. It all falls into place with experience. Best thing to do is to get out there & keep trying different things, plus read all the good help on UHH & other sites.

Clif Loc: Central Ca.

Thanks all for your input it was all of value. I am thinking that a safe bet for the ISO might be about 200, but that may be a hold over from shooting film. For sure 100 could also be a good guess. I would love to see the curves on the sensors and also the "curve" for the in-camera processing software but I doubt Nikon publishes that. I have a D5100 as a replacement for my much loved Nikkormat. Damn I miss CT18, it was calibrated for my eyes and on-board processor.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

I think the key word is "experience". If you know the relationship (some people tend to use the triangle) between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO it will fall into place. One is added or reduced to balance the equation. Do you need high shutter speed to stop action or a smaller aperture for more DOF? Do you increase ISO to try to achieve both or is higher quality more important. Once that relationship sinks in, choices become a lot clearer. It comes down to learning the basics and going from there. :thumbup: