Why have an extra dial for exposure compensation?
Apr 7, 2020 07:54:31 #
Loaded replies everyone dissing on the exp compensating button, use mine all the time, especially with my mirrorless cameras to visualize the color and tone of my photographs, also for snow, sand etc. sure spot metering is another tool, used to do it in my film, medium and large format days, a lot of synchophants parade around behind the manual, spot, raw, tripod dance. It’s bs, if you need raw to save your images you’re incompetent, tripod with VR forget about it, spot metering with modern sensor tech? Waste your own time, not mine, also the whole manual thing, nope Aperture priority, exposure compensation, jpegs print 13x19 no problem
Apr 7, 2020 07:59:54 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
kenArchi wrote:
Can you change exposure at ISO, Aperture or Speed?
Would that give better control knowing what you will get?
It seems confusing using Exposure Compensation.
Do you know what it is changing in your camera?
If it changes aperture, it will change depth of field. That might not be what I want.
So I see how confusing it is because I am not in control.
Am I being correct in this matter.
Or photographers don't care about the end result of their pictures.
Would that give better control knowing what you will get?
It seems confusing using Exposure Compensation.
Do you know what it is changing in your camera?
If it changes aperture, it will change depth of field. That might not be what I want.
So I see how confusing it is because I am not in control.
Am I being correct in this matter.
Or photographers don't care about the end result of their pictures.
My Sony a9 has a EC dial. I photograph dark and light birds in the sky. In Aperture Priority, I can quickly change my exposure using the EC dial to match dark and light birds in the sky.
Apr 7, 2020 08:05:08 #
kenArchi wrote:
Can you change exposure at ISO, Aperture or Speed?
Would that give better control knowing what you will get?
It seems confusing using Exposure Compensation.
Do you know what it is changing in your camera?
If it changes aperture, it will change depth of field. That might not be what I want.
So I see how confusing it is because I am not in control.
Am I being correct in this matter.
Or photographers don't care about the end result of their pictures.
Would that give better control knowing what you will get?
It seems confusing using Exposure Compensation.
Do you know what it is changing in your camera?
If it changes aperture, it will change depth of field. That might not be what I want.
So I see how confusing it is because I am not in control.
Am I being correct in this matter.
Or photographers don't care about the end result of their pictures.
If you are set for Aperture priority and a fixed ISO, adjusting exposure comp will change shutter speed to compensate for the exposure. For Shutter priority, the opposite is true. Not sure of the algorithm when you have Auto ISO set at the same time, but I think it will try to keep your Aperture and Shutter speed constant before hitting the maximum ISO you allow.
If you want total control, or just to see what happens, set the dial to Manual and you will be working just like your old SLR did (except that you don't have to change film to get a different ISO).
Just editing this reply in case I missed a point of your question.
The reason there is a compensation dial is that you can't just change shutter speed or aperture to get a different exposure if you are not in Manual. Any adjustment to aperture, shutter speed, or ISO when NOT in manual will result in the same exposure value (EV). The camera is determining the EV and you just tell it which aperture or shutter speed you prefer for the effect you are trying to achieve.
By adjusting the compensation, you can force the camera to give more or less exposure if you think it is not correctly reading the scene (as it might if your subject is backlit).
Apr 7, 2020 08:06:39 #
Even using the Manual mode compensating the exposure is at times a necessity. I never felt I was not in control when I had to compensate the exposure and snow, as has been already mentioned is a good example. None of my cameras have an exposure compensation dial.
"If you use EC in aperture priority, it adjusts the shutter speed. If you use EC in shutter priority, it adjusts the aperture." You can do this manually manipulating aperture or shutter speed depending on the subject. Matrix metering is not infallible, it gets fooled like any other meter with certain subjects. Spot metering, in the hands of an experienced photographer is a very accurate metering mode but it also needs exposure compensation at times. All exposure meters "see" gray and not all subjects have middle tonalities where the meter is so accurate in its reading.
Be in control using the Manual mode or an AUTO mode as long as you know what exposure compensation is doing.
"If you use EC in aperture priority, it adjusts the shutter speed. If you use EC in shutter priority, it adjusts the aperture." You can do this manually manipulating aperture or shutter speed depending on the subject. Matrix metering is not infallible, it gets fooled like any other meter with certain subjects. Spot metering, in the hands of an experienced photographer is a very accurate metering mode but it also needs exposure compensation at times. All exposure meters "see" gray and not all subjects have middle tonalities where the meter is so accurate in its reading.
Be in control using the Manual mode or an AUTO mode as long as you know what exposure compensation is doing.
Apr 7, 2020 08:08:22 #
Once upon a time there was film. Then digital came along and we all lived happily ever after. Why? Because digital opened up all sorts of possibilities that film either didn't offer or did offer but in a very difficult-to-implement form. For example we now have exposure compensation. Why do camera manufacturers go to the bother of building it in to their cameras? Because it's a potentially very useful feature.
EC doesn't do anything that can't be done by other means, but if you do choose to use it, it can be easily integrated into your existing workflow - that same workflow that has its roots in film photography. If you understand EC properly you can assess a situation at the outset, dial in whatever EC value you consider to be appropriate, then continue in exactly the same way that you've always done. In other words EC can fit in seamlessly with your existing mind set and work habits.
The only time it'll get complicated is if you start wondering about things like "Which settings will EC affect?" The only thing you need to understand is that EC changes the exposure level that the camera targets (in M mode it does that by changing the meter scale). EC doesn't affect how A or S mode work once it's dialled in, and with some cameras that's also true of M mode (and even M mode + Auto ISO).
EC doesn't do anything that can't be done by other means, but if you do choose to use it, it can be easily integrated into your existing workflow - that same workflow that has its roots in film photography. If you understand EC properly you can assess a situation at the outset, dial in whatever EC value you consider to be appropriate, then continue in exactly the same way that you've always done. In other words EC can fit in seamlessly with your existing mind set and work habits.
The only time it'll get complicated is if you start wondering about things like "Which settings will EC affect?" The only thing you need to understand is that EC changes the exposure level that the camera targets (in M mode it does that by changing the meter scale). EC doesn't affect how A or S mode work once it's dialled in, and with some cameras that's also true of M mode (and even M mode + Auto ISO).
Apr 7, 2020 08:17:22 #
mizzee
Loc: Boston,Ma
Having an easily reachable EC dial means I don’t have to take the camera away from my eye while shooting. I find it particularly useful in tricky lighting.
Apr 7, 2020 08:31:33 #
Exposure Compensation is a tool in your bag of tricks. Back in the day if you were shooting slides their latitude in exposure of very tight, to to ensure that you got your shot you fudged manual EC by changing your aperture/shutter speed dials to do the same thing as the EC dial does now. Much easier now.... Learn how to use your tools.........
Apr 7, 2020 08:36:10 #
Rongnongno wrote:
Ever heard of spot metering?
It works.
It works.
I think with spot metering on the snow the camera will still try to make it a light gray.
Apr 7, 2020 08:50:11 #
mflowe
Loc: Port Deposit, MD
Rongnongno wrote:
Ever heard of spot metering?
It works.
It works.
Not quite sure I understand your point. Even if you spot meter, the meter is still going to underexpose your image unless you use ex comp or adjust it manually.
Apr 7, 2020 08:55:31 #
mflowe
Loc: Port Deposit, MD
LWW wrote:
Those instances are generally few and obvious.
Spot metering does fine then.
I haven’t used EC since the mid 80’s.
My $0.02.
Spot metering does fine then.
I haven’t used EC since the mid 80’s.
My $0.02.
I'm not understanding your point. Even with spot metering if you're shooting something like snow or a black bear you still have to use ex comp.
Apr 7, 2020 09:00:33 #
LWW wrote:
Those instances are generally few and obvious.
Spot metering does fine then.
I haven’t used EC since the mid 80’s.
My $0.02.
Spot metering does fine then.
I haven’t used EC since the mid 80’s.
My $0.02.
I find it much easier to use EC than yo switch metering modes when I’m shooting.
Apr 7, 2020 09:05:18 #
R.G. wrote:
Once upon a time there was film. Then digital came along and we all lived happily ever after. Why? Because digital opened up all sorts of possibilities that film either didn't offer or did offer but in a very difficult-to-implement form. For example we now have exposure compensation. ...
Exposure compensation came with any film camera that offered auto exposure in any form. That's because manufacturers knew that the camera's meter could often be wrong.
First came aperture priority. When shutter priority was added, program mode could also be added.
Digital only added the ability to select ISO on the fly, manually or automatically.
Apr 7, 2020 09:07:42 #
mflowe wrote:
I'm not understanding your point. Even with spot metering if you're shooting something like snow or a black bear you still have to use ex comp.
You don't have to use EC if you don't use the camera's meter.
Apr 7, 2020 09:09:38 #
LWW
Loc: Banana Republic of America
mflowe wrote:
I'm not understanding your point. Even with spot metering if you're shooting something like snow or a black bear you still have to use ex comp.
Matrix metering nails it on snow.
Apr 7, 2020 09:13:41 #
selmslie wrote:
You don't have to use EC if you don't use the camera's meter.
Yep, if I’m shooting a black bear I’m gonna pull out my light meter, take a reading off the bear, figure out how much I want to adjust the settings for the bear, set the camera, and by the time I look back through the viewfinder the bear is gone. I can use the camera’s meter and adjust EC without taking my eye from the viewfinder.
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