Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

Exposure compensation is very useful to manual shooters, too. Shooting against a bright sky, I use some + EC to help improve the subject detail and separation I desire. Against a dark background some - EC helps as well. Do not disregard this useful tool. I do not believe the manufacturers would continue to include the function if no one used it.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Remember that each camera system's dials are placed and setup differently. gwilliams6's Sony cameras can obviously be setup to easily use the exposure compensation for his use in Aperture Mode and Shutter Mode without moving one's eye from the viewfinder. My Olympus system allows me to easily use the exposure compensation dial while using Program, Aperture, and Shutter Mode without moving my eye from the viewfinder. Both the dials controling aperture and/or shutter (operated by the shooting hand's thumb) and exposure compensation (operated by the shooting hand's trigger release finger) are located at the top of the camera near the shooting hand for my camera system. As some have indicated, not all exposure compensation dials are located near the shooting hand for convenience.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

It's often said that if you're shooting in fully Manual mode you don't need the EC dial because you can use the camera's meter scale. However, doing it that way requires that you offset the exposure by the right number of segments on the scale, which takes a fair amount of care and attention. Not only that, in any sort of dynamic situation (which will include any camera movement) the metering will be constantly changing so it will be up to you to keep the exposure on target.

On the other hand, using the EC dial to enter an EC value means that you only have to keep the metering centered on the large middle segment, which is visually and mentally simpler and easier.

Simpler than either of these methods is to use M+AutoISO+EC. You dial in the required value of EC and the camera does all of the tracking for you automatically, using its own metering.

A typical methodology would be to decide at the outset whether EC is required (and if so, how much) then decide on an aperture value (which is determined by the required DOF, how far away the intended focus point is and the lens's focal length), then it is a simple matter of playing off shutter speed against ISO (looking for the lowest ISO that you can use while keeping the shutter speed sufficiently fast). The only thing you have to keep an eye on is the ISO bottoming out or maxing out (the same could be said for shutter speed but that's far less likely).

M+AutoISO+EC is simple, intuitive, fast and the least distracting alternative. Plus it builds on skills that you will already be using. The only skill you may need to develop or fine tune is being able to spot when EC will be needed.

In most (but not all) situations, once you've determined the EC requirements they will be unlikely to change suddenly. In most situations the same could be said about the aperture setting, which makes shutter speed the best variable for playing off against ISO.

All of the above depends on your camera being able to provide both EC and Auto ISO while in Manual mode. Not all cameras can (just the good ones ).

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Manual is 100% EC. No EC dial is needed because for each exposure, in true manual, you MANUALLY set the shutter, aperture and ISO. More exposure? Set slower shutter or whatever manually. Or open the aperture or a higher ISO all manually.
So no EC dial is needed as all other inputs are being manually controlled.
EC dial is for the auto modes to lower or raise the auto exposure and as lighting changes at 1 stop under setting the camera will automatically adjust to maintain a one stop under exposure.
Manual exposure as light changes you have to be constantly changing settings to maintain a consistent 1 stop under exposure thus again negating EC dial as it cannot work to maintain the 1 stop under.

ELNikkor

If you "forget to set it back, then..." can refer to many things on you camera, so it is not just the exposure compensation that can spell impending problem-shots. I have always used exposure compensation, as it speeds up being able to shoot when there is temporary back-lighting (+ a stop or two), or a dark subject (decrease a stop or two), as your meter only "sees" 18% gray. You may have set an area for the sensor that is suddenly unsuitable for the subject, or a mode that is temporarily inappropriate. Rather than sort through menus to adjust for these occurrences, just go + or minus on the compensation dial and check the results.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I shot primarily wildlife. I use either Manual or Aperture Priority. If the light is changing constantly (moving clouds) I usually shoot Aperture Priority.
I personally like to shoot underexposed, works well for most wildlife situations, so in manual that is easy to do.
But in Aperture Priority if you change ISO you still are shooting at what you have set, and I like to keep my aperture and shutter speed set at my favorite settings, so I set the EC dial at -1 to -2 depending on what I am shooting, and since I have a mirrorless camera I can see the result of the change in the EC in real time through the viewfinder.
You cannot use EC in Manual as you can turn that dial all day and nothing happens to your exposure.
But in AP I use the EC dial all the time to fine turn my exposure, it is very fast and I do not have to take my eye off the viewfinder.
Again, it is a personal choice, I like to shoot a little under exposed and let the sun light my subjects.

Tjohn Loc: Inverness, FL formerly Arivaca, AZ

I use it when shooting in forest areas. If the forest is exposed correctly, the sky is almost always blown out resulting in the sky having no features. I have to check for exposure by trial and error.

Haden123

This has been an excellent dialogue. Thanks to everyone involved. I have one question, to clarify what several people have written: if I am shooting in AP plus auto ISO, won’t the camera automatically adjust ISO to offset the EC adjustment I make? In other words, do I need to use manual ISO in order for EC to have the intended effect?

BebuLamar

It will adjust the ISO or the shutter speed in case you are in bright light to make the image lighter or darker with the EC. It even changes the ISO in manual mode if you have the auto ISO on and set the EC.

bkwaters

Yep, you’re missing out on a convenient tool called autoexposure. Changing shutter speed, aperture or ISO only changes exposure when autoexposure is turned off.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

I use it to control exposure when I shoot manual with auto ISO

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

My question is why you wouldn't. If you were playing a piano, would you just skip the "middle "C" key? The ability to use yet another method of getting the correct exposure is nothing more than one more tool. The more tools you have the better prepared you are for getting the exposure you are looking for. I use the compensation button constantly. Since I shoot "A preferred", it is easy to compensate quickly and easily.

ELNikkor

Same here

R.G. Loc: Scotland

If you are in any of the semi-automatic modes you are tying the exposure in to what the camera determines is a good exposure as determined by its own metering. You can overrule the camera's verdict using EC. In other words EC will force a change to the camera-determined exposure level. How it goes about implementing that change will be determined by the mode that the camera is in. But the basic concept will be the same - EC can be used to force a change to the targeted level of exposure. There may be exceptions to that but I would expect it to be universal.

mvetrano2 Loc: Commack, NY

I never use exposure compensation. I always shoot raw and rely on Lightroom to make all the needed adjustments in post processing.