I’ve been using a digital body about 18 months and have been amazed, frustrated & what not by all the options, menus & complexity of these machines. I use a Nikon Df fwiw.
What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t seem to do anything I can see. After fiddling around with this I’ve learned that the phenomenon is related to shooting in full manual. What I now understand is that in full manual mode using the ec dial only changes the meter scale, not the exposure itself. So one must readjust exposure manually after entering ec mode to recenter the meter reading. In the other modes such as aperature priority the ec dial functions as I expected. I had no idea this was the case when in full manual.
So I pass on my admittedly naive notion as false. Perhaps this thing I’ve learned will be of use to another shooter. That’s my only purpose in bringing this up. It seems one could spend years mastering all the options built into these modern cameras. A good day to all.
These types of topics are of great value IMO. Many will benefit, so thank you! What was most frustrating with my first dslr (after a film slr for years) was remembering which knob or button accessed which command. And that was with a far less complicated camera than my current M4/3's and more than a decade ago - when my brain cells were far more active
Thanks pesfls.
I just ran across this phenomena the other day
and was frustrated that changing the EV on my
Nikon at full manual didn't seem to work as expected.
I figured it was just something I didn't know about
and would find it in the manual later.
You've saved me from having to figure it out.
Thank You.
tshift
Loc: Overland Park, KS.
pesfls wrote:
I’ve been using a digital body about 18 months and have been amazed, frustrated & what not by all the options, menus & complexity of the machines. I use a Nikon Df fwiw.
What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t seem to do anything I can see. After fiddling around with this I’ve learned that the phenomenon is related to shooting in full manual. What I now understand is that in full manual mode using the ec dial only changes the meter scale, not the exposure itself. So one must readjust exposure manually after entering ec mode to recenter the meter reading. In the other modes such as aperature priority the ec dial functions as I expected. I had no idea this was the case when in full manual.
So I pass on my admittedly naive notion as false. Perhaps this thing I’ve learned will be of use to another shooter. That’s my only purpose in bringing this up. It seems one could spend years mastering all the options built into these modern cameras. A good day to all.
I’ve been using a digital body about 18 months and... (
show quote)
Hi pestles. I have used this only a few times. I now know how to use it because of you. I guess I never really looked at it enough to understand how! Thanks so much. Have a wonderful day.
Tom
Linda From Maine wrote:
These types of topics are of great value IMO. Many will benefit, so thank you! What was most frustrating with my first dslr (after a film slr for years) was remembering which knob or button accessed which command. And that was with a far less complicated camera than my current M4/3's and more than a decade ago - when my brain cells were far more active
Linda, I know what you mean about M4/3. I’ve used an ancient Nikon F and F3 for years and thought I knew how to operate a camera proficiently but have now become aware I’m a newbie all over again. I bought an Olympus PenF & 12/40 for travel use. It’s awesome but you need to channel Albert Einstein to deal with the menus. I’ve scratched the surface a bit and have been dumbstruck by the images it can produce. So another modern challenge is in play.
pesfls wrote:
What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t seem to do anything I can see. After fiddling around with this I’ve learned that the phenomenon is related to shooting in full manual. What I now understand is that in full manual mode using the ec dial only changes the meter scale, not the exposure itself. So one must readjust exposure manually after entering ec mode to recenter the meter reading. In the other modes such as aperature priority the ec dial functions as I expected. I had no idea this was the case when in full manual.
So I pass on my admittedly naive notion as false. Perhaps this thing I’ve learned will be of use to another shooter. That’s my only purpose in bringing this up. It seems one could spend years mastering all the options built into these modern cameras. A good day to all.
br What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t... (
show quote)
What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t seem to do anything I can see. Look more closely. More likely than not it is doing something. When you are in any of the creative modes, like aperture priority or shutter priority, it will be adjusting the EC or exposure compensation. For instance, if you are in aperture priority, and you turn the EC dial to plus 1 you've change your shutter speed by one stop. The opposite will be true if you are in Shutter priority - the aperture will change by a stop.
When in manual mode, and you turn that dial, something is happening. You meter isn't simply changing, your settings are changing. You can turn the same EC dial and either your shutter speed is changing or your aperture is changing. It's different on some cameras as to which one is changing.
jeep_daddy wrote:
When in manual mode, and you turn that dial, something is happening. You meter isn't simply changing, your settings are changing.
The exposure compensation feature (turning the knob to
change a setting) is not available in Manual Mode with my current mirrorless Panasonic G7 or Olympus EM10, nor with my previous dslr, Canon T3i.
jeep_daddy wrote:
What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t seem to do anything I can see. Look more closely. More likely than not it is doing something. When you are in any of the creative modes, like aperture priority or shutter priority, it will be adjusting the EC or exposure compensation. For instance, if you are in aperture priority, and you turn the EC dial to plus 1 you've change your shutter speed by one stop. The opposite will be true if you are in Shutter priority - the aperture will change by a stop.
When in manual mode, and you turn that dial, something is happening. You meter isn't simply changing, your settings are changing. You can turn the same EC dial and either your shutter speed is changing or your aperture is changing. It's different on some cameras as to which one is changing.
b What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t ... (
show quote)
Partly correct. To quote the Df manual: “Exposure Mode M, in exposure mode M, exposure compensation affects only the exposure indicator;shutter speed and aperature do not change.” Page 80. Perhaps this is unique to the Df. I don’t know as it’s the only digital Nikon dslr I own. Maybe other models/brands are as you suggest.
pesfls wrote:
Linda, I know what you mean about M4/3. I’ve used an ancient Nikon F and F3 for years and thought I knew how to operate a camera proficiently but have now become aware I’m a newbie all over again. I bought an Olympus PenF & 12/40 for travel use. It’s awesome but you need to channel Albert Einstein to deal with the menus. I’ve scratched the surface a bit and have been dumbstruck by the images it can produce. So another modern challenge is in play.
Both the Nikon F and the Nikon F3 have the EC control. In the case of the Nikon F which is a manual only camera it's intended for compensation for different focusing screens. If you have used them you would have known that the EC only changed the meter reading when in manual mode. There is really nothing new.
pesfls wrote:
Partly correct. To quote the Df manual: “Exposure Mode M, in exposure mode M, exposure compensation affects only the exposure indicator;shutter speed and aperature do not change.” Page 80. Perhaps this is unique to the Df. I don’t know as it’s the only digital Nikon dslr I own. Maybe other models/brands are as you suggest.
It's for all Nikon SLR's and DSLR's. Nothing is new here. I think it's the same for others but I heard for the Canon's they don't allow you to set EC in manual mode.
Mac
Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
pesfls wrote:
I’ve been using a digital body about 18 months and have been amazed, frustrated & what not by all the options, menus & complexity of these machines. I use a Nikon Df fwiw.
What I’ve noticed is that sometimes ec doesn’t seem to do anything I can see. After fiddling around with this I’ve learned that the phenomenon is related to shooting in full manual. What I now understand is that in full manual mode using the ec dial only changes the meter scale, not the exposure itself. So one must readjust exposure manually after entering ec mode to recenter the meter reading. In the other modes such as aperature priority the ec dial functions as I expected. I had no idea this was the case when in full manual.
So I pass on my admittedly naive notion as false. Perhaps this thing I’ve learned will be of use to another shooter. That’s my only purpose in bringing this up. It seems one could spend years mastering all the options built into these modern cameras. A good day to all.
I’ve been using a digital body about 18 months and... (
show quote)
Thank you for this info. I too use a Df and have been playing with EC. This helps a lot.
BebuLamar wrote:
Both the Nikon F and the Nikon F3 have the EC control. In the case of the Nikon F which is a manual only camera it's intended for compensation for different focusing screens. If you have used them you would have known that the EC only changed the meter reading when in manual mode. There is really nothing new.
Well obviously I did not think of that. And yes I’ve used multiple screens on the F, which I still own but sold the F3 a couple years ago. I still own a LunaPro btw.
jeep_daddy wrote:
It's different on some cameras as to which one is changing.
According to the user manual for the Canon 7D Mark II, settings will only change in M if you are using auto ISO.
I agree with Linda. Topics like this are very helpful. While the answers make a lot of sense the fact that the topic makes us stop and think about the logic of how our cameras work is educational and helpful.
Does it even matter if you are shooting in RAW? I think not.
If you want to reply, then
register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.