ISO Vs. Exposure Compensation

[tegan]

Interesting! In Minolta, Sony Alpha, and Leica the f stop changed in the viewfinder when I adjusted exposure compensation. I did not have a Nikon or Canon around at the time.

Tegan

[Marko]

It really does depend on the camera.

For me this is a clear flaw in the software that runs the camera. You should ALWAYS see the true exposure in the camera's viewfinder OR at least see a plus /minus sign with the letters EC and the degree of EC (+1/3, -2 etc.)

[Beginner]

I am confused about Exposure Compensation being "minus" or "positive"... I have read on one or two websites and in the manual for this camera that to tone down too-bright or too- white areas, one should make the Exposure Compensation more positive. This makes it worse!

So, I am using negative numbers to cope with some bright backlighting or brightly-lit distant areas in a scene... plus keeping the ISO low.

There seems to be some opposite advice on this subject. Can others help?

[Travis]

I am confused about Exposure Compensation being "minus" or "positive"... I have read on one or two websites and in the manual for this camera that to tone down too-bright or too- white areas, one should make the Exposure Compensation more positive. This makes it worse!

So, I am using negative numbers to cope with some bright backlighting or brightly-lit distant areas in a scene... plus keeping the ISO low.

There seems to be some opposite advice on this subject. Can others help?

They advice you are reading is backwards...

If your camera is reading the scene too bright you must pull back the exposure compensation.... ie -0.3

If your camera is reading the scene to dark you must increase the exposure compensation ... ie +0.3

Using the example of Aperture Priority mode (or av Canon) exposure compensation merely adjusts the shutter speed to compensate the exposure

example

Assuming you are locked in an aperture of 2.8 the camera might suggest the use of a 1/125 to properly expose your scene. If the image produced was overexposed by 1 stop(too bright), you would set your exposure compensation -1.0. The resulting adjustment by the camera would double the shutter speed 1/250 to properly expose the shot.

In manual mode you will not typically use exp comp. You will simply use the cameras meter to make your adjustments.

[tegan]

I am confused about Exposure Compensation being "minus" or "positive"... I have read on one or two websites and in the manual for this camera that to tone down too-bright or too- white areas, one should make the Exposure Compensation more positive. This makes it worse!

So, I am using negative numbers to cope with some bright backlighting or brightly-lit distant areas in a scene... plus keeping the ISO low.

There seems to be some opposite advice on this subject. Can others help?

Minus underexposes and makes it darker. Plus makes it brighter in exposure compensation. A LOW ISO however tends to increase contrast, so an ISO of about 400 would be better.

For a bright backlit scenic a polarizing or graduated ND filter is needed to control the brightness from the sky and yet still expose the foreground correctly.

If people are in the foreground then you need to use fill flash or for those that have it in their camera menus: a dynamic range control.

Tegan

[baddness]

Travis, how does one use the metering in their camera? I've been shooting in manual. I'm still trying to figure out the metering. In the manual it says to leave it to default and that the professionals worry about the metering lol

[tirediron]

Travis, how does one use the metering in their camera? I've been shooting in manual. I'm still trying to figure out the metering. In the manual it says to leave it to default and that the professionals worry about the metering lol

If all you want to take is snapshots, sure, that'll work, otherwise, it's crap advice. This is actually a hugely complicated topic; your best bet would be to head to either your local library or a used book store, and find a good 'How to' book on photography from the late 70s or earlier. Exposure techniques are exactly the same now as they were then, with the exception of rather than exposing for the shadows and developing for the highlights, we now expose for the highlights and process for the shadows.

The reason I'm suggesting an older book like that is because in the days when the use of hand-held light meters was common, a lot more emphasis was put on how to meter scenes correctly (ie The Zone System), even a lot of good books today (With the possible exception of Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure") pay little more than lip service to the correct methods of properly metering a scene.

[Travis]

Travis, how does one use the metering in their camera? I've been shooting in manual. I'm still trying to figure out the metering. In the manual it says to leave it to default and that the professionals worry about the metering lol

wow!.... you might want to pour some gas on that manual and burn it.... feel free to add your own sinister laugh as it's reduced to ashes...

not sure what you are shooting with but generally in manual mode you can see the cameras meter through the viewfinder.... most have tiny little bars that stray to the left of right of center.... the meter shows you if the image will be overexposed or underexposed based on your aperture/shutter selections... you want the meter to be in the center for a correct exposure...

if you meter shows to the left or right you will have to select either a different shutter speed or aperture until the meter reads in the center..


Use the virtual camera on site listed below..... in fact absorb most of that site.... it will really help get you started....

http://www.camerasinteractive.com/home.php