Exposure compensation ... I'm confused

[wfooshee]

That's just with compacts, which is why they're so slow when you trip the shutter.....

 

[AlanKlein82 21]

1. So it changes the ISO if in Manual? Yes No
2. Changes the shutter if in Aperture priority? Yes No
3. Changes the aperture if in Shutter priority? Yes No
4. And change what if in Auto? ___________?

 

[wfooshee]

No
Yes
Yes
Depends on how it feels

 

[Alexr25]

1. So it changes the ISO if in Manual? Yes No
2. Changes the shutter if in Aperture priority? Yes No
3. Changes the aperture if in Shutter priority? Yes No
4. And change what if in Auto? ___________?

1. Yes if Auto ISO on, No if Auto ISO off.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. ISO, shutter, aperture.

 

[wfooshee]

I didn't consider auto-ISO on the first question because I never use auto-ISO, but it indeed does adjust it.

Exposure compensation also adjusts the meter display when in Manual mode, so while it can't change your settings when you're in manual mode, it WILL change what it shows you in the viewfinder's metering display.

And the "depends on how it feels" for #4 was basically the same answer. It adjusts them all, but you have no way of knowing when or by how much, or with what preference.

 

[Tailgunner]

1. So it changes the ISO if in Manual? Yes No
2. Changes the shutter if in Aperture priority? Yes No
3. Changes the aperture if in Shutter priority? Yes No
4. And change what if in Auto? ___________?

1. Yes if Auto ISO on, No if Auto ISO off.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. ISO, shutter, aperture.

I didn't wasn't aware of it changing anything in Aperture & Shutter priority. Learn something new all the time. I generally only adjust exposure compensation in Manual mode. But here lately I've been using it while shooting our son's basketball games in Shutter Priority. The lighting is real flakey sometimes causing over and under exposure. So I adjust it a little with exposure comp as needed. Anyhow, I'll keep this in mind in the future.

Thanks

 

[Bebulamar]

I generally only adjust exposure compensation in Manual mode

Generally one would use the exposure compensation in one of the auto mode (P, A or S). Only with the introduction of the Auto ISO feature does exposure compensation in Manual mode make any sense.
In the beginning all cameras were manual only and there was no exposure compensation control. After automatic exposure control was introduced and when the meter didn't indicate what the photographer liked he/she would have to turn to manual mode to override the meter. The exposure compensation control was introduced so that exposure can be altered from the one indicated by the meter without having to switch to manual mode.
The exposure compensation control increases or decreases the exposure by changing either the aperture or shutter speed or both depending which auto mode is in use. It doesn't do anything in manual mode. It doesn't do anything in manual mode until the Auto ISO feature was introduced and thus in manual mode now the exposure compensation can control the exposure by changing the ISO if the Auto ISO feature is enabled.

 

[bribrius]

I actually never understood the point of it, barely ever have used it. If it is going to change your settings anyway then why not just put them there to start with? And I usually shot manual with the limiter on even floating the iso. so I can crank up the exposure comp as much as I want it is on the limit it wont change the iso anyway. wont do anything. I can use it to underexpose and drop the iso but only until I hit the bottom. And if I am dialed in at 200 Iso and adjust ec up it just brought me to 400 iso or some such thing. never really made much sense to me, to be honest. so I use ec, screw my settings, re adjust my settings so basically just made using the ec at all null and void. I have used it on occasion but more from ease and when I really didn't care about my settings that much. This don't matter anyway shoot raw and adjust your exposure in post..

 

[bribrius]

1. So it changes the ISO if in Manual? Yes No
2. Changes the shutter if in Aperture priority? Yes No
3. Changes the aperture if in Shutter priority? Yes No
4. And change what if in Auto? ___________?

1. Yes if Auto ISO on, No if Auto ISO off.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. ISO, shutter, aperture.

I didn't wasn't aware of it changing anything in Aperture & Shutter priority. Learn something new all the time. I generally only adjust exposure compensation in Manual mode. But here lately I've been using it while shooting our son's basketball games in Shutter Priority. The lighting is real flakey sometimes causing over and under exposure. So I adjust it a little with exposure comp as needed. Anyhow, I'll keep this in mind in the future.

Thanks

what I am trying to comprehend is "exposure compensation for flash" I get background compensation, obviously foreground has flash. what I don't get is the "entire frame" option. Maybe that is just for use with off camera lighting?

 

[soufiej]

On my D3200 (Nikon_) there's a button on top with a + and a -. This is the exposure compensation button correct?

In order to compensate the exposure though you either have to change the aperture or the exposure speed correct?

For example, when I hold down the exposure comp. button and use the wheel on back of my D3200 I change the shutter speed.

I thought though that the exposure compensation button change the gain of the sensor?

confused.

snapsnap, I'm totally new to the forum but I see in your few posts a desire to have absolutes given to you on the forum. That makes you no different than most beginning photographers over the last 60 years and even a few seasoned hobbyists when they encounter a new camera. It's been eight years since I last purchased a camera and I am gobsmacked by the number of features camera manufacturers are asking the user to wade through in their affordable line of products. By making the camera supposedly more fool proof, IMO, they have literally made the cameras less user friendly. It's little wonder why most people consider their smart phone's camera the better option in most cases. Take a shot with your phone and fix it in your computer. Do it all while your coffee maker spits out a cappuccino in less than a minute. Quantity of BS features has replaced simple quality. Most of these "features" need to be turned off IMO and the new photographer needs to learn just the basics of how to take a good photo. You need control over the camera, not the other way around. The most amazing thing, I think, is the shop where most people will buy these cameras employs people who don't know a d*mn thing about what they're selling. They might have good intentions but the store won't give them the support to assist a client even if the "photographic advisor" wishes to do so.

Looking at this post and then your request for a "best" field guide leads me to think you simply don't fully comprehend how your camera works. You've purchased a product which has the capacity to turn out some very nice photos but you've not invested in a simple and straight forward plan to get you to the point of actually using the camera. And while there are tutorials on the forum and plenty more on the web, you have to think of each photographic situation as somewhat unique against all the other possible situations. Further, without images to observe which accompany your posts, it becomes very difficult to give you good advice that will actually move you forward in this hobby.



First, did you buy your camera from a good, independent dealer? Or, a big box? Or, online? If the former, they want you to be happy and they want your continued business. If the latter two, ... well, you're pretty much just a data point in their monthly sales figures. Still, that independent dealer is counting on your business. They understand the desire of the big box buyer to not throw away their money and they would prefer you come to them for your future needs, That includes your continued desire to take photos. To that end, most independents will have classes aimed at the beginning photographer who has just the questions I see you asking on this forum. Normally, a one day class with run in the range of $50-60 dollars and will probably get you out of class with at least a few decent shots and a far better understanding of how your camera can be used to work for you, not against you. Coming out of such a class you should have a better working knowledge of what can be called "practical theory" for photographers. This means you get the basic concepts of photography and not all the extraneous discussions which are applicable to only certain situations with certain cameras. I would strongly suggest you look for one of these classes and make plans to attend. It's the rare student photographer who comes out of these classes with less ability to take good shots.

Otherwise, I think your best bet is to take photos with a plan. A good lesson plan is one that builds this week's course work on past week's course work. A good lesson plan begins with the basics. You seem to be all over the place with your questions and that's not a very good plan for learning how to get the image in your mind to the image on your print. I would very strongly suggest you simplify your use of your camera at this point. You need to understand more fully what each control and each change will alter in your final product. There are innumerable duplicates in control functions with today's cameras and trying to use just the one that matters to your situation can be confusing.

IMO, you would be best served by taking one situation (say, bright daylight) with one subject (one that is stationary and not affected by the wind, ideally one which you can move around) and work with your camera in that very simple situation. Take only those things which repeatedly alter your final product; aperture, shutter and ISO and pick just one to work with today. Ignore programs like toy camera and Sepia tones, they don't concern how to take a decent photo. Shoot with your camera at its lowest setting of, say, aperture then kick up the f-stop by a number and shoot again. Work your way through each of the three values and each possible setting with just that one subject. Then sit down and look at what you've turned out. Make your cheat sheets about what changes in the image when you change one value. CHANGE ONLY ONE VALUE AT ANY ONE TIME. It's the only way to learn each control. Only after you have a clear grasp on what, say, aperture changes alone do to your final product should you move on to changing two values. Understand these values are complementary and changing one typically requires a change in another. But stay with only one change for now to point up what changes when you only have one value difference. You should eventually see the relationship between these three most basic values. At that point, should you decide to use exposure compensation, you'll have a better idea of the results you can achieve.

IMO, you really need to understand your camera and what it offers in terms of user control. Take a class. If you take a class, take a lot of notes but don't hog the time. Work with your camera changing only one value. Study the results and think how these changes can work for you. As I mentioned in the other thread, look at other photographer's work and see if you can reverse engineer how the photo was shot.

You don't want to be in a situation where you are being spoon fed information constantly. The only way I know for any photographer to get away from that level of skill is to know your camera rather thoroughly and what it can and will do in a variety of situations. For now, you need to begin with the most common situations a photographer finds - bright daylight - and work only in that mode until you can say you really know your camera. Skip around to every bright and shiny thing that attracts you at this time and you're likely to never understand the basics.

 

[wfooshee]

I actually never understood the point of it, barely ever have used it. If it is going to change your settings anyway then why not just put them there to start with? And I usually shot manual with the limiter on even floating the iso. so I can crank up the exposure comp as much as I want it is on the limit it wont change the iso anyway. wont do anything. I can use it to underexpose and drop the iso but only until I hit the bottom. And if I am dialed in at 200 Iso and adjust ec up it just brought me to 400 iso or some such thing. never really made much sense to me, to be honest. so I use ec, screw my settings, re adjust my settings so basically just made using the ec at all null and void. I have used it on occasion but more from ease and when I really didn't care about my settings that much. This don't matter anyway shoot raw and adjust your exposure in post..

You say you don't understand the point of EC, then go on to list how the modes you shoot in that make EC irrelevant. Fine. But if I'm shooting an airshow which will generally be hugely backlit by bright sky, and I want a fast shutter, I'll shoot in shutter-priority auto. Why not manual at the speed I want, with the aperture I've determined? Because some of the stuff is to my right, and some is to my left, and the light is different each direction. There may also be the occasional cloud over the sun. So I shoot shutter-priority with a stop or so of overexposure so my subject aircraft aren't shadows and silhouettes. I'm getting metered exposures up to 7 times a second, and they're correctly metered because I've compensated for backlighting.

If you NEED the meter but something in your frame makes the meter see things wrong, then you need EC, simple as that.

 

[pgriz]

If you're shooting something whitish, and you point your camera meter at it, the camera will give you an exposure that will render the white object a medium grey tone. But you know it is white. So you have to tell the camera, using the exposure compensation, that, no, the reading should be maybe 1-3 stops longer, so that the object is actually rendered white. Same process if you're shooting a dark or black object, except in reverse. So by knowing what the object "should" look like, you direct the camera exposure accordingly.

 

[bribrius]

I actually never understood the point of it, barely ever have used it. If it is going to change your settings anyway then why not just put them there to start with? And I usually shot manual with the limiter on even floating the iso. so I can crank up the exposure comp as much as I want it is on the limit it wont change the iso anyway. wont do anything. I can use it to underexpose and drop the iso but only until I hit the bottom. And if I am dialed in at 200 Iso and adjust ec up it just brought me to 400 iso or some such thing. never really made much sense to me, to be honest. so I use ec, screw my settings, re adjust my settings so basically just made using the ec at all null and void. I have used it on occasion but more from ease and when I really didn't care about my settings that much. This don't matter anyway shoot raw and adjust your exposure in post..

You say you don't understand the point of EC, then go on to list how the modes you shoot in that make EC irrelevant. Fine. But if I'm shooting an airshow which will generally be hugely backlit by bright sky, and I want a fast shutter, I'll shoot in shutter-priority auto. Why not manual at the speed I want, with the aperture I've determined? Because some of the stuff is to my right, and some is to my left, and the light is different each direction. There may also be the occasional cloud over the sun. So I shoot shutter-priority with a stop or so of overexposure so my subject aircraft aren't shadows and silhouettes. I'm getting metered exposures up to 7 times a second, and they're correctly metered because I've compensated for backlighting.

If you NEED the meter but something in your frame makes the meter see things wrong, then you need EC, simple as that.

i guess i really just dont use it that much. shot a airshow over the summer in manual. If i shot in shutter it would just mean i had to play with the ec too and wouldnt be able to control the ap. Not to say it is better or worse just what i am use to is manual. sometimes i should be using something else.. Times i have used ec are similiar to what you describe but on a few landscape shots. Most time i have used it is indoors. kids birthday party, shooting from a dark section to a light one, that kind of thing. Dont normally use it though. Maybe i should? Air show i shot i was actualy more worried about ap than shutter. changed shutter a few times for propeller movment shots but a lot of it was panning. i wasnt sitting that far off the run way but as they come in and land or are on the other end getting ready for takeoff the ap changes dramatically. Actual shutter speed didnt really change much. Used the shutter speed more to control the light (real bright) than anything. Lots of panning. i shoot down here at the airport sometimes too. you would think with planes going so fast it would be a shutter type of shoot but backed a little way off the runway they really arent moving THAT fast in take off or landing. so mostly panning shots. The low flys you are already pointing your camera up (you know toward the sun) so have your ss cranked up anyway there is a pretty good chance it will stop their movement between that and panning. And real bright out the ss is already stopping them near dead so they cant get much more stopped. Least for me. i think the ones i took with the sun behind them i did a shadow recovery on in post. Lot of them i just threw out i took like a hundred i had extras.

 

[wfooshee]

If you're shooting manual, you ARE compensating for the exposure, based on your knowledge of the situation and your experience. Camera EC doesn't make any sense there.

If you're shooting metered auto-exposure and the exposure isn't right, and in the situation is consistently incorrect, EC is an easy way to fix it and still shoot how you're comfortable shooting. It's a tool like anything else on the camera.

 

[bribrius]

If you're shooting manual, you ARE compensating for the exposure, based on your knowledge of the situation and your experience. Camera EC doesn't make any sense there.

If you're shooting metered auto-exposure and the exposure isn't right, and in the situation is consistently incorrect, EC is an easy way to fix it and still shoot how you're comfortable shooting. It's a tool like anything else on the camera.

yeah i dont know anything about that. if in ap or shutter i will play with it sometimes. on one camera it is push the top button and move the dial. goes up five to make it brighter or down five to make it darker. on another camera it is push the button and a little line pops up on the viewfinder or screen. move the dial one way the line goes one way, move it the other it goes the other way. it gets lighter one way darker the other kind of a no brainer. what i pay more attention to than that usually is if i am in the matrix setting the in between setting or the little dot setting. Matrix seem to work the best all around but if i really want to make sure my subject is all set the little dot setting works wonders.