Heron and Egret

[zulu42]

preventing it being biased by darker zones in the frame.

Wait, no. That isn't what Exposure Compensation does. At all. That's a fair description for spot metering.

Space Face posted a correct link. EC does nothing at all to your image in full manual. Twirl the EC dial all day and get the same exposures.

I think you were trying to point out the blown whites in the original image. EC might be a solution in an auto mode like auto ISO.

 

[NS: Nikon Shooter]

Typically, all my cameras are configured with these starting values:
CH + Man. + matrix + 1/1000 s + ƒ8 + Auto ISO + Auto WB + BBF
+ Single point AF.

SS, aperture and EV may be freely and quickly tweaked on the fly.
When cards go back in the cameras, all starting values are set back
to starting setup.

A situation with a white bird in a green scene may require a negative
EV. On the contrary, a person in a snowy scene needs a positive EV.

 

[zulu42]

OP is shooting in manual. EV won't work.

-

I only work in full M and my gear supports EV all the time.

Typically, all my cameras are configured with these starting values:
CH + Man. + matrix + 1/1000 s + ƒ8 + Auto ISO + Auto WB + BBF
+ Single point AF.

You shoot with Auto ISO. EV will work. That's where the confusion started.

 

[jeffashman]

What does exposure compensation do in manual mode? Just adjust the meter reading?

According to my docs, it applies a + and a - to the picture, and you have three to choose from, but I could be misreading that. It's a setting in the menu that lets me set it up to +/- 3. Unfortunatly, it doesn't remember the setting after powering off, so I have to remember to set it each time.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=exposure+compensation+in+manual+mode&source=hp&ei=XGxHYZP3Nc6GjLsPt6qk0AI&iflsig=ALs-wAMAAAAAYUd6bKAhJD_B1VgXDfZ0CgofrAvj87il&oq=exposure+compensation+in+manual+mode&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOggIABDqAhCPAToICC4Q6gIQjwFQmRNYmRNg_BpoAXAAeACAAUyIAUySAQExmAEAoAECoAEBsAEK&sclient=gws-wiz

I use auto-ISO even in manual mode, so that is one thing I have still automated. I've added that site to my list of resources, along with Digital Photography School.

 

[zulu42]

I tend to forget that auto ISO can be implemented in "manual" mode. I don't get along with auto ISO, especially when birding. My personal preference is to set the exposure for the brightness of the subject (bird), then leave it alone as the background changes. I like to spot meter, and that makes auto ISO unreliable unless I can keep the bird perfectly centered.