Understanding Exposure?

Blackbelt94 · Jul 22, 2008

hi i was wondering if anyone can help me, i just picked up a copy of understanding exposure and i love it but the one thing it keeps on refering to is it says "when the camera shows proper exposure" you achieved a proper exposure. i dont understand it's aying the camera will tell me when i got the right shutter speed /aperture so that i can take a proper exposure, anyone can help what does it mean? does the camera display something when i got the right combination if it helps i have a nikon d40.

Big Mike · Jul 22, 2008

He might be referring to the 'needle' on the 'scale'. In auto modes, it's always on the -0- unless you have set some exposure compensation.
When in manual mode, you need to adjust the settings until the 'needle' gets to the -0-...that is what I assume he means by 'correct exposure'.

lockwood81 · Jul 22, 2008

If you are shooting manual....then set the F stop to what you want or the shutter speed to what you want.

Then you will need to change the other one..F stop or shutter speed, depending on which one you've choosen as the one you want to stay static.

Change the other till this meter is in the zero place [------0------]

Expample.

I want a large DOF so I choose F/16 for the landscape shot. Then I will turn my shutter speed till it reads "0" on my meter...

or

I want to freeze action so I choose shutter speed 1/500 now I change my F stop till the metter reads "0"

Hope this helps.

Blackbelt94 · Jul 22, 2008

so the needle has to be dead center for it to be a "correct exposure"?

reg · Jul 22, 2008

Based on what the camera thinks, and based on your metering type, and what you're pointing the camera at and what the lighting situation is and blah blah blah blah... but the short answer is generally "yes".

|)\/8 · Jul 22, 2008

reg said:
Based on what the camera thinks, and based on your metering type, and what you're pointing the camera at and what the lighting situation is and blah blah blah blah... but the short answer is generally "yes".

The key is "Based on what the camera thinks." If you are shooting a bride in a white wedding gown in the snow, you will see that the camera can be very wrong.

Here are a couple of tricks that also come from the author of your book, Bryan Peterson:

When you are outside shooting you can meter off the green grass. Adjust the camera in manual until the camera tells you your exposure is correct (for the green grass), now subtract 2/3 of a stop of what your meter reading is. You can also do the same with the palm of your hand as long as it is in the same light as your subject. When using the palm of your hand you must add 1 stop for proper exposure. So:

green grass (same light as subject) -2/3

palm (same light as subject) +1

I hope this makes sense to you. Bottom line is the camera lies (sometimes) and that is why you want to learn to shoot in manual.