I am a bit confused, and I am sure many of you can clear up my confusion very quickly. I have noticed posts that indicate the image was taken using a manual exposure and yet the post also includes a value for Exposure Compensation. Here is an example of what I mean:
1/1200 sec
f/5.6
Mode: Manual
Metering: Spot
Exp comp: +2/3
ISO: 500
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
My question is, if an image is taken in manual mode how can you use Exposure Compensation. The exposure you set is the exposure you set if you are setting the apature, shutter speed, and ISO manually, correct? Or does this mean that you set the manual exposure to overexpose the image by +2/3 of a stop? I just want to make sure I am correctly interpreting the techs people post with their images and also posting my techs correctly, so people understand what I am doing. Thanks for any help.
In manual mode, if you set the exposure comp to +2/3, then the meter will show "0" when you select the aperture/shutterspeed that will overexpose by +2/3.
OK, I thought about this some more and why would you want to use EC when in manual mode? Why would you not just set your manual exposure to be +2/3 if that is what you wanted? I use EC all the time when shooting Av mode, but just do not understand why you would use it when in Manual mode. My 50D will not even let me use EC when in manual mode, only Auto Bracketing. That makes sense to me. At least I cannot figure out how to use it when in Manual mode. I guess this is just showing my inexperience as a photographer. Live and learn I guess.
I almost always use manual exposure and I always have an exposure compensation set. I could achieve the same exposures by leaving the compensation set to zero, but it makes me feel centered and peaceful to have middle tone in the middle of my meter.
My meter is a little off, or Nikon has decided that it is better to err on the side of underexposure, either way, I need to bump my compensation up +2/3 stops to suit me.
OK, I guess I understand that if your camera's meter is off and you are consistently underexopsing when you should have the exposure correct then keeping +2/3 EC or whatever you need makes sense. I will have have to figure this out for my camera. Thanks.
Incidently, I didn't go out and meter a gray card, I looked at the histogram for what I consider middle tone subject, actually, several subjects in different light, etc. So, maybe my meter is right on, but my brain is miscalibrated. In either case, I want to be able to make what I think is middle tone record as a centered histogram. Now, out of curiosity more than anything else, I'm going to dig out a real gray card and see if I'm crazy or the camera is....
In any case, I don't think my camera (Oly E-520) lets you set exposure compensation in manual mode either. And when I'm working with the internal meter, if I know it always under-exposes for my liking (which it does a lot because I want to use ETTR) I can just lengthen the shutter or open the aperture so that the meter shows +1. I guess it's just a little different way of working, since you won't be using the meter to acheive a "0" exposure.
In manual mode, I don't think you would technically call it 'exposure compensation'. You would simply be saying that you are overexposing the metered reading by +2/3 stops. I'm sure that's what the individual means when they say +2/3 EC. ...but really, it's just semantics.
The manual for the D300 says this:
In exposure mode M, only the exposure information shown in the electronic analog exposure display is affected; shutter speed and aperture do not change.
Discussion
8 replies1/1200 sec
f/5.6
Mode: Manual
Metering: Spot
Exp comp: +2/3
ISO: 500
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
My question is, if an image is taken in manual mode how can you use Exposure Compensation. The exposure you set is the exposure you set if you are setting the apature, shutter speed, and ISO manually, correct? Or does this mean that you set the manual exposure to overexpose the image by +2/3 of a stop? I just want to make sure I am correctly interpreting the techs people post with their images and also posting my techs correctly, so people understand what I am doing. Thanks for any help.
My meter is a little off, or Nikon has decided that it is better to err on the side of underexposure, either way, I need to bump my compensation up +2/3 stops to suit me.
Pete D.
Pete D.
In any case, I don't think my camera (Oly E-520) lets you set exposure compensation in manual mode either. And when I'm working with the internal meter, if I know it always under-exposes for my liking (which it does a lot because I want to use ETTR) I can just lengthen the shutter or open the aperture so that the meter shows +1. I guess it's just a little different way of working, since you won't be using the meter to acheive a "0" exposure.
In exposure mode M, only the exposure information shown in the electronic analog exposure display is affected; shutter speed and aperture do not change.