A full stop of exposure compensation?!

Vertigo

Vertigo

Vertigo

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Joined
28 Dec 2003
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Ok as a 7D owner of several years, I'm well accustomed to the ETTR methodology and usually dial in 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop of positive exposure compensation.

Today I was at a show at the NEC, taking shots indoors without flash using the 5D3. I found that, on average, I needed a full stop of positive exposure compensation to get shots properly exposed. Even after this, I found some shots still needed a bit of a boost in LR!

Is this normal? I'm aware that exposure compensation can sometimes be a bit counter-intuitive in that the camera will underexpose a bright scene as it averages to mid-grey, i.e. the way you need to dial in compensation when shooting snowy scenes or white dresses etc. Is this what was happening here?
 
What iso were you shooting at and with what lens?

I usually up the iso, within reason, before heading for the exposure comp button.
 
Varying - was using auto ISO.

Not sure what ISO has to do with exposure compensation anyway - upping the ISO will merly drop the shutter speed (if in Av) or widen the aperture (if in Tv). If in full manual then raising ISO without adjusting shutter speed or aperture is effectively the same thing as dialing in exposure compensation, i.e. deliberately over-exposing the shot compared to the camera's metering.
 
It depends where the light source is, what is the overall 18% grey balance of the scene, what your subject is, how that is lit.

Many many things.
 
Yeah I'm thinking it was a bit of an usual situation. It was a sign industry show so there were an awful lot of lights of varying types and colours which could have caused issues with metering. I'm used to exposing somewhat to the right, just not a full stop most of the time.

I took a few pics outside at a BBQ in natural light the other week and only needed about 1/3 stop compensation which is more what I'm used to.

Oh well, will see how it goes :)
 
Vertigo1 said:
Yeah I'm thinking it was a bit of an usual situation. It was a sign industry show so there were an awful lot of lights of varying types and colours which could have caused issues with metering. I'm used to exposing somewhat to the right, just not a full stop most of the time.

I took a few pics outside at a BBQ in natural light the other week and only needed about 1/3 stop compensation which is more what I'm used to.

Oh well, will see how it goes :)
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Odd lighting can cause havoc with metering, I've found. I mentioned it the other day that a new magenta lighting set up in a gig I covered had a really odd effect on the image. I've covered a few bands in the same event in the past and depending on the colours of lighting firing at the time, the exposure varied a hell of a lot. I gave up trying to compensate for it and just correct it in post now. It is quite annoying, especially if you're trying to get as much as possible right before you even get to processing the images though. More so if you plan on batch processing.
 
Just out of interest how does the camera use Exposure compensation.

I mean when we dial in say an extra stop what happens in camera.
 
mattyg said:
Just out of interest how does the camera use Exposure compensation.

I mean when we dial in say an extra stop what happens in camera.
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Alters your shutter speed to let in more or less light. At ISO 100 on my 50D it's rare I use less than 2/3rds of a stop ETTR.
 
dannyjo22 said:
Alters your shutter speed to let in more or less light. At ISO 100 on my 50D it's rare I use less than 2/3rds of a stop ETTR.
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Another one if I may.

Whats the benefit over just slowing the shutter speed manually then. Or is that what one would do in Manual but on Shutter priority or aperture it would effect another setting to compensate so wouldn't actually alter the final exposure.

So its more of a Auto overide
 
mattyg said:
Another one if I may.

Whats the benefit over just slowing the shutter speed manually then. Or is that what one would do in Manual but on Shutter priority or aperture it would effect another setting to compensate so wouldn't actually alter the final exposure.

So its more of a Auto overide
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Yup.
 
Why cant manuals explain these things in stoopid speak. I understand it now.

I knew what it did but not how/why.

I might use it now..lol
 
Yeah, in any mode other than manual, the camera is basically trying to balance the three sides of the triangle - shutter speed, aperture & ISO - to obtain the "correct" exposure. All compensation does is effectively move the target the metering is aiming at.
 
I've noticed a similar thing with my mkiii when using spot metering with a very dark object. It doesn't seem to actually spot meter on the target as I'd expect, instead sampling some of the outside area, still creating a silhouette.
 
Isn't the spot metering on the 5D3 only linked to the centre point? Just in case you were using outer AF points.
 
Rojin said:
Isn't the spot metering on the 5D3 only linked to the centre point? Just in case you were using outer AF points.
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I didn't know that if true, which would explain my very dodgy exposure! Serves me right for not looking at the manual, but that is a bit poor though! :(
 
James J said:
I didn't know that if true, which would explain my very dodgy exposure! Serves me right for not looking at the manual, but that is a bit poor though! :(
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I only learned that a few weeks ago here. Kind of shocking if you ask me since even the most basic entry level Nikon DSLR since the D70 have had spot metering on the focus points (all the D3x00 models and up have proper spot metering).
 
In evaluative metering I think you can set it to bias towards the active AF point?

Canon only do it with 1D series bodies, although as I use back button focusing on the 7D it's not too much of an issue, unless I forget! :D
 
With Nikon all DSLr have a matrix metering which is like the Canon evaluative metering where t whole scene is examined but exposure is weighted towards the selected focus point They all have true spot metering, and all have a fairly useless center weighted metering) basically spot metering but only off the center point regardless of selected focus point).

I'm pretty sure my Olympus epm-2 also has spot metering.


I don't use spot metering much, matrix works well with a little EC in tricky situations but when I do need Spot metering it is a god send!
 
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