A full stop of exposure compensation?!

[Vertigo]

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?

 

[Vertigo]

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.

 

[Vertigo]

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

 

[Vertigo]

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.