Exposure Compensation: Manual Control For Automatic Modes

Exposure Compensation: Manual Control For Automatic Modes

"No collection without compensation." - Jeff Rich

     "What??? A manual control for my automatic mode?!" Yes, I know, it doesn't make any sense. But after you've read a little further, it will make perfect sense and you auto-people will be glad you read this. It essentially gives you a very basic control over exposure when shooting in any of the semi-automatic modes: Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or Program. But first, let's go over some basic stuff about making an exposure. 

      A photograph is made using 3 different methods of light capture at the same time: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO speed. The aperture controls how much light enters the camera at one given moment. The shutter speed controls how much time passes while light is entering the camera, and the ISO speed is a measure of how sensitive to light the film or digital sensor is. In manual mode, you have the responsibility to control each one so that it works in harmony with the other two and provides you with a properly exposed photo.

     When you're using the camera in an automatic mode, like Shutter Priority for example, you set the shutter speed to a desired amount and the camera changes the aperture and ISO speed accordingly to achieve a proper exposure based on what the light meter sees (which also involves the metering mode you've selected). In most normal environments, and aside from setting the shutter speed to a very fast or very slow setting, the resulting image will be no different than if you set the camera to full auto. So what if you're in Shutter Priority, and the camera does it's calculations and you end up with a picture that's too bright? If you increase the shutter speed, the camera will automatically compensate by choosing a larger aperture or higher ISO speed, and you'll get the same exposure again.

The "Av +/-" button on a Canon T5i

     Well, this is where exposure compensation can save the day. If your using a Canon camera, and it's not of professional grade, you'll likely have an "Av +/-" button on the back somewhere near where your right hand thumb sits. While in one of the automatic shooting modes, press this button (and hold it down) and turn the wheel with your right index finger. You should see the little bar on the light meter inside the view finder change position. It will go up to let you know that the camera is "seeing" more light, and down when it "sees" less light. The scale will show from -2 up to +2, and this is telling you by how many stops the light is changing. So, if your image is too bright, press the "Av +/-" button and turn the wheel to the left to lower the exposure. On pro grade camera like the 5D models, you would instead just turn the rear wheel without pressing any buttons first. 

     I wish there was more to say about exposure compensation, but it's a pretty simple in theory and in practice! If you normally shoot in one of the semi-automatic modes, this will be something you use a lot. If you always shoot in manual, well... you know.

     Hey thanks for reading guys, I do hope you've learned something. If you like my little blog project, please share it with your friends and click the little social media icons below the articles. It would mean a lot! If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below!