Can you use exposure compensation with Auto ISO in Manual mode on a Canon EOS 550D?
Asked 6/8/2013
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On a Canon EOS 550D / Rebel T2i, is it possible to apply exposure compensation while shooting in Manual mode with Auto ISO enabled? I wanted to lock aperture and shutter speed for a time-lapse, let ISO adjust automatically as light changed, and bias the result darker because the camera was exposing too brightly.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Most Canon DSLRs do not allow Exposure Compensation in Manual Exposure Mode. This is the case with your T2i/550D.
There are several things you can try to accomplish what you want to do.
- When Auto ISO is turned on it uses information from the camera's light meter to make the decision on what ISO to use. Depending on the scene, using different metering modes may give a darker exposure. (see p. 86 of the Instruction Manual)
- If Auto Lighting Optimizer is enabled, turn it off. ALO will make the picture brighter.(see p. 83 and p. 103 of the Instruction Manual)
- Try setting the maximum ISO to 400. This will likely affect frames with dimmer lighting more than frames with brighter lighting. (p.63)
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No. On the Canon EOS 550D/T2i, exposure compensation is generally not available in Manual exposure mode when Auto ISO is enabled.
If your images are coming out too bright, the practical workarounds mentioned are:
- Change the metering mode, since Auto ISO follows the camera’s meter and a different metering pattern may bias exposure darker.
- Disable Auto Lighting Optimizer if it’s on, because it can brighten images.
- Limit the maximum Auto ISO value, which can help restrain brightness in some situations.
- Check custom functions for any global metering bias/shift option; on some Canon DSLRs this can provide about ±1 stop of effective bias.
For a time-lapse, another option is to manually choose ISO if you need fully predictable exposure behavior, but if lighting is changing unpredictably, Auto ISO with adjusted metering/settings is the closest workaround on this camera.
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