Is changing shutter speed, aperture, or ISO the same as using exposure compensation?
Asked 3/16/2013
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Does adjusting shutter speed, aperture, or ISO to make an image brighter or darker do the same thing as dialing in positive or negative exposure compensation? How does this differ in manual mode versus auto or semi-auto modes?
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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If you are using an automatic exposure mode (e.g. Program mode, Aperture or Shutter-priority) then dialing in +/- exposure compensation tells the metering system to adjust the exposure up or down. Otherwise it will always attempt to produce the same exposure for the same scene.
If you are in Manual mode, then you accomplish the same thing by simply adjusting ISO, shutter speed or aperture. The camera isn't automating the exposure, so you don't have to tell it to adjust - you have complete control, and the camera will ignore any EC setting.
So if you have the camera set to some combination of ISO, aperture and shutter speed, then dialling in EC will not have any effect on those settings in M mode - they will still apply and you'll get the same exposure (there is at least one exception - on some Nikons, if you have Auto ISO enabled then dialling in EC will adjust ISO, which will affect your exposure)
Dialling in EC may affect the exposure indicator in the viewfinder (on a Nikon anyway).
An example - let's say you're taking your sunset photos.
Camera is set to ISO 200, f/5.6 and 1/125th second. Looking through the viewfinder, the exposure meter indicator is zeroed out. You take a picture. It's well exposed, but you want it a bit darker to get better color.
In manual mode, you change the aperture to f/8. The meter now displays that you are underexposing. You take the picture anyway, and it looks good.
Still in manual mode, you change the exposure compensation down a stop. Now the meter is zeroed again. However this won't affect the exposure, just the display in the viewfinder. Take another picture, it will still be f/8, 1/125th, ISO 200, same as last time, so same exposure.
Because the indicator in your viewfinder is zeroed out, and you have the amount of underexposure you want, as it gets darker, you can use the indicator (keep the meter zeroed) to adjust your aperture.
So EC can be used indirectly to help you maintain a constant amount of compensation, but it does not directly affect the exposure in Manual mode.
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Not exactly. Exposure compensation (EC) and changing shutter speed, aperture, or ISO can lead to a brighter or darker image, but they are not the same control.
In auto and semi-auto modes like Program, Aperture Priority, or Shutter Priority, exposure compensation tells the camera’s meter to aim for a brighter or darker result than its normal metered exposure. The camera then changes the exposure settings for you.
In Manual mode, you set shutter speed, aperture, and ISO yourself. To brighten or darken the image, you directly change one or more of those settings. On most cameras, the EC dial has no effect in full Manual mode because the camera is not choosing the exposure for you.
So:
- Auto/semi-auto modes: EC shifts the camera’s chosen exposure.
- Manual mode: you make that shift yourself with shutter speed, aperture, or ISO.
Also, “underexposed” and “overexposed” usually describe the result relative to what you wanted, not the method used to get there.
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