When should I raise ISO vs use exposure compensation on a Nikon D7100?
Asked 6/21/2016
3 views
2 answers
0
I’m using a Nikon D7100 with a 35mm lens in low indoor light. At ISO 1000, the exposure looked correct but I saw noticeable grain/noise and felt some detail was lost. Then I tried ISO 400 with +3 EV exposure compensation and thought the detail looked better.
I’m confused about when to increase ISO and when to use exposure compensation. If exposure compensation gives a better-looking result, should I use that instead of raising ISO? Also, on my camera the meter doesn’t seem to show much difference when I change EV compensation. How should I think about ISO, exposure compensation, shutter speed, and aperture in this situation?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
1
Not a completely technical answer, but if shooting at 1000 iso gives you too much noise in a low light situation, and using an exposure compensation of +3 with iso 400 works better, who can argue with that? It may be camera specific, but if your camera responds better with that combination, then I say use it! There's nothing right or wrong here; your results are what counts. Using exposure compensation on my camera does indeed change the exposure on the meter; either the aperture or shutter speed or iso (based on the mode) changes in order to achieve the desired exposure compensation. It is likely that yours does, too.
Originally by user53135. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user53135
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Exposure compensation does not replace ISO. It tells the camera to make the image brighter or darker by changing one of the actual exposure settings available in the current mode: shutter speed, aperture, or sometimes ISO.
So if ISO 400 and +3 EV looked better than ISO 1000, the camera probably achieved that by using a slower shutter speed, a wider aperture, or both. The lower ISO reduced noise, but the tradeoff may be blur from camera shake or subject movement, or less depth of field.
General rule: keep ISO as low as you can, but only as long as you can still get the shutter speed and aperture you need. Raise ISO when you cannot open the aperture more and cannot afford a slower shutter speed.
Use exposure compensation when the camera’s meter is choosing the wrong brightness for the scene, not as a substitute for ISO.
On your D7100, changing EV compensation should affect the meter/selected settings depending on the exposure mode. In aperture priority it usually changes shutter speed; in shutter priority it usually changes aperture; in manual mode it may only shift the meter scale unless auto ISO is enabled.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI10y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How does exposure compensation change shutter speed, aperture, or ISO?
How should I use exposure compensation for low-light or night portraits on a Nikon DSLR?
What does exposure compensation actually change, and is it the same as changing ISO?
On a Nikon D5300, how can you tell when exposure compensation is set beyond the meter's ±2 scale?
Why do photos look less sharp at f/2.8 than at f/10 on my Nikon D5000 with a Tokina 11-16mm?