Why doesn’t the +/- exposure compensation button change brightness in Manual mode on a Nikon D5600?
Asked 6/8/2018
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On my Nikon D5600, when I’m in Manual mode and press the +/- button near the shutter while turning the dial, the exposure indicator changes, but the actual photo brightness stays the same. The EXIF/data also shows the exposure value I set. However, if I change exposure-related settings from the info screen, the resulting image brightness does change. Why does the dedicated +/- button not seem to affect exposure in Manual mode?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
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I don't know that Nikon, but usually in manual mode the exposure meter is "display only", showing the exposure you get with the current parameters.
For the exposure to actually be an input, you would need to be on one of the "less manual" settings, where the camera is responsible for computing some of the values. For canons that would be Av/Tv, where you set the aperture and the camera finds the exposition time to achieve that exposure; or you set the exposition time and the camera sets the aperture.
Originally by user71159. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user71159
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
In Manual mode, the +/- button is generally not applying exposure compensation the way it does in semi-auto modes. Exposure compensation is meant to bias the camera’s automatic metering, so it matters when the camera is choosing shutter speed, aperture, or ISO for you.
In Manual, image brightness is determined by the actual exposure settings: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. The meter display is mainly showing how your chosen manual settings compare to the camera’s metered “correct” exposure. If you change the meter bias, the indicator moves, but the photo won’t get brighter or darker unless one of those actual exposure settings changes.
One important exception: if Auto ISO is enabled, the camera may still change ISO to maintain brightness, which can make it seem like your adjustment had no effect.
So the behavior you’re seeing is expected:
- In Manual mode, change shutter speed, aperture, or ISO to change brightness.
- Use exposure compensation mainly in modes where the camera controls part of the exposure.
- Check whether Auto ISO is on, because it can keep brightness similar even when other settings change.
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