amount of exposure compensation on 5D?

[Eyesthruthelens]

Hi,
I read in some treads that KM users are setting the exposure compensation to + setting by default.. I don't think it's a good idea to do that (unless it's due to lighting issues..) as this will reduce the detail of the photos..

Here are some shots with 0, +0.3 and +0.7 EV... again taken in the morning.
with no exposure compensation..


+0.3


0.7

[Eyesthruthelens]

No exposure compensation..


+0.3


+0.7

[Drudkh]

it is up to you. not every camera needs compensation. i need compensation only when i use honeycomb indoor or under shade.

[Eyesthruthelens]

No compensation.. big lighting contrast btw foreground and background..


Edited with Picasa.. with lighting filled.

[tao]

with the 5D, you already seem to lose detail, ie. almost blown highlights when you do +0.7.

suggest you leave it as it is or use max +0.3 and then postprocess.

of course, depends on the lighting condition.

[Agetan]

First thing first,

You don't have to dial in compensation unless you need to...

Your first picture is good enough (in terms of exposure)... why compensate? If you adding more exposure (dial in +) on your camera, you basically shift the exposure up and those area that correctly expose will become overexpose (hence lost highlight detail).

With Digital camera, the Dynamic range is very very short, hence, you need to choose what you want to keep in terms details. Forget about extreme exposure.... Digicam can't handle it (YET!!!!).

If you want to keep highlight, Midtone and Shadow, you need to take 3 frames using exposure for Highlight, Midtone and Shadow (put on tripod of course) then merge them in Photoshop. This is the only way to create extended dynamic range without using grad filter.

in short, you dial in compensation only if you have to... and dial in + compensation won't result in lost of details (if the shot still correctly expose).

Regards,

Hart

Originally Posted by Eyesthruthelens Hi, I read in some treads that KM users are setting the exposure compensation to + setting by default.. I don't think it's a good idea to do that (unless it's due to lighting issues..) as this will reduce the detail of the photos.. Here are some shots with 0, +0.3 and +0.7 EV... again taken in the morning. with no exposure compensation.. +0.3 0.7

[AncientMariner]

Noticed all your photos were using center weighted metering.
Did you try with multi-segment or spot?

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

i got something i don't understand, are you using P mode with compensation or A or S?

notice that your shots, the vehicles are kind of sharp, yet dark, maybe its shutter priority... or P mode. care to share your exif data?

[sulhan]

Hiee Pals...

This Issue of losing detials thingy...well...how do i persoanlly solve the problem? Well, in the last gathering i have shared with the dream tem on the use of graduated ND filters to balanced out the exposure while minimising the loss of detailed on areas that would have been blown out.

Compensation of the exposure is needed in some scenes when there are "close to white areas that are large - like snow shots etc - but in the examples above, the HDB flats and the skies are actually "bright" and hence the overall exposure if one is to use average metering or honeycomb may result in underexposed areas like on the road portion.

If I was at the scene, i would have bumped up the exposure for the road to be properly exposed (in this case probabaly EX+ anywhere from 0.3~1.0). This then will of course blow up the upper portion and loose the detailes of the HDB flats and also the sky/cloud. Therefore, i will use a graduated nseutral density filter to "sunshade" the top.

Yes, for some ppl they use the "two-exposure-and-merge-in-Photoshop-later" well thats another technique in quite often used in digital but for my personal preference, i prefer getting the image straight on exposure first time round - hehehe....lazy to PS...

Well.....one other way to get an even exposure without too great a "SBR" - subject brightness range" is to wait and take the same shot at another time of the day - where different lighting condition will then "allow" better dynamic range with not too much skewed on highlights or skewed on shadows...

So....one needs to know the basis of the metering process to help him/her......so EV compensation is one of the extension of the metering to help the phootographer who is actually "reading the scene"

Have fun...

rgds,
sulhan

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Originally Posted by sulhan Hiee Pals... This Issue of losing detials thingy...well...how do i persoanlly solve the problem? Well, in the last gathering i have shared with the dream tem on the use of graduated ND filters to balanced out the exposure while minimising the loss of detailed on areas that would have been blown out. Compensation of the exposure is needed in some scenes when there are "close to white areas that are large - like snow shots etc - but in the examples above, the HDB flats and the skies are actually "bright" and hence the overall exposure if one is to use average metering or honeycomb may result in underexposed areas like on the road portion. If I was at the scene, i would have bumped up the exposure for the road to be properly exposed (in this case probabaly EX+ anywhere from 0.3~1.0). This then will of course blow up the upper portion and loose the detailes of the HDB flats and also the sky/cloud. Therefore, i will use a graduated nseutral density filter to "sunshade" the top. Yes, for some ppl they use the "two-exposure-and-merge-in-Photoshop-later" well thats another technique in quite often used in digital but for my personal preference, i prefer getting the image straight on exposure first time round - hehehe....lazy to PS... Well.....one other way to get an even exposure without too great a "SBR" - subject brightness range" is to wait and take the same shot at another time of the day - where different lighting condition will then "allow" better dynamic range with not too much skewed on highlights or skewed on shadows... So....one needs to know the basis of the metering process to help him/her......so EV compensation is one of the extension of the metering to help the phootographer who is actually "reading the scene" Have fun... rgds, sulhan

think ND filters bring the overall picture down 1 stop or more, depending on the ND filter you use. Ya, its used for bright day shot without wanting to use high speed shutter or close down aperture. but i think in this top bright bottom dark kinda pics, i think using a circular polariser is better?

[sulhan]

Originally Posted by Del_CtrlnoAlt think ND filters bring the overall picture down 1 stop or more, depending on the ND filter you use. Ya, its used for bright day shot without wanting to use high speed shutter or close down aperture. but i think in this top bright bottom dark kinda pics, i think using a circular polariser is better?

Hiee bro...

I'm actually referring to a ND Grad - Graduated ND filters... Here is an example of using ND grad to balance exposure.



Sun position is right above within cloud at the top edge of frame. The Cirrus clouds caused the bottom of the lighthouse to be darkened. SO i need to bump up the EV to about 1, to get the lighthouse bottom retails out. While doing that, i actually "everexposed" the cloud areas on the top edge of photo. Therefore need to use a 1 stop ND grad to still get back the cirrus clouds detail....

In this example, i want to avoid total silhoutte of the boats in the photo. What ever metering in this case, will cause the boat to be in total sihoutte, so i had to intentionally bump up the exposure by +0.5EV and use the same ND Grad filter to still maintain the sky details and also the sunrise.



Maybe if a NDgrad were to be used...thsi image may have turned out like this...


I realised that in your pics, there are little yellow flowers in the foreground...
which has potential to color up the scene....


rgds,
sulhan

[Drudkh]

Originally Posted by Del_CtrlnoAlt think ND filters bring the overall picture down 1 stop or more, depending on the ND filter you use. Ya, its used for bright day shot without wanting to use high speed shutter or close down aperture. but i think in this top bright bottom dark kinda pics, i think using a circular polariser is better?

ND filter will bring the entire frame's exposure down, but Sulhan mentioned "Grad ND" which is only half of the filter has the ND coating.

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Originally Posted by Drudkh ND filter will bring the entire frame's exposure down, but Sulhan mentioned "Grad ND" which is only half of the filter has the ND coating.

its square filter issit... Cokin? i thought Cir-Pol better...

[Eyesthruthelens]

Originally Posted by AncientMariner Noticed all your photos were using center weighted metering. Did you try with multi-segment or spot?

By default, the camera setting is mutisegment.. but I realised that the exposure is very bad if I use multisegment setting.. I think weighted metering gives better/more accurate exposure..

[Eyesthruthelens]

Originally Posted by Del_CtrlnoAlt i got something i don't understand, are you using P mode with compensation or A or S? notice that your shots, the vehicles are kind of sharp, yet dark, maybe its shutter priority... or P mode. care to share your exif data?

I'm using Aperture priority mode..

[Eyesthruthelens]

Guys..
Thanks for the feedback.. really appreciate that.. as I'm new in DSLR.. seem like everyone is facing the problem.. and the camera alone is not able to solve all the exposure problems..

Frankly, before this, I thought getting a DSLR, I can have all the manual settings on the camera itself to solve all these problems..

[Drudkh]

Originally Posted by Del_CtrlnoAlt its square filter issit... Cokin? i thought Cir-Pol better...

cirpol only gives you 1/3 to half stop the most. daytime, you'll probably need at least 1 stop depending on scene and where's the sun. there's square filters and also screw on front lens thread too if i'm not wrong.

[sulhan]

Originally Posted by Drudkh cirpol only gives you 1/3 to half stop the most. daytime, you'll probably need at least 1 stop depending on scene and where's the sun. there's square filters and also screw on front lens thread too if i'm not wrong.

Hiee Pals...

For enhancing blueish skies, ppl normally use Circular-polarisers(for AF system) or Polarisers(MF). This also have different level of effectiveness at different sun position with respect to the shooter. Best if the sun is facing the shooters's sides (where the shooter points out to the left/ right / and the top).

The Cokin Square filter that i have been using does not have similar effect as the circular polariser. It basically cuts the light like a sunglasses...Cokin also comes with a slotted rotatable polariser for thir slot in system - i do have one.

rgds,
sulhan

[zcf]

Sulhan, how much is this square Graduated ND filters you show us during the outing? Can it be handheld in front of the lens while taking photo?

[sulhan]

Originally Posted by zcf Sulhan, how much is this square Graduated ND filters you show us during the outing? Can it be handheld in front of the lens while taking photo?

Hie...

Haha...i do that often too....for quick fix for corner tonings.....Well better to use it with the holder though.

The Filter is about $20~25 i think....There are 2 sizes - P and A (Professional and Amature)
The larger one is the P size that can be used for lens with larger elements like 77mm etc...

rgds,
sulhan