Light Meter and Exposures


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winzee

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Apr 17, 2008
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Hey guys

my light meter says overexposure (Positive)
Why is it that i have to adjust my EV Compensation positive?

Shouldn't i adjust my EV Compensation -ve since my light meter shows an overexposure to compensate it?

Thanks!!
 

Yeah. thats right. what camera are you using? might make it easier to help you.

If meter says + then you want to increase shutter speed, or use a smaller aperture (larger f number) Or, yeah, - EV compensation.
 

Unless your meter works in a way where its telling you what to do? I.E. Its telling you that you should + because right now its reading under exposure?
 

hey hey

i'm using the D90
 

hey hey

i'm using the D90
Yeah. then the way i described it first.

Read the manual for the camera. It will explain all about exposure, and everythign else. Also infinitely available stuff on the internet, and here on cs. http://www.clubsnap.com/display.php?file=articles/photography101/photography101.html


But yeah, Simply put, The meter tells you wether its gonna over or under expose.

If Its reading an over exposure, close down the aperture, increase shutter speed, or both, to let less light onto the sensor.

Remember, using EV +/- Is just adjusting the meter reading if you are in manual mode, so not much point adjusting it. Better just straight off adjust Shutter speed / aperture.


If you are in either Aperture priority mode (A) or shutter speed priority (S) then it will change the shutter speed / aperture respectively. (although ultimately it is still adjusting the meter)

Hope this makes some sence.

Really though. Read the manual. It should all be there.
 

Yeah. then the way i described it first.

Read the manual for the camera. It will explain all about exposure, and everythign else. Also infinitely available stuff on the internet, and here on cs. http://www.clubsnap.com/display.php?file=articles/photography101/photography101.html


But yeah, Simply put, The meter tells you wether its gonna over or under expose.

If Its reading an over exposure, close down the aperture, increase shutter speed, or both, to let less light onto the sensor.

Remember, using EV +/- Is just adjusting the meter reading if you are in manual mode, so not much point adjusting it. Better just straight off adjust Shutter speed / aperture.


If you are in either Aperture priority mode (A) or shutter speed priority (S) then it will change the shutter speed / aperture respectively. (although ultimately it is still adjusting the meter)

Hope this makes some sence.

Really though. Read the manual. It should all be there.

yeah i read the manual but it is not detailed at all
i'm also understand that exposures are related to ISO, aperture speed and shutter speed...
but why is it that when it shows overexposure, i have to adjust my EV upwards (positive)?

also, when do we use EV?
i prefer to change shutter and aperture to get the correct exposure.. but EV?
 

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any idea? anybody?
 

Are you talking about shooting black or white stuff?


Dialling EV is mostly when you do not want to affect the depth of field (aperture).
 

Seriously, read up about the basics of light in photography, and modern digital cameras. If not, you're just handicapping yourselves.

Ok, knowing that at least 90% of togs today seriously won't bother learning about the most essential bits of photography ...



Your meter says over exp right?

Let's say you're shooting a group of people in white pants and white shirts.

What would the camera do by default (when fed with the info that there's too much light and over-exposing)?

It compensates by UNDER-EXPOSING. And giving you a photo of everyone looking like they have GREY clothing. But that's not right. They're wearing WHITE!

So, by manually dialling in an exposure compensation towards +, you're over-riding the fooled camera meter in the opposite direction, and getting the exposure balanced to give you a photo of people wearing white clothes, instead of grey.
 

ya i agree! compensation should only be done when the shutter and aperture is not able to achieve optimal exposure (norm it will.)

learning the basics and experiment with the settings in different conditions is important of course!
 

Seriously, read up about the basics of light in photography, and modern digital cameras. If not, you're just handicapping yourselves.

Ok, knowing that at least 90% of togs today seriously won't bother learning about the most essential bits of photography ...



Your meter says over exp right?

Let's say you're shooting a group of people in white pants and white shirts.

What would the camera do by default (when fed with the info that there's too much light and over-exposing)?

It compensates by UNDER-EXPOSING. And giving you a photo of everyone looking like they have GREY clothing. But that's not right. They're wearing WHITE!

So, by manually dialling in an exposure compensation towards +, you're over-riding the fooled camera meter in the opposite direction, and getting the exposure balanced to give you a photo of people wearing white clothes, instead of grey.

Thank you.

But seriously, this is a newbie forum and yes 90% do not know about photography.. that is why i am making a point to be in the 10% to ASK questions and learn.

oh yes. i am also reading.. having just purchased all of them.

1) Understanding Exposures by Bryan Peterson
2) Learing to see creatively by Bryan Peterson
3) Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book Vol 1
4) Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book Vol 2
5) HWM's MegaGuide: Digital Photography

I hope that i can qualify to be the 10%.
Some of them have vague explanations and that's why i'm asking to clarify.

So please do not assume that any newbie who asks questions is in that 90%. You may have a high level of photography and there is a large skill/experience discrepancy between you and me/other newbies but please be mindful of that.
Lets try not to be another macuser.sg forum.

Thanks.
 

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ya i agree! compensation should only be done when the shutter and aperture is not able to achieve optimal exposure (norm it will.)

learning the basics and experiment with the settings in different conditions is important of course!

haha thanks!

so aperture/shutter first then if cannot, compensate! got it!
=)
 

Thank you.

But seriously, this is a newbie forum and yes 90% do not know about photography.. that is why i am making a point to be in the 10% to ASK questions and learn.

oh yes. i am also reading.. having just purchased all of them.

1) Understanding Exposures by Bryan Peterson
2) Learing to see creatively by Bryan Peterson
3) Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book Vol 1
4) Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book Vol 2
5) HWM's MegaGuide: Digital Photography

I hope that i can qualify to be the 10%.
Some of them have vague explanations and that's why i'm asking to clarify.

So please do not assume that any newbie who asks questions is in that 90%. You may have a high level of photography and there is a large skill/experience discrepancy between you and me/other newbies but please be mindful of that.
Lets try not to be another macuser.sg forum.

Thanks.


Good on yer! :thumbsup:

Seriously, as you progress, you'll be surprised how many 'eperienced' photographers really do not know the basice. Modern technology has in part robbed us of the need to think.

Not to pursue a point, but I did not specifically say newbies. ;)

Also, you did not make it a point to communicate that you have been reading up. A small, but crucial point. :bsmilie:

I'm not familiar with the forum you mentioned, but I can only guess what you're referring to.

That having been said, I'm a noob with too much time on da hands. :sweat: :bsmilie:

Peace?
 

Good on yer! :thumbsup:

Seriously, as you progress, you'll be surprised how many 'eperienced' photographers really do not know the basice. Modern technology has in part robbed us of the need to think.

Not to pursue a point, but I did not specifically say newbies. ;)

Also, you did not make it a point to communicate that you have been reading up. A small, but crucial point.

I'm not familiar with the forum you mentioned, but I can only guess what you're referring to.

That having been said, I'm a noob with too much time on da hands.

Peace?


haha no worries ;)

i just do not this to degrade to the forum i mentioned where i observed people getting slammed for asking questions.. :nono:

hahaha ;)
=)
 

haha no worries ;)

i just do not this to degrade to the forum i mentioned where i observed people getting slammed for asking questions.. :nono:

hahaha ;)
=)

Welcome to CS. Looking at the number of post you have posted, you will probably know by now the types of people in CS. So... live and let live ;)

Exposure meter will only tell you about the overall exposure of a scene. It does not differentiate between your subject and background. So if the overall scene is bright eg taking photo in bright sunlight esp if light coming from behind the subject then the meter will say over expose because the sum-total of all the brightness is overexpose (even if your subject is underexpose). This will make the camera to automatically reduce the light reaching the sensor by reduce aperture/incr shutter speed (hence subject underexpose with normal exposured background).

You can do
- change aperture BUT affect depth of field
- change shutter speed BUT may be limited by aperture setting and cause blur depending of type of photos
- change EV

How to change EV? Remember if background bright, camera compensate and subject becomes dark. So in order to make subject bright, incr EV. If background dark, camera compensate and subject will be overexpose. So in order to make subject less overexpose, decrease EV.

So remember change of EV is relative to the exposure of subject - incr if subject too dark and decr if subject to bright.

Hope this helps
 

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Another newbie here. Personally I find it a challenge taking photos when the sky is too bright. I always get over exposed skies and under exposed foreground. I guess that's where a GND filter and minusing EV helps?
 

To Winzee,

the basic idea of using EV compensation is to OVER RIGHT the camera meter, be it in A, S, P mode or even Manual mode, do note in A, S, P mode, your camera will act accordingly to what camera meter suggests.

In Manual mode, EV compensation is only affect the camera meter reading, you still need to set your aperture and shutter speed for making an exposure, so some photographer would just using changing the aperture or shutter value to over right what the camera meter suggest.

However, EV compensation is useful in film days, when photographer usually overexpose color negative by one stop, we can set a lower ISO to tell camera meter to overexpose the neg, but it will be easier just to set the EV compensation instead of changing the ISO, since sometime we do use different ISO negative, so setting EV compensation will take same effect to all the negative with different ISO.
 

Another newbie here. Personally I find it a challenge taking photos when the sky is too bright. I always get over exposed skies and under exposed foreground. I guess that's where a GND filter and minusing EV helps?
the exposure range are far too great for the camera sensor to cope, your goal is to bring them closer, yes, using GND is one of the alternative.
 

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