Another extremely useful camera feature to master is the Exposure Compensation – sometimes expressed as (Ev). This features allows for quick exposure adjustments to an image that is just slightly too light, dark, or with shadows or highlights that are too extreme.
Exposure Compensation allows the user to fine tune the exposure without changing ISO, Shutter Speed or Aperture; and there are plenty of times when a photographer does not want to change those settings.Remember that in every shooting mode except Manual, the camera is calculating [at least] a portion of the exposure. (REFER TO MODES CHART). In many situations the user has accurately selected the Priority Setting (e.g. Aperture when in Av Shooting Mode), but when trying to obtain a better image by changing the adjustment, the resulting image is not desired. This especially happens in landscape and Portrait situations. Exposure Compensation allows for exposure adjustment without having to keep adjusting the Priority Setting.
In the original image of this house for sale, the snowbank was too bright (not showing any detail – more so than the far-right image) though the rest of the image was good. By using exposure compensation, the user can incrementally adjust the exposure (in 1/3 increments) without having to change the ISO, Shutter Speed, or Aperture. The scale on the Exposure Compensation (Ev) typically ranges from – 2 stops (darker) to + 2 Stops (lighter). By using Exposure Compensation, the end image result was achieved without having to change settings.
USE EXPOSURE COMPENSATION WHEN YOU
- do not want to change Primary Exposure Settings (ISO, Aperture, Shutter)
- changing primary exposure settings results in undesired outcome
- need subtle adjustments to the image
- are at the extremes of lighting situations & cannot adjust primary setting further