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Adjust exposure compensation in manual mode?

Photography Asked by NimChimpsky on July 15, 2021

The only way to manually adjust exposure compensation is to use either P,A,S or modes, however then of course something else is automated. In full manual mode you can not change exposure compensation ?

Am I mistaken, why is this ? Are other advanced cameras like this ?

6 Answers

This question tells me you should start by understanding exposure first. Start with reading about the Exposure-Triangle. If you understand that, you would not be asking this :)

Briefly, exposure is determined by 3 parameters: ISO, Shutter-Speed and Aperture. When you are in manual mode and set all these, that is it. No further adjust is possible or needed.

When you are in an automatic mode, you adjust 0, 1 or 2 of these three and the camera determines the rest. The point is that there is at least one left. Exposure-Compensation shifts how the camera sets the parameters it controls. If it cannot control anything as in manual mode, there is nothing to shift.

Most mid-range cameras with manual-controls and a single control-dial use this to their advantage where the EC button switches between controlling aperture and shutter-speed in Manual mode. If your camera has dual control-dials, EC either does nothing or shifts the Exposure-Meter which can be used as a guide to set Manual exposure. It does not affect exposure in this case either.

Correct answer by Itai on July 15, 2021

In a general sense, Manual means manual. You do all of the work.

There are a few cameras that feature an "automatic manual" mode, in which you set the aperture and the shutter speed and the camera varies the ISO to suit. That's a new thing, and not quite the same thing as "full manual mode".

When you vary the exposure compensation on most cameras in manual mode, the only thing that changes is the meter indication. You have to change one of either the aperture, shutter speed or ISO yourself. You're in control, and you get to (or have to, if you find it a chore) decide which of the three elements controlling the exposure you want to adjust. Putting the camera in manual mode is telling it that you know what you're doing (which may or may not correspond at all to what the meter is reading). If you are using the camera's meter, then you can use the difference in reading between "normal" and "exposure compensated" readings to inform your decision.

But if the camera went ahead and overrode any of your settings without explicit permission, it wouldn't be manual mode, would it? How would it know which to adjust? If you were in aperture priority mode (A or Av), it knows that it's allowed to jigger with the shutter speed (until it hits any limit you may have set). If you're in shutter priority (S or Tv), it's allowed to vary the aperture (until it runs out of aperture). In "automatic manual" (each implementation has its own branded name), it's free to play with only the ISO. But in manual, what is it supposed to do?

Answered by user2719 on July 15, 2021

If you're using manual mode with a Nikon DSLR (and assuming that ISO is set to a fixed value) then it is still possible, oddly, to use EC in Manual Mode. Doing so biases the lightmeter by +/- N stops, and changes the recommended shutter and aperture speeds that are displayed in the viewfinder. It biases the exposure meter as a way for you to readjust that to the "desired" setting, according to the EC you "set". But being in manual mode you have to change the aperture or shutter speeds manually anyway. It's better just to "bias" the exposure by changing the aperture and/or the shutter speed in the normal way, since using EC has the inconvenience that you might forget you set it.

Answered by nev on July 15, 2021

On my friend's Nikon D5600 he showed me that the EC needle/pointer can move without changing ISO, Exposure time or Aperture. I explained that on my Canon this is not possible, further more, this may be an oversight from Nikon as without the Aperture/ISO/Exposure time changing the resultant exposure cannot be altered.

He took 3 pictures using the same exposure parameters (aperture, exposure time and ISO). Exposure 1 at 0eV Exposure 2 at -3 eV Exposure 3 at +3 eV

The image review showed Exposure 1 as properly exposed Exposure 2 as under exposed Exposure 3 as over exposed

The Aperture/ISO and exposure time were identical in all 3 shots.

It is as if the camera performs exposure compensation after the image is recorded....sort of post processing in camera.

Answered by Debashis Ghosh on July 15, 2021

In Full Manual Mode.... exposure compensation (EC) is compensating for a cameras AUTO setting. S, A, P all have SOMETHING the camera is auto compensating for such as Shutter, Aperture. BUT if you are in manual mode and your camera has an auto ISO option like on a Nikon D500, then the camera is auto compensating for the ISO and you can use EC. Since the camera is controlling the ISO your EC will adjust the ISO.

Answered by Eric on July 15, 2021

I am using a Nikon DS5600. To change exposure compensation in Manual Mode you have to set the compensation amount in the quick menu (i) because the EC button +/- near the shutter release is held down to adjust Aperture while in Manual. I just looked at a YouTube video by Steve Perry who shows why he uses this. He often shoots in Manual Mode with Auto ISO. This allows him to set Shutter speed and Aperture allowing control of motion and depth of field and the ISO is set by the camera up to a maximum that he sets such as 3200. An example where he set exposure compensation is taking a photo of a black bear by under exposing it by 1 to 1.5 stops to maintain more detail. https://youtu.be/mFLxYMLsv8I He points out that this generally works on Nikon but you will have to see if you can do it on Canon or other makes.
I can confirm that exposure compensation does work in Manual Mode on my Nikon.

Answered by Damien on July 15, 2021

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