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While working my way through the Foundations Course Section 2, I came across the seemingly confusing topic of Exposure Compensation (EV). Although it seemed rather fundamental about “what” EV did, the confusing part was “how” it worked. Now, after reading another source of info, I have come up with a very simple understanding: When in Aperture Priority, EV merely adjusts shutter speed. Likewise, when in the Shutter Speed Priority, EV merely adjusts aperture. If that’s true, why don’t people just say that? If it’s not true, or if I’ve oversimplified it, please let me know. Comments welcome.
When in Aperture Priority, EV merely adjusts shutter speed. Likewise, when in the Shutter Speed Priority, EV merely adjusts aperture. If that’s true, why don’t people just say that? If it’s not true, or if I’ve oversimplified it, please let me know. Comments welcome.
That is all true, but not quite the whole truth. 🙂 Just curious, does your source tell you what EV does when you’re in P “program” Mode?
This question is very similar to your question that I answered here:
https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/relating-iso-aperture-speed/The word I used in my reply there was “stop”, but I think you could replace the word “stop” with EV, and the meaning would not change. So if you want to overexpose your picture by 1 stop, you just set your exposure compensation to +1 EV, and your camera will automatically adjust any of the 3 components of the exposure triangle to suitably overexpose by the amount you specified.
Basically, the way I understand it is this: Exposure Value is the “normal” value, what the camera thinks is the correct exposure. If you think it’s not correct and you want to make it a little darker, you tell the camera to compensate with a negative EV. (-1 or -1/2 EV, or whatever, where EV in this case actually refers to “stops”.) The two words are so closely related that they’re hard to separate. 🙂
I’m glad you understand that concept better now! Sorry it wasn’t explained well enough to make it click the first time in the Foundations course. 🙂 I’ll have to read through that section again and make some tweaks. I’m always learning new things and new ways to approaching things. (There was once a time when I explained the difference between full frame and APS-C sensors TOTALLY WRONG…..it was simply because I didn’t understand it correctly first myself. Embarrassing, yeah. 🙂 And sometimes I wonder if I’m explaining other things totally wrong too, so it’s always great to have input from other photographers)
So yeah, photography really is so simple once it’s understood! It’s explaining it that’s the greatest challenge in the world. 🙂
Here’s another way of explaining Exposure Compensation, if it’s of any help:
https://www.lenspiration.com/video/exposure-compensation/
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