EXPOSURE COMPENSATION DEMYSTIFIED! 

What’s your favorite tip to get the exposure right? I’d love to know! Please share.

“ know when to talk and when to shut your mouth, You’re so moody, always such a fighter, baby open up your mind, and you’ll be just fine”. It’s almost the best part of every video.❤ plus these straightforward easy to understand examples of camera features are so helpful. I can’t even even tell you.

One important thing to note is that EC *does* work in full-manual mode (even without Auto ISO), though perhaps in a different way than some people are used to. Using EC in full-manual mode (FMM) will allow you to offset your in-camera meter by whatever EC you dial in. For example, let's say you meter a scene and set your exposure settings to 1/200, f/7.1, ISO 100, which shows a perfect "0" in your meter (meaning it is balancing image scene to the 18% grey). If you were to now to dial in +2/3 stop of EC, your in-camera meter will now show this scene as being -2/3 dark. You would have to adjust your exposure settings by 2/3-stop to brighten the exposure in order for your meter to read "0" again. In the example above, you could adjust shutter speed to 1/125 (keeping other settings the same), which would now show as being neutral/0 exposure in your meter. This feature is really handy, even in FMM, since it allows the shooter to "offset" the "0" in the meter, allowing for consistent exposure value changes to be made. I do this frequently in sporting events where LVs can change depending on the player location in the field or in situations where I know the meter is reading consistently BUT is still over/underexposing. A good example is when players are wearing white jerseys on a sunny day, where I will take a few test shots and see where the meter is settling at, set my EC to compensate, then I can adjust exposure settings as needed (such as a high shutter speed, large aperture for action shots), while getting consistent EVs.

Your videos are incredible. Concise, explained so simply, structured well and with perfect images to accompany and explain what you're describing. My favourite photography RU-vidr by far I'm learning so much. Keep it up!

It might be self evident for photographers, but when I first started shooting in RAW, it was like entering a magic world where I can just change my mind in the comfort of my home about the brightness of shots already taken. It's so easy to fix pictures that are supposed to be too dark.

As someone who's been taking amateur photos for awhile now but recently invested in better gear and wants to step his game up, your videos have been the absolute best here on RU-vid. Very concise, informative, and easy to digest. You're doing incredible work here and I'm really grateful for that!

…your conversations are like your photos, accurate, clear and always in focus….thank you Simon

This channel is so perfect for learning basic camera stuff without any extra stuff. Basic and simple with the perfect example photos

Love your channel, Simon. Your tips are always helpful & your presentation is straightforward & easy to understand. An excellent photographer & an outstanding teacher are you, Simon. Thank you.😊🙏

I watch lots of photography videos and I think yours are the most useful. Short, easy to understand and loaded with valuable information. Keep it up.

Excellent teacher on all aspects of photography craft and camera tech. Very clear and digestible lessons. Highly recommended.

You are hands down the best informed photographer who conveys information easily and freely. This is my go to channel for photographic mastery, thanks for all your efforts!

As usual, you're always making observations on the most important topics. Thank you very much! 🙏🏽🙏🙏🏿

Binged through probably over 10 episodes of your channel during the past couple days. Your experience really shines through your explanations. You’re doing an amazing job and your videos are really good. Thank you so very much.

Thank you for being so enthusiastic about every subject you teach! (knowledgeable goes without saying)

This is now my go to photo education channel. Absolutely awesome content, delivery and execution. Thankyou.

This was so helpful, Simon. This is the best explaination of exposure compensation and how to use it I've seen. I avoided it because it seemed to complicated for the level I'm at right now, but I've struggled with back lit birds and now I understand why. Thank you so much!

Hands down the best channel about photography.

I am a beginner and hobbyist at photography. I have watched far too many tutorial VDO on youtube to learn but I find your VDOs to be the most educational and useful. THANK YOU (I hope I could make it bigger!). I really learn a lot and your lessons are extremely practical in real life!

It's so obvious when reminded of the basics. I think you do an excellent job, especially educating "the likes of me" to the basics most important to remember or explore in more detail. Nice job.

I found out your channel some days ago, and I have to say that you have such a great way of explaining things. You've made me watch several videos, clicking one after the other, and only mid way through it think "wait, I have X camera or Y problem, this video is not made for me and I still kept watching it because it's very interesting!". Hats off to you, keep up the great work!!

Even so that I have been a photographer for 20 years it's always nice to re hear it all again, and I'll learn something new eatch time. Thank you again 🙏

EC and Auto ISO are my favorite digital controls. Beats spending a week in the lab calibrating new film batches to a handful of light meters and varying minutes of push/pull processing, cool/warm baths, etc.

I'm really excited to start diving into photography, and even though it feels overwhelming at the moment, watching your videos has taught me so much. I've become a new subscriber because of it.

Omgosh, I so love your channel, you make photography less daunting and above all concise! Excellent educator, so glad I have been following you for a while!🍻

Dear Simon, thank you again for a wonderful video. Your explanation is always clear and very helpful. I’m photographing for years, but I see a huge improvement in my photos since I started watching your videos. Keep posting your valuable tips, thank you so much.

I'm so glad I've found you online - your videos are so helpful. Thank you!

Simplest explanation for exposure compensation..!!! Super helpful. Cheers

I never really understood how to work the exposure compensation so I gave up trying. After watching your video, I get it now. Thank you for explaining it in a way I can understand and not assuming I know everything about exposure compensation like all the other videos I've tried to learn from. Can't wait to try it out now. My favorite tip to get the exposure right, up to this point, is using the histogram in camera. I learned that from your videos also. Thanks.

You deserve all the love you get on this channel. All of your tips are extremely helpful and are put into a simple-to-understand format. Thank you for what you do on this channel.

I just wanted to say thank you. I just started out photography as a new hobby, and am lucky enough to start with some decent gear, because my dad lets me use his equipment. I've learned a lot about how his camera works, and am working on improving my photos, so that rather than just taking a photo of an animal, I do my best to make the photo pleasing, by getting to eye level and making a good composition. You do a great job of explaining things to people who know nothing about cameras, such as myself.

Man, you are a Pro's Pro. Your gear list made my day, as did these tips. THANKS! What a great location for a nature photographer.

I wish I knew you earlier. But now that I've found your channel, I'm taking in all you say. Thank you so much.

Great explanation, so simple and so succinct. Well done, thank you. Loved the bonus tip, I will be working on this. I regularly use the compensation dial, but will now try to remember saving the highlights. Again thank you.

Your videos are among the most comprehensive and well produced I’ve found. Thank you

Thanks d'Entremont. I just started taking bird photography this year, and you are my main help :)

Once again, nicely done! I appreciate the concise presentation. I usually set my camera up before I do a walk just to get a general idea of the exposure and I am ready to go. Although that sounds awesome, as you know when you move one way or another, the availability of light changes, that is where trouble begins. But life is not perfect, and neither is the changing light. Thank you once again.

A very enjoyable video, Simon. It's not just in sports that it pays to revisit the basics.

One of your best and most informative videos … thanks. I actually got excited to hold my camera and ‘see’ what I wasn’t aware the camera was doing …

Great video Simon. I think I'll be referring back to this quite often. Can never seem to get this to stick in my head!

Simon, I really wish I knew of your channel when I first got into photography but your explanation of scenarios are amazing. You explain everything in perfect detail. Although I don’t shoot nature you still give excellent advice in general photography.

Simon - thank you so much for all your work on this channel. I have learned a lot from you and feel I am becoming a better photographer because of it. Keep up the fantastic work! You are the best!

As usual, a well-presented survey of a key element of photography -and an illustration of how human intelligence trumps the artificial kind- reinforcing stuff I've learned by stumbling around. Thank You ...

Thanks Simon, this is another great video. I usually underexpose landscape photos, especially when we have to deal with bright skies and harsh light, here in Arizona. And sometimes I resort to bracketing when there is a lot of contrast between bright sky and dark scenery. Recently I started shooting in full manual and it works great for me.

I have a Rebel T3 with the 18-55 mm kit lens because someone gifted it to me. This is all I have and my only learning tool because I'm 100% a beginner. But even without money or resources, I can't thank you enough for all the information you share in your videos because that this is the way Im learning. Thanks!

Nice picture on the news ofmthe northern lights

Thanks for your excellent videos. I’ve been bumbling around with exposure compensation for the bird against sky issue for a while now but the concept finally makes sense to me. Keep the great vids coming!

Excellent again. They just keep coming. Thanks

Definitely good tips. I just started learn about this subject as I've had issues with overcast and getting slightly washed out colors. I primarily do motorsports and have made slight adjustments exposure wise (was always afraid to use that feature) as well slight adjustment to vibrancy. I got home Sunday to go through my photos and they look better with the adjustments than previous years.

Fantastic explanation! Thank you for the clear cut breakdown and explaining the thought process behind your workflow

Your videos are simply amazing... I wish I had access to them years ago. Thanks for all your hard on putting them together. Keep up the good work ❤

Simon, you are a great teacher and know your craft very well. I have been shooting in manual for many years. Three years ago ,I got a EOS R with electronic view finder. I can set my aperture and ISO and use my thumb wheel to change the shutter speed and watch my histogram and the change in the exposure when I change a setting. I could never do this with my old 6D which by the way took amazing images !The EOS R does not have a dedicated exposure compensation button so I basically do the same shooting in full manual.

Simon has, hands down, the best photography instructional videos on the internet.

Wow, such an important topic to discuss! I photographed the kids playing at stadium, and the background was lit uneven at different part if stadium, and I got several shots overexposed whed green trees were in background, and underexposed photos when the background was the white building.

Another great video. You have the ability of providing more meaningful and usable content in 8-1/2 minutes than others who take 30 minutes or more. This is why you have become popular. Thank you! (and I'm going to try that tip programing EC into that top button too!)

I got into photography pretty young and didn’t take any formal lessons. I just learned about the three bases pretty much (ISO, SS, aperture). I primarily shoot in the harsh mid-day lighting because I’m a student and I don’t always have time for the early or late night trips. Embarrassingly, it took me about five years to realize (1) you don’t need to use manual all the time for good photos and (2) exposure compensation makes a world of difference, especially shooting in midday.

I love your videos. Your teachings have helped improve my photography by leaps and bounds.

Thanks again for all the time you invest in these helpful videos. I truly appreciate your work 🙂

You are the first photography that have give me i really good tip for hash midday light using a crop sensor, and i am using for sport photography. Never seen a sport photography talks about that, i guess is because they do not have hash midday light in their countries or they have a really good full frame sensor for sport with good dynamic range. Thanks, always good info in your videos😊

Thank you, Simon! You are always helpful!

Thank you! I literally was having this recently shooting outside and trying to figure out the solution. Perfect timing as always 👏🔥🔥

Thank You sir, I have been subscribe since I first discoverd Your fantastic Video's I always learn a lot, and still learning. Learning about expsoure compensation when shooting Manual which I do 99% of the time has been a major eye opener. That, and paying attention to metering both have greatly improved my keepers in regards to exposure, and Your Video's on Focusing has greatly increased the percentage of My Keepers. Very happy to see this new Video posted. I look forward to each new one. Have a very nice weekend.

Thanks again for your efforts to improve your viewer's photographic proficiencies!

Extraordinary time and value of yours in putting it together to give such a good explanation.thank you

Thanks for yet another excelent video. The last tip is PURE GOLD!

Thanks for the very clear explanation Simon!

Love a video that answers my questions as they pop up. 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾

Simon I just found your channel last week. I already watched all videos available here. Good job my friend 👏

Great, M. d'Entremont, as always. Clear, concise, structured and flowing. We all construct little rituals. One of mine is - eat dinner... clean teeth... get into bed... reset cameras... go to sleep. Amazing how much frustration that has saved me. Have a great day.

Thank you so so much for all your wonderful videos! Your explanations and pictures are so easy to understand. You are an excellent teacher! (And this is coming from a (special education) teacher.) Your photos are gorgeous and your lessons are extremely helpful!

Your videos are always deserving of a like, they are just so very helpful 👍

I’ve been having a difficult time understanding over/under exposure on my Canon T3 and have watched so many videos trying to wrap my head around it. Just had my “ah ha!” Moment watching this-thank you for this!!

All of your videos keep me glued to the end. I’m going to be a self taught photographer by you at this point. Thank you.

Seeing how you uses the compensation dial is indeed enlightening. I definitely know this dial but in reality is I seldom remember I can use it in the field. I guess it's one more thing I should get used to using.

This is exactly what I needed to hear. Your videos are so helpful👌🏼

Thanks for the refresher! I’ll try to lean on auto ISO more and be more conscious of the usefulness of exposure compensation over twiddling time/aperture/ISO constantly! Cheers!

Somutch knowledge in a person that is willing to share it the best way possible, thank you!

The fundamental to grasp about exposure is that cross-lighting outdoors will exceed the dynamic range of the sensor requiring compromise between recording highlight and shadow detail. It is also important to grasp that automatic exposure set by the camera is at best guess based on logical deduction based on the fact that humans tend to notice clipped ( lack of detail) shadows less than they do clipped blown out highlights. One of the reasons I prefer single frame mode instead “spray and pray’ at 15 fps or higher is so I can adjust exposure via EC as needed on a shot-by-shot basic keeping the highlights on subject below the clipping warning This works for me because I mostly shoot static wildlife subjects not birds in flight. For BIF I get better exposure by presetting M exposure based on the highlights on a static subject in similar light. This produces good results because the sun is a very consistent light source. In my early years shooting back in the late 1960s I relied entirely on “Sunny 16” and found it worked quite well. The digital histogram was like a ‘gift from the gods’ to film shooters because it reveals how the contrast of the lighting fits the range of the sensor. You can learn a lot by going out into the yard and putting a gray card on a stand and then drape white and black terry wash rags over it. That target represents the extremes of black and white content in any scene and in a close up will produce very distinct spikes on the far left and right of the histogram which can be used to evaluate exposure and how lighting angles affect scene contrast. The spike in the middle created by the gray card will indicate how the mid-tone values shift when exposure is changed in the highlights and that can also be seen visually in the shaded areas of the white towel. You will want to used a 12% gray card, not 18%, to put the spike in the center when highlights are correctly exposed. The 18% card dates back to when the ASA film speed rating system and the first electronic metes were created. Why 18%? Because that’s what a typical outdoor landscape cross lit by the sun will reflect when composed per the Rule of Thirds with 1/3 sky and 2/3 land in the foreground. In theory if you metered an 18% gray card with a 18% calibrated ASA rated meter it would expose the shadows on negative film with detail. However the 18% baseline for metering changed in 1974 when the ISO system was introduced. I was working as a lab technician at National Geographic at the time which is why I know all this technical minutia. The ISO rating system is based on 12% reflectance value, about 1/3 stop less exposure than what reflects of an 18% card. All digital cameras and any hand held meters using ISO instead of ASA are calibrated to 12% not 18%. This confused most photographers in the early days of digital cameras with histograms with some insisting that centering the spike from an 18% gray card on the histogram was ‘technically correct’ exposure when if the highlights were exposed optimally the spike would be off center because the center of the histogram represents 12% reflectance not 18%. So why does KODAK still sell R-27 - 18% MunSell Gray cards? The insider story I got from Kodak tech reps was that Ansel Adams when learning ISO was changing the metering standard to 12% when to Rochester where the Kodak HQ is located and lobbied its executives to keep the Kodak card at 18% because he had based his Zone System exposure on reading of it. But when film was rated via ISO numbers @ 12% that no longer worked! If you have a set of R-27 Kodak Cards and actually read the instructions for using them you will see a caveat that says meter reading off the card will need to be adjusted by 1/3 stop to obtain correct exposure. Ansel Adams was too vain, stubborn and lazy to accept the change and revise his books according which resulted in a lot of confusion about metering for the Zone System 😂

Simon very well said. Most RU-vid so-called photographers are guilty of spreading false information. I make manual changes in my settings to correct for the camera meters' shortcomings. And by: Subtracting light for a black or darker than 18% grey. Adding light to a white or a lighter than 18% grey. Correcting my cameras automated exposure compensation features. It's a simple matter of taking a guess shooting, then checking your cameras RGB histogram and adding or subtracting more light. And with todays mirrorless R5 a color histogram can be displayed in your viewfinder making this easier than ever. Something no other Camera manufacturers offer, other than Canon

I just can't get enough of these videos

Hello, Simon. I recently discovered your channel and subscribed right away. Your videos are a valuable source of information, presented in a very easy to follow, concise manner. I have learned a lot so far and look forward to continuing to learn with your future content. Take care.

Ah, exposure compensation finally explained! About time! Thanks for demystifying it!

This is why I use centre weighted average, and sometimes bracket my photos if I'm struggling to guess how many stops to adjust the comp. Also, the mirrorless don't always give true exposure settings, such as when you half press to focus it will brighten the scene to help with focusing. A handy feature with M focus macro lenses with x2 magnification where flash is needed.

Thanks for another great video, oh, and I really liked the little bit of humor, it adds!

As always, incredibly helpful! Thank you)

Great advice. I'm definitely going to start using this more.

Brilliant! Thank you for this. It's definitely going to help me tomorrow

Your video’s are priceless. Thank you Sir.

Thank you Sir! Learn a lot watching your videos. Keep the hard work, please

Your explanations are fantastic, now I REALLY want a full frame or crop frame camera. Thank you

Thank you for another excellent video

Another great video Simon. I prefer to shoot in full manual and have been in the habit of underexposing for a while. When arriving on location I take a few test shots and look for blown highlights, then reduce the exposure until 1 to 1.5 stops below the level where it starts to clip. My keeper rate has improved since using this technique. Just need to remember to keep an eye on the meter as the light changes throughout the day!

LOVE this vidéo ,because i am guilty to not think about adjusting compensation when i take picture this help thank you

Hey Simon, another great video filled with great tips! Saw your amazing northern lights show fro Cape Breton (Live a Five -ATV)… you did some scrambling and put your hours and knowledge to the test, “if you never cast your fishing rod into the stream the won’t know what awaits for you!😘🙏

Thank you Simon for another exceptional video. Brilliantly put together, very easy to understand with very practical advice :)

You are, by far, the best photography teacher on RU-vid! Thanks for taking me along!

Others may have mentioned it but I use spot metering especially for birds in a tree or other scenarios. There is still the issue of blown highlights as you expose for the bird and not the surroundings but sometimes I want to make sure the bird is good as that is the main subject.

I haven't watched the video yet, I just wanted to say that your thumbnails are the best

Excellent and informative video as always 👍

Thank You forsharing your knowledge and tips!