Where to look when the camera tells you your exposure settings are correct?

haycyn · 05-15-2013, 06:27 AM

I am reading the book "Understanding Photography, Field Guide" by Bryan Peterson. He says lots of things but one thing I want to check on...
While teaching to get the right exposure in manual mode- he says to adjust shutter and aperture etc- camera will tell you it's balanced? Is that the little beep sound I hear? Or is that when the bar is balanced?

TIA.

Oh shooting w a K5.

RBellavance · 05-15-2013, 06:33 AM

It's the EV bar at the bottom of the viewfinder.

Ken T · 05-15-2013, 06:34 AM

Check the EV bar, the dot should be right at the middle .

haycyn · 05-15-2013, 06:45 AM

Ok thanks!
That's what I had been relying on and pictures seemed good until I put on computer and highlight correction said I had lots of "blown" areas. I'm not overtly concerned, the pictures were what I wanted. But I wanted to be sure of how I got them

hope that makes sense.

Ken T · 05-15-2013, 06:58 AM

Then you need to learn about metering to know which mode is better to use when.

nomadkng · 05-15-2013, 07:57 AM

but don't trust the EV bar completely, get close take a picture and check your histogram.

I ALWAYS shoot to my histogram, with the EV bar as only a starting point.

Another poster on this forum also brought up the ability to set the Raw button to digital preview which gives you your histogram w/o taking a picture.

I just found this out a week ago so haven't had a chance to implement it, but it sounds like a great feature

**Lowell Goudge** · 05-15-2013, 10:25 PM

When shooting in manual, I use spot metering, and check the exposure of several parts of the image, before deciding on final settings. You have to remember that the camera has a dynamic range of about 11 stops but really has only full resolution of 6-7 stops in the middle. Highlights and shadows have less resolution, therefore the issues of noise in shadows or highlights when you try to recover badly exposed shots or shadow detail.

Scan the scene first decide what you want to be "neutral" and what you want blown out in highlight detail. It is OK to blow things out, you don't always need to see a full histogram in the scene.

**Kerrowdown** · 05-16-2013, 09:41 AM

Often exposure settings is a compromise, because the dynamic range of some scenes is just so large.

Our on own eyes are far better at it than our cameras.

05-15-2013, 06:27 AM	#1
haycyn Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 73	Where to look when the camera tells you your exposure settings are correct? I am reading the book "Understanding Photography, Field Guide" by Bryan Peterson. He says lots of things but one thing I want to check on... While teaching to get the right exposure in manual mode- he says to adjust shutter and aperture etc- camera will tell you it's balanced? Is that the little beep sound I hear? Or is that when the bar is balanced? TIA. Oh shooting w a K5.

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05-15-2013, 06:33 AM	#2
RBellavance Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Near Montréal, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,716	It's the EV bar at the bottom of the viewfinder.

05-15-2013, 06:34 AM	#3
Ken T Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: California, USA Posts: 536	Check the EV bar, the dot should be right at the middle .

05-15-2013, 06:45 AM	#4
haycyn Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 73 Original Poster	Ok thanks! That's what I had been relying on and pictures seemed good until I put on computer and highlight correction said I had lots of "blown" areas. I'm not overtly concerned, the pictures were what I wanted. But I wanted to be sure of how I got them hope that makes sense.

05-15-2013, 06:58 AM	#5
Ken T Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: California, USA Posts: 536	Then you need to learn about metering to know which mode is better to use when.

05-15-2013, 07:57 AM	#6
nomadkng Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,448	but don't trust the EV bar completely, get close take a picture and check your histogram. I ALWAYS shoot to my histogram, with the EV bar as only a starting point. Another poster on this forum also brought up the ability to set the Raw button to digital preview which gives you your histogram w/o taking a picture. I just found this out a week ago so haven't had a chance to implement it, but it sounds like a great feature

05-15-2013, 10:25 PM	#7
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	When shooting in manual, I use spot metering, and check the exposure of several parts of the image, before deciding on final settings. You have to remember that the camera has a dynamic range of about 11 stops but really has only full resolution of 6-7 stops in the middle. Highlights and shadows have less resolution, therefore the issues of noise in shadows or highlights when you try to recover badly exposed shots or shadow detail. Scan the scene first decide what you want to be "neutral" and what you want blown out in highlight detail. It is OK to blow things out, you don't always need to see a full histogram in the scene.

05-16-2013, 09:41 AM	#8
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,864	Often exposure settings is a compromise, because the dynamic range of some scenes is just so large. Our on own eyes are far better at it than our cameras.