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Basic Photography
To cancel exposure compensation, choose a value of ±0. In and
modes, exposure compensation will be reset to ±0 when the camera is
turned off or the mode dial is turned to another setting.
Exposure Compensation
To obtain the desired results with certain compositions (for example, when
large areas of the frame are very bright, very dark, or contain areas of high
contrast), it may be necessary to alter exposure from the value suggested by
the camera. This can be done using exposure compensation.
Exposure compensation can be set to values between –2.0 EV (underexpo-
sure) and +2.0 EV (overexposure) in increments of
1
3 EV. To choose a value for
exposure compensation, press the button and rotate the command dial:
Compensation displayed in moni-
tor at values other than ±0. Check
image in monitor before shoot-
ing.
Choosing a Value for Exposure Compensation
As a rule of thumb, select positive values when large areas of the frame are very bright-
ly lit (for example, when photographing an expanse of sunlit water, sand, or snow)
or when the background is much brighter than the main subject. Choose negative
values when large areas of the frame are very dark (for example, when photographing
a forest of dark green leaves) or when the background is much darker than the main
subject. This is because the camera, in order to avoid extreme under- or over-exposure,
tends to lower exposure when the frame is very bright and raise exposure when the
frame is very dark, which can make naturally bright subjects look dim and naturally
dark subjects appear over-bright, or “washed out.”