Exposure Compensation

Or..... EV+/-


This is Exposure Value plus or minus
Darker or lighter
How to make the resulting image look like it has been exposed to less or more light.


Your camera has a meter that measures the amount of light entering the lens.
However, it can be quite easily fooled by extreme lighting conditions, subject brightness range (something dark against something light or vice versa) and getting what, to the camera, is a 'correct' exposure', might not be what you want as a photographer.

Don't let your camera tell you how bright the picture should be!

Try using the exposure compensation button. Some cameras will allow you to do this on Auto, some on 'P' or program setting, or on one of the 'mode' settings. Have a look for 'EV comp' in your manual if you have one.

look for this button...

You will need to hold it down while you either scroll with one of the wheels on your camera or press up/down or left/right arrow buttons, depending on your camera.

It will have an effect on the meter, like this....

Use it in situations when you have unwanted silhouettes or too-bright highlights with no detail.






You can see from the chart below how the image is affected, along with the shutterspeed and aperture if you are interested in that sort of thing.







Just remember to put the exposure back to normal afterwards!


The diagrams are from here, here and here check the links out for more info :)