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5D3: No exposure compensation in manual mode.

MLS
Apprentice

 

I emailed Canon regarding lack of exposure compensation in manual mode on the 5D3.  They sent me the reply below.  Hoping for a firmware update to correct this issue.  If anyone else has an issue with this, please consider letting Canon know your position.  I find this seriously limits the camera's usefulness to me as a bird photographer.  

 

"Thank you for contacting Canon product support regarding your EOS 5D Mark III. I understand you are interested in exposure compensation when shooting in manual mode. I am happy to assist you.

You are correct that this model does not have exposure compensation in manual mode. This is something that I can submit to our engineers for consideration and may be incorporated in a future firmware release. Please note that decisions to include a particular camera feature are made by our engineers and product designers in Japan, based on a number of factors. Consumer demand, technological limitations, and customer feedback are all taken in to consideration."

23 REPLIES 23

Peter
Authority
Authority

My 6D, 7D and 1000D have exposure compensation indicatore in M-mode. Is it really not there in 5DIII?

TTMartin
Authority
Authority

@MLS wrote:

 

I emailed Canon regarding lack of exposure compensation in manual mode on the 5D3.  They sent me the reply below.  Hoping for a firmware update to correct this issue.  If anyone else has an issue with this, please consider letting Canon know your position.  I find this seriously limits the camera's usefulness to me as a bird photographer.  

 

"Thank you for contacting Canon product support regarding your EOS 5D Mark III. I understand you are interested in exposure compensation when shooting in manual mode. I am happy to assist you.

You are correct that this model does not have exposure compensation in manual mode. This is something that I can submit to our engineers for consideration and may be incorporated in a future firmware release. Please note that decisions to include a particular camera feature are made by our engineers and product designers in Japan, based on a number of factors. Consumer demand, technological limitations, and customer feedback are all taken in to consideration."


I assume you mean exposure compensation in Manual with Auto ISO. 

 

With my 7D, I just don't worry about it, using evaluative metering which links to the active AF point, I find exposure is close enough that there is enough exposure latatude even with the classic 7D. I just shoot RAW and lift the exposure as needed during post processing.

I've read this complaint before & simply don't understand the idea. In Manual mode you control the shutter speed with one wheel & the aperture with the other dial. If you need to add a bit more light you roll one of those dials to do it either by using a bit wider aperture or slower shutter speed OR the reverse of that for less exposure. What else do you need to do & what are you going to use to do it? Both wheels are already assigned to their respective duties. 

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

This is where I do the face-palm.

 

The point of manual mode... is not to have the camera "automatically" changing the exposure for you.

 

If you'd like to dial in exposure compensation... just change your f-stop, shutter speed, or ISO.

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

"I've read this complaint before & simply don't understand the idea."   What?  Smiley Frustrated

 

I am with the two above posts!  Why?  Move the dial.  Yoy moved it to where it is move it again and "compensate".

 

"The point of manual mode... is not to have the camera "automatically" changing the exposure for you."

 

Correct.

EB
EOS 1D, EOS 1D MK IIn, EOS 1D MK III, EOS 1Ds MK III, EOS 1D MK IV and EOS 1DX and many lenses.

With Av you can set a fixed aperture. With Tv you can set a fixed Shutter speed. But in many situation, especially for bird and wildlife photography, you may want a fixed aperture AND shutter speed. So you put it on Manual. But light may change rapidly, and so you want the camera to do all the calculation for you so you use AUTO ISO. This way, you can have everything fixed accept for ISO. But without Compesantion, in some situation (against light/dark background for example) the camera will give incorrect exposure. Thus, there is a need for exposure compensation in Manual mode when using Auto ISO.

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Weekend Travelers Blog | Eastern Sierra Fall Color Guide

And just how do you propose the compensation be done? Im manual mode the TV, Av & ISO are being set, even in Auto ISO the camera adjusts the ISO as the lighting changes to match what the camera thinks will be a "good" exposure for the Av & Tv selected. You would need to fine tune the metering on the fly for a faked reading to tell the Auto ISO not to use the setting it suggests but a new value. How many more dials are you going to add to the camera & where are you going to put them to make these changes on the fly. I'd rather deal with this while processing the RAW file so I can concentrate on getting the shot.

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

hehe, I don't use it. I don't even use AutoISO. I don't have a need for it. But I was wondering the same thing and it was explained to me why [they] need it. So I just relay it back hehe. I agree with you, but I guess people are not happy unless it is truly point and shoot.

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Weekend Travelers Blog | Eastern Sierra Fall Color Guide

Some would find EC in manual mode useful. I for one would like to see this in the 5D3 and 6D.  It's in the 1DX, guess that's one expensive point&shoot. 

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