exposure compensation dial on Mamiya 7

[daniel_murphy1]

I have a question about exposure compensation on the Mamiya 7. I guess it could

apply to any film camera. On a digital, you can dial in exposure compensation

and the camera can apply some gain to adjust. With a film camera, how does it

adjust exposure when you've set an aperture and shutter speed? For example, on

my Mamiya 7, I have the lens at 4.5, the shutter speed at 1/60th, and the EVC

at -2. With 800ASA film. What would that EVC setting make the camera do? I

don't really use EVC, so I don't know much about it.

[david_henderson]

I put this on a similar thread last month which had created some debate.

 

"I think there is confusion here between the effect of exposure compensation on the meter reading and the effect on the exposure.

 

On a Mamiya 7II the exposure compensation dial affects the meter reading. If a scene with no compensation meters at f11 and 1/30 and you apply a +2 stop compensation, then either in manual or auto mode the reading goes to 1/8. In manual mode it will also show the shutter speed set, but that's not relevent here.

 

Now, if I have the camera set to auto I'm letting the meter determine the exposure. Therefore the meter reading sets the exposure, and the reading may be taking into account a compensation. Indirectly this means that any compensation set helps establish the exposure because it is used by the meter. See it as a chain- Compensation affects meter which determines exposure.

 

On the other hand if you set exposure manually you are voting not to let the meter set the exposure. You have to do it yourself. The camera will use any speed/aperture combination you make, right or wrong. If you meter and apply a compensation the camera will advise you what to set, after the compensation. But it won't set it on the camera it for you because the meter is not determining the exposure used, you are. Sounds fair enough for a manual mode, yes?

 

So who's right? Well anyone who sets a compensation in manual mode then takes a meter reading and assumes that the setting recommended by the meter doesn't take into account the compensation is going to get a surprise. More obviously, anyone who sets the camera to manual, takes a reading and assumes that the camera will set that reading is going to get a surprise. And anyone that sets the camera to manual with a compensation, takes a reading and then works out what the setting should have been without the compensation (because the compensation doesn't work in manual, right?) is just downright perverse!"

[daniel_murphy1]

Thanks, it will be interesting to see the film. I like things manual, but so simple that EVC wouldn't even matter to me. Just film speed, aperture, shutter for exposure. I played with it today, but it will likely stay at 0 from now on.

[mervyn_yan]

Exposure compensation is a relative in relation to the Semi-Auto setting, if you set in manual mode, it doesn't matter.