exposure metering on canon eos rebel t3i

[robin_vriesman]

<p>Help! I recently purchased my first DSLR -- a canon eos rebel t3i from Costco. I'm not sure of the correct terminology here. . . but the scale for the exposure meter (?) that shows on the LCD screen (and in my viewfinder) isn't doing what I assumed it was supposed to do. It is always marked at the "0" unless I do exposure compensation and change it myself. Isn't it supposed to show me what the camera thinks of the exposure based on its light meter reading? (so that I can then adjust it if it appears that the photo will be over or underexposed -- BEFORE I take the picture?) It's not showing me any information no matter what settings I use on the camera. It just stays at the "0". I'm not sure if what I am saying makes sense because I'm not sure of the terminology . . . But I sure would appreciate any help (since I obviously don't know what I am doing . . . I AM trying though:)<br>

Thanks</p>

[railphotog]

<p>The "0" is the neutral point. Your actual settings should be shown in numbers at the bottom of the screen. Adjust the exposure compensation one way or the other and the "0" will change accordingly, up or down.</p>

[phule]

<p>Answered here:<br>

http://www.photo.net/beginner-photography-questions-forum/00ZdYV</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>The scale is for "compensation" -- that is deviation from the metering the camera system has chosen. It's not used in ordinary shooting unless you've already got a situation where the 'default' exposure is off one way or the other.</p>

<p>The other information in your viewfinder/lcd which is the shutter speed and f/stop combination is the camera telling you what it recommends (or how you have it set, if you're using other than P or automatic) as in 250 8 = 1/250 sec at f/8.<br>

You kick in the compensation only if the picture you get is too dark or too light for what you want.</p>

 

[robin_vriesman]

<p>Thanks for your help!</p>

[Jeff Lear]

<p>I'm guessing that the reason your meter doesn't move is that you're in a program mode rather than a "creative mode" (I think Canon calls them?). In program modes such as "action" or "flower" or even the Green Box of Happiness (I call it), the camera makes <em>all of the decisions</em> regarding exposure based on the mode you've chosen and it will always keep the meter centered on a fixed point, which is "0", by default.<br /><br />Try using Tv, Av, or M mode and I believe you will see the meter function the way you were expecting it to.</p>

[phule]

<p>[[Try using Tv, Av, or M mode and I believe you will see the meter function the way you were expecting it to.]]</p>

<p>As I mentioned in the other thread, only in M does the meter function the way described by Robin above. In P, Av, or Tv, the display is showing the value of EC set by the photographer. In M, the meter is showing the amount it believes you are over or underexposed. </p>