Hey readers.

in episode 175 of the Make Better Photos and Videos podcast, Gordon raises some questions about exposure compensation and spot metering.

It’s a terrific topic but looking at the cameras that I own, and even new models, I am disappointed. You see we have available to us in today’s cameras, the greatest dynamic range ever seen. 14 stops of dynamic range is not unheard of, and if we can capture an image in up to 14 exposure zones, that is incredible. These sensors also allow a lot of latitude for mistakes made when metering, such as metering off a dark or white subject, or where you have left spot metering active without noticing. The greater the dynamic range, the more recoverable exposure faults are.

I am an older photographer and come from the days of incident light meters and internal reflected light meters. I also still use the Zone System because as the creative, I want to decide what level of exposure defines the midpoint.

We understand that all reflected light meters attempt to take all their inputs and using increasing complex algorithms construct an exposure setting that will render out to average middle grey. This is a wonderful thing. Except when you want to be in control.

Let me talk about two pro level mirrorless cameras for a moment. Each person will determine which is their preference either intellectually, emotionally or some miasma of the two.

Canon’s R5 is a really awesome tool with massive dynamic range, yet the built in exposure compensation only offers a 7 stop range, 3 up and 3 down. If I want to adjust exposure over a greater range, as I might for HDR that actually leverages the camera’s awesome sensor, I need to move to Manual mode. Sure I know what I am doing, but why so limiting.

Take the same concept to Nikon’s Z9. It too is an incredible tool with massive dynamic range. It too has built in exposure compensation, however in this case the range is 11 stops. In my HDR example, I could easily move that dynamic range over a much wider section of exposure choices.

I know that if I shoot in RAW, I can overexpose a fair bit and pull detail out of the overexposed area by pulling it down in post processing. For those of us who use the Expose to the Right principles, the current crop of high dynamic range sensors are powerful tools.

This is all good and for me, as I own no mirrorless cameras other than my Leica, which was mirrorless before that was a fashionable word, if I am willing to not concern myself with my existing case of lenses, I can go with really any maker and get a superb tool. Still just a tool, the photograph is made behind the camera, the camera just records the image. As a tool though, the camera should offer me the kinds of tools that I need. 1,000 focus points do not really help me much as no lens can focus at more than one distance at a time. That’s why we learn about depth of field and hyperfocal distance, or at least we used to. I don’t know how many focus points are in my cameras. I use one. That may not be right for everyone, but it is for me because I want to decide where the camera focuses, not let the camera decide.

I feel the same way about exposure. I love that the new sensors will work in darker situations than ever before. And brighter situations as well. Some think that has to do with expanded ISO capabilities but that’s not really the prime mover. The prime mover in this case is the ability to meter across a wider luminosity range and sometimes have the autofocus system be able to focus in these darker or brighter scenarios. Awesome stuff.

But, unless I have a Z9 or other camera with 11 stops of compensation, there is no tool that is going to allow me to get where I need to be while staying in a semi-automatic mode that can leverage the sensor’s dynamic range. To Nikon’s credit, they figured this out as the Z6 II, the Z7 II and the Z9 all offer an 11 stop compensation range. Since my lens cases are full of Canon EF glass, even though I could mount them successfully on an R3 or R5, both cameras are still sitting at +-3 EV in exposure compensation, a failure to me as a Canon user.

I warned you that this article is a gripe. When the time comes to go mirrorless, this is an important criteria for me, far more important than the number of AF points, or high ISO range. Again, what is important to me, is not necessarily the same things that are important to others. In stills, I like natural looking HDRs, not the overcooked, nuclear fallout stuff and the dynamic range of today’s sensors is incredible for this, but +-3 is only enough for the first pair. I need/want a wider range of automated exposure compensation and you might as well.

Thanks for reading, be sure to subscribe to receive notifications of new articles and until next time, peace.