LOCK EXPOSURE

[italypa99]

when would you want to lock your exposure ? and for what ?

[rammy]

I do it manually when I want the sky to be captured without blowing out the highlights, and I recompose and flash the foreground. I would say that it is mostly done when you want the exposure right on a certain part of a scene and where you are recomposing the frame and the exposure reading would then change.

[SkipD]

I do it all the time - by using manual mode. Why? I don't want the camera "guessing" at what I want to have exposed properly all the time. If I am taking a series of shots in the same lighting, I measure the light falling on the subjects once, dial in the settings I want to use, and then concentrate on composition and focusing.

Locking exposure is especially critical when you are shooting for a panoramic shot (multiple exposures that get "stitched" together to make one long image). You don't want a variety of exposures in the set of shots.

[dmoney30]

since you guys are on the same subject, so this can be done by metering the sky while pressing lock exp button. while holding the lock exp button, you then need to recompose the subject? for example, golden gate bridge during the day, I would meter the sky, exp lock, then focus again on the bridge? sorry for the newbie questions and sorry to the OP as im not trying to hi-jack your thread.

[italypa99]

ok i gottcha thanks for the comments

[italypa99]

since you guys are on the same subject, so this can be done by metering the sky while pressing lock exp button. while holding the lock exp button, you then need to recompose the subject? for example, golden gate bridge during the day, I would meter the sky, exp lock, then focus again on the bridge? sorry for the newbie questions and sorry to the OP as im not trying to hi-jack your thread.


np i want all the info i can get =D

[rammy]

since you guys are on the same subject, so this can be done by metering the sky while pressing lock exp button. while holding the lock exp button, you then need to recompose the subject? for example, golden gate bridge during the day, I would meter the sky, exp lock, then focus again on the bridge? sorry for the newbie questions and sorry to the OP as im not trying to hi-jack your thread.

Yes, that is correct. Everytime you press AE lock it locks in the exposure settings at that point. You can then reframe and take your picture. You would need to keep holding the AE lock button if you want to take more than one shot.

If you are metering off the sky then make sure the sun is not in the frame. Also the bridge may under expose in some situations so compensate slightly by exposing over by a stop or two. Check the histogram when taking the shots to see how well it came out. Also, try AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing).

[rammy]

Locking exposure is especially critical when you are shooting for a panoramic shot (multiple exposures that get "stitched" together to make one long image). You don't want a variety of exposures in the set of shots.

Exactly why you want to lock in your exposure :-)

Manual is the best as it stops the camera from changing aperture or shutter speed and you don't need to keep your finger on the AE lock button allowing you to use remote release. In fact, I would suggest manual everthing for a pano: Aperture, Shutter speed, Focus, White Balance.

[jwan148]

I never used exposure lock untill recently. I used to just over or under expose the image manually to bring out or hide the subject.

Now I lock the exposure on the subject first, see how well the image looks, then take those settings and adjust manually.