My first question.

I think this is a nice addition to the forums.

I am not a pro, but I buy pro equipment. I have been "published" but photography is not my day job.

I promise not to ask the stupid or silly questions that I have been guilty of in the past.

My first question for you pros: About what percentage of what you see in the viewfinder is enough to compensate for exposure, eg: a small sun-lit portion of a tree (maybe 25%) in a darker bakground?

The obvious answer is to bracket, but what I'm looking for is when do you see images that make you think about exposure compensation?

I guess this is up to RFM and the like but it is just my impression that this is the type of question that they'd want to avoid in this forum.

Anyone with an EOS camera should be able to answer it in the EOS forum.

If this isnt the case then please tell me, i'm still trying to get a feel for it too.

Nailing the exposure very close in one shot is possible from learning to use and understand camera's abilities (e.g. spot metering, viewfinder lightmeter, understanding 18% metering) but more so after lots of practical experience. I often think in exposure when I see a scene (without camera) and when time/event passes and positions change I keep thinking how exposure should be changed - I usually change camera settings all the time when I do not view through camera in order to be prepared for next possible shot. You must also know what kind of quality or print size is required as all exposure components (ISO vs. noise level, shutter speed vs. blur, aperture vs. lens quality) will affect that a lot.

Note that if you shoot for money there is no rule that you may not bracket. Or check the results from LCD.

Please, this is a kind plea to all: let's not act as home made forum polices here - however good and admirable the intentions. This forum has already several moderators.

Keep talkin and if there is something to be moved between forums or something else should be done to posts: leave it up to moderators and me to decide.

Thanks!

well I'd be tempted to ask what you want to expose correctly? The whole scene? A lot of time the dynamic range is not enough. I think matrix metering is one that comes closest to exposing the whole scene correctly (that might mean dark darker highlites and lighter shaddows, whatever it takes to average the 18% ). If there is a certain part of the frame you want exposed correctly then spot metering is best (if you expose for the highlighted part of the frame then your shaddows will be dark, and if you expose for the shaddows then your highlites will be blown).
Thankfully, we have digital cameras

Take my words with a grain of salt though... I'm just an amateur intruding in the professional corner.