Camera Labs

Can I change the exposure level in Manual mode on the 500D?

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

As in how light or dark the photo is?

Of course.

Remember in manual mode you have to set the ISO, shutter speed and the aperture yourself.

These are the only three things that effect the exposure.

So surely changing any one of them "changes the exposure level"

No?

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

I can not seem to be able to move the needle up and down though as I am used to.

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

Ah you mean the exposure compensation?

This is because in P A or S mode, you are telling the camera the only the aperture or the shutter speed and telling the camera to set the other variables to make the shot exposed as per the "needle."

In manual the "needle" slides around as per how the exposure would be with the settings you currently have dialed in.

It is correct that you cant change the exposure compensation in M mode, you do this by adjusting the ISO, shutter speed or aperture.

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

To expand on this, so if you take a photo and it is too dark, you can brighten it up by opening the aperture (ie go to f2.8 from f4), slowing the shutter speed (ie go to 1/100 from 1/250) or by boosting the ISO (go to 1600 from 800)

If you take a photo and it is too bright, you could close the aperture (go to f4 from f2.8), speed up the shutter (go to 1/250 from 1/100) or lower the ISO.

This is instead of using exposure compensation.

The reason it is called manual mode is because you get to choose which method (ie ISO, shutter or aperture) you use to brighten or darken the image.

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

Using the needle in other modes, it seems convinient.

I will probably just have to have a play then and see how moving it up and down alters the settings.

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Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

No, it is not.

The needle says how dark-light the picture will be. In semi-auto modes you can say how dark/light it has to be, in the fully manual mode you have to set the settings to get the needle on the right place.

Exactly the same. This type lightmeter is used for over 30 years, so I guess there´s nothing wrong or strange with it.

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Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies