EOS 3 exposure compensation dial/switch question

[Kay Thorogood]

I posted a question a week ago where I outlined a problem I had with underexposed photos after using my friend's EOS 3 for the first time. After returning the camera, my friend shot two rolls of film and the prints came back underexposed,too. She noticed that the exposure compensation was set at -2. She returned it to neutral, shot another roll of film, and the prints were perfectly exposed.

Question 1: We both thought if the Quick Control Dial switch was disabled "O" instead of "I", then exposure compensation would not work. In other words it was set to "off." We determined that the "O" really means that once you set your exposure compensation, it disables the Quick Control Dial. Sort of locking in the exposure you want. We also figured out that the exposure compensation remains effective even after the camera is switched off. Would you agree that we are correct in our assumptions? If not, what DOES "I" and "O" really mean?

Question 2: If I'm shooting in manual mode, the manual states I'm supposed to set the Quick Control Dial switch to "I" so that I can use the Quick Control Dial to set my aperture. By doing so, that overrides the exposure compensation for that dial. But, if I press the <+/-> button and the main dial I would then have access to exposure compensation. Is this correct?

Question 3: If I'm in manual mode, can I override the exposure compensation by adjusting the aperture/shutter speed without setting the compensation back to neutral?

Sorry for the long post, but I really want to understand this camera as I plan to buy one soon. Thanks in advance. k.

 

[127]

From my limited experience on my wifes 5:

the I and O are actually 1 and 0, meaning on and off. They do refer to the DIAL. Your description is correct if convoluted - basically moving the dial has no effect when its turned off. If you've previously set anything with the dial, and then disable it, it makes no FURTHER changes (and yes we've been caught that compensation is remembered after power off).

2/3 _IF_ I remember right, exposure compensation doesn't have apply in manual mode?

Ian

 

[haris]

1. "I" and "O" swich for Quick control dial simply means on and off, that is will QCD will work or not. That is, if you set swich to "I" and turn QCD it will work and you will see results of its work, and when you set swich to "O" it will be off, and no matter how much you turn wheel of QCD, nothing will happen.

2. Yes, you are correct, in manual mode QCD is used for setting aperture, while wheel next to shutter button is used to set speed.


When you set exposure compensation (and any other setting of camera, no matter what) all settings remain when camera is turned off and on again. That is, if you make some setting, turn camera off, and when you again turn camera on and DO NOT want to use that setting, you must manually change that previous setting.

Be carefull, with Custom Function you can change function of QCD, main dial, swich theire functions, etc...

Best is to read manual few times, everything is described there, altough some things can be hard to understand after first reading, and need to be read (and practicaly tried with camera not loaded with film) several times.

 

[haris]

Now, exposure compensation... I am not shure about manual exposure mode (I never use exposure compensation in manual exposure mode), but when exposure compensation can be used it can be set and override in several ways:

1. Press <+/-> button and turn main dial. It is MAIN way to set exposure compensation and this way you can override all other ways of setting exposure compensation.

2. Press shutter button half way, and while it is pressed turn Quick control dial.

3. Press shutter button half way, left it, and, while exposure informations are shown on cameras LCD, turn Quick control dial.

As I said, I am not shure will exposure compensation work in manual mode, I never use it with manual mode, and I read camera manuals long time ago and forgot function(s) I don't use. As I remember, it doesn't work in manual exposure mode (there is no logical reason for exposure compensation function to work in manual exposure mode, you manually make exposure compensation in manual mode if needed anyway).

 

[haris]

And in short: You can't be wrong if you buy EOS3. It is state of the art camera, it has every imaginable analoug camera options, what ever any film camera on market can do, EOS3 also can. So, you don't have to worry, exposure compensation, whatever, EOS3 can do it, it is only matter to see in manual and learn how it is practically done

Of course, if you buy secondhand, as any other camera, check if it is works normaly, that is check if you are not buying broken (malfunction) camera...

 

[haris]

Question 1: We both thought if the Quick Control Dial switch was disabled "O" instead of "I", then exposure compensation would not work. In other words it was set to "off." We determined that the "O" really means that once you set your exposure compensation, it disables the Quick Control Dial. Sort of locking in the exposure you want. We also figured out that the exposure compensation remains effective even after the camera is switched off. Would you agree that we are correct in our assumptions? If not, what DOES "I" and "O" really mean?
QUOTE]

Sorry, forget to answer one part of your question:

If you set exposure compensation with next way: You set Quick control dial swich to "I", press halfway shutter button, turn Quick control dial to set exposure compensation, let say -2, and then set Quick control dial swich to "O", exposure compensation stay set on -2. Quick control dial swich is only for turn Quck control dial off or on, swich itself has NO effect on anything else other than turning Quick control dial off or on. If you want to erase exposure compensation (that is return exposure compensation to 0) you must do that in one of the ways I wrote before.

Huh, I know I am boring...

 

[haris]

I checked my camera, there is NO exposure compensation possibility on manual exposure mode. If you want exposure compensation you must use one of next: TV, AV, P modes.

Hope this cleared your worries about exposure compensation


Regards

 

[A.C.]

1 This is a superbly capable camera, with fast eye-control autofocus
2 Obtain a manual, and play with the camera. It really will be for the best, because there are SO many functions, many with two different ways of operation
3 If you're not going to do (2), at least open the side door, press the CF button, and then press the CLEAR button. This will reset any Custom Functions that were already set and give you a starting point for your settings.
Remember to have fun!