exposure question

[donlfaulkner]

I'm going to my daughters graduation from nursing school in Kilgore tomorrow night and will be attempting to get some pictures with my Minolta x700. I've been searching the net for help and I think I have someshat of a handle on what I need to do. I'll be using Kodak 800ASA print film and my 80-200 lens opened wide open. mostly handheld which (I think) means I'll need at least 1/200 shutter. I might be able to drop to 125, not sure. the camera has an exposure compensation dial { -2, -1, 0, +1, +2} This is causing me problems as I am a bit thick headed sometimes. If I use +2, for instance, will the exposure come out lighter or darker? Is this somewhat the equavilent of opening the arperture? (pardon my spelling.)

[CaptainTom]

Exposure Compensation vs. Changing ISO

If you are using a film camera, changing the ISO is equivalent to dialing in an exposure compensation. This is because when you change the ISO, you are simply telling the camera what film you put in there -- whether you have actually put that film of a particular ISO in your camera or not (assuming that your camera is not smart enough to figure it out). The camera takes what you tell it as fact and adjusts the exposure accordingly.

plus means a 'faster film' more sensitive than it really is.
I.E. ASA 800 film with +2 Exposure compensation would be the same as ASA 3200 ASA film.

With film, you would need to alter the chemistry and developing parameters to
get a properly exposed image. IF you don't , , it will come out really thin and unusable.

Digital is different.

[donlfaulkner]

So my best bet would be to stay with a "0" exposure compensation setting, set the film indicator to 800 for the 800ASA film that is in the camera. use a wide arpeture and as slow a shutter speed as I can hold steady? Hopefully it will meter a fast enough shutter.

This is a lot different than my p&s and a lot more fun!

[Wes]

Try taking a monopod with you. That should help you stabilize a bit.

[donlfaulkner]

Originally Posted by Wes

Try taking a monopod with you. That should help you stabilize a bit.

Thanks Wes I had planned to. Not sure where We'll be sitting in the auditorium. Hopefully I can sort of roam along the walls.

Thanks Tom, thats the most understandable answer I've been able to get. The manual is as clear as mud to me and most of the internet sites I searched just repeated the manual.

[studiocygnet]

Generally an exposure compensation dial is when you choose to override the meter reading because of backlighting or a contrasty scene. If you're going to be in situations where you would choose to override the exposure setting the camera meter has chosen, you can just do the same thing by setting the camera in manual and either slowing the speed or opening the aperture, and then the whole roll will be the same ISO for the developing. The monopod is a good idea for slowing the shutter a bit, too.

[chris00nj]

You only use exposure compensation if you think the meter is being fooled. The meter is going to expose for a "middle gray." Most things average out to be middle gray, so no compensation is needed.

However, if you are taking a picture of a polar bear in a snowstorm, the meter is going to view the white as a middle gray and will underexpose the photo. So you need to compensate by adding exposure (+). So if the meter think you need a 1/125 shutter, and you add +1, the shutter will actually be 1/60. If you were taking a photo of a black panthar on pavement, you would need to underexpose from what the meter thinks. So you'd use "-".

Negative film handle over exposure much better than underexposure. You can overexpose most negative film by 2 stops (+2) and have a print that is perfect. The exposure is corrected at printing without any adverse effect on the result. Underexposing is worse because when you try to lighted a photo, details that should be black turn gray.

For your situation, I probably wouldn't use the exposure compensation because the meter probably won't be fooled by anything.

With a 80-200 zoom, I'm guessing your aperture is f/5.6 at 200? You'll likely need 1/30 shutter with a bright indoor lighting (EV 7) and 800 film to expose correctly. You'll definitely need a tripod. Even a monopod may not be enough.

[donlfaulkner]

Thanks, Cris, for your helpful comments. It's scary, but I think I'm beginning to understand exposure and exposure compensation a little bit.

My 80-200 will stop down to 4.5. I don't think I'll have room, with the expected crowd, for the tripod. So, I'll take the monopod and use the wall where I can to help steady the camera. It'll be interesting to see what the camera meters.

So the plan is:
Camera settings: Exposure compensation "0",
film and its setting "800 asa",
F/4.5
Shutter whatever the camera meters and hope for the best.

With no way to review any shots I feel I'm "shooting in the dark" (no pun intended)

Should be fun to see what I get.

[studiocygnet]

If you've got it, you could also take a fast 50mm and let your feet do the zooming. I've photographed at graduations before, just make like a photog and walk up to the front row and crouch down so your not blocking anyone's view and shoot away. Is your zoom a constant aperture 4.5, or will it get slower as you zoom in?

[donlfaulkner]

I think it stays the same.

My other lens is a 28mm Was planning on carrying only the 80-200.

[chris00nj]

Good, so the lens is a constant f/4.5. That'll give you almost an extra stop and perhaps you'll only need 1/60. The monopod will be enough then. Many consumer zoom lenses loose maximum aperture at longer focal lengths. That's why you might see something that reads "80-200mm f/4.5-5.6." Better lenses will have a constant maximum aperture, and read something like "80-200mm f/2.8"

This site helps explain exposure a bit. It's good to have a frame of reference. The stage should be more brightly light than the rest of the auditorium.

Don't forget to focus ;). In a situation like that where I'm in one location waiting for something, I'll pre-focus so I'm not fumbling when the time comes to snap the photo. Depth of field should be decent back from where you will be likely standing.

[donlfaulkner]

The numbers on the lens are: 1:4.5 f=80-200mm

[Angelo]

If you are going to shoot at 1/60 of second or less, try to snap the photo when the subject is motionless (when they stop moving their body or walking).
You should be OK since they usually have spot lights or more lighting on stage. Remember to also take that into consideration.

[donlfaulkner]

Originally Posted by chris00nj

Good, so the lens is a constant f/4.5. That'll give you almost an extra stop and perhaps you'll only need 1/60. The monopod will be enough then. Many consumer zoom lenses loose maximum aperture at longer focal lengths. That's why you might see something that reads "80-200mm f/4.5-5.6." Better lenses will have a constant maximum aperture, and read something like "80-200mm f/2.8"

This site helps explain exposure a bit. It's good to have a frame of reference. The stage should be more brightly light than the rest of the auditorium.

Don't forget to focus ;). In a situation like that where I'm in one location waiting for something, I'll pre-focus so I'm not fumbling when the time comes to snap the photo. Depth of field should be decent back from where you will be likely standing.

Thanks for the focus reminder in the "heat of battle" I tend to forget some elementary things. That site has a lot of information. Thanks for the link! I've seen it before but have to take it in small bites so as not to overload the gray cells.

[donlfaulkner]

As you can probably guess I'm a bit nervous. This is my first time in this kind of situation to use a SLR usually I'm using a point and shoot where the camera does the thinking. Now I'm having to think. Wanting everything to be perfect though I know it won't be.