Exposure with Digital Camera

For all users of digital camera, automatic exposure is almost a definite choice. With the LCD Display, we are able to know whether an image is taken.

However, the image in LCD Display is not exactly the image recorded because of the displaying method and the limitation of the LCD.

If we do not mind about image quality, there is no need to go any further. But, it is not so for most digital camera users, especially those using high-end models and SLR digital camera.

How the digital camera set the exposure? The basic design is the same as traditional. A kind of light meter device is used. Certainly, the new digital cameras employ better logic. We have tested the automatic exposure before the digital era. The result is within half a stop with earlier models of EOS (automatic traditional camera).

Then why bother about the exposure. We are the only reason to make the results not correct as expected. Our choice of image and our composition would not be standard.

No matter how advance the technology is, the metering is based on neutral gray. In traditional way or professional way if we prefer, the metering is done with a light meter and a neutral gray card. We have articles about metering and exposure, so we do not repeat here.

Metering/Exposure basic

Metering

Exposure

The latitude of traditional negative film is much greater than digital imaging. Of course, latitude of traditional slide film is not better than digital imaging because both would create positive images. In other words, taking photo with digital camera is similar to taking slide with traditional camera. We have to get the exact exposure for our image.

What is exact exposure? Well, it depends on the tone or colors of the objects in our composition, especially those within the metering area.

In simple words, if we want the exact exposure for our photo, then our composition must fit the metering standard. However, we always take photos in our way. That is the problem.

There is a solution. Take several shots with bracket exposure. This is, of course, not a good thing for us. We have to select one among several shots for each image. This will waste a lot of space during our photo expedition. Also, we may still miss the best exposure unless we have taken with various plus and minus 1/3 stops.

In view of this problem and to help the readers of our book "DIGIPHOTO GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS", Mr. F. H. Tong designed the MYTCARD METHOD. The information about the public release has been posted in www.mytcard.com and will not be repeated here.

This method is to find from the review of a test shot with the MYTCARD for the best exposure compensation. In this way, we do not need to take a number of shots and with the user guide and some experience, we can be sure of what is the exact exposure for our subject.

We must know that the most important thing about taking photo with digital cameras is to get the highlight and shadow details recorded properly. Perhaps, we have to remind the great advice from the old days, "expose for the shadow, develop for the highlight". In digital era, we should care not only for shadow details, but the highlight details too because there is no development any more.