I wanted to give a real quick word about the Exposure Compensation found within each Fuji X Weekly Recipe. I get questions about this fairly regularly, and there seems to be some confusion. Let me give a short explanation of what is meant when a Recipe says (for example) Exposure Compensation: +1/3 to +1 (typically).
The “typical exposure compensation” provided with each Recipe is intended to be a starting point and nothing more. It was never meant to be a rule, only general directions. For some recipes it’s a little more critical than others. For example, Vintage Kodachrome really does need a little underexposure in order to look right; conversely, Bright Kodak really does need a little overexposure to render correctly. But for the most part, this isn’t a critical aspect of a Recipe. It’s simply intended to give a little direction for those unsure.
One question that I get sometimes is: what about those who shoot in all-manual, and don’t use the Exposure Compensation Dial? Well, instead of “exposure compensation”, it’s just exposure. In other words, simply increase or decrease the exposure suggested by the meter by whatever the Recipe says. If your meter says (for example) f/4, 1/250, and ISO 400, and the Recipe says +1 exposure, simply use f/2.8 instead of f/4, or select 1/125 instead of 1/250, or choose ISO 800 instead of ISO 400 (choose one, not all three).
Another question that I get is: how do I program Exposure Compensation into my camera? There are some models that can save an exposure compensation within each Custom Setting preset (it won’t save a range—like +1/3 to +1—but it can save one, such as +2/3); however, most Fujifilm cameras cannot do that. For the majority of cameras, Exposure Compensation is a manual process done by turning the Exposure Compensation Dial on the top of the camera.
Each time you activate the shutter, the appropriate exposure for each scene should be judged individually. Even though a Recipe might say Exposure Compensation +2/3 to +1 (typically), perhaps for the unique lighting scenario in front of you, maybe -1/3 is most appropriate. Aside from that, we each have our own tastes and styles, and maybe for you, a slightly brighter or darker image is better. In other words, don’t take the typical exposure compensation values of a Recipe too seriously. It’s only meant to help you go in the right direction; however, each situation should be judged for what it is, which might be different each time.
Which brings me to two Recipes specifically: Reggie’s Portra and Reggie’s Superia. For Reggie’s Portra, I had listed +1/3 to +1 as the typical exposure compensation range. For Reggie’s Superia, I had listed it as +1/3 to +2/3. But Reggie Ballesteros—the creator of those two Recipes—never gave them, nor intended for them to have, any suggested exposures. The exposure for each picture should be judged individually. At his request, I removed the suggested exposure compensation range. Reggie is not wrong in this assessment, and it’s for a similar reason that I did not include a suggested exposure range for the Video Recipes.
I never intended for the Exposure Compensation field of Fujifilm Recipes to be so confusing. I hope this clears it up a little for those who may have struggled with it. I never intended for it to be a rule, only a rough starting point for those unsure what the exposure should be. If it’s not helpful to you, feel free to ignore it.
With initial and subsequent testing, the recipes have generally all been very intuitive. But if terminology is confusing, how about the “R.E.C.” : recommended/recipe exposure change/compensation. 🤔
I think my mistake was the terminology. Thanks for the feedback!
what I do is to write the recommanded exposure compensation range in the name of the recipe in camera so I see it every time I select one
That’s a good tip, thanks!
The question I ask myself, why do recipe developers darken the shadows with the tone curve, and then recommend an exposure compensation of up to two aperture levels?
because it change middletones
The answer could be an article in and of itself, but most simply, it’s a middle tones control, which Fujifilm does not offer a curve adjustment for.
Thanks, hope see you next on YouTube 😉
Maybe pretty soon….
You can’t save exposure compensation, but if you (like me) find these typical exposures handy, as a starting point, you can put them at the end of the name of the preset. I have presets named like “Portra+1/3”, which means that I should probably overexposure a little with this preset. With seven different presets it was hard for me to remember typical exposure for each
That’s a good tip, thank you!
Greets.
Which bodies allow exposure compensation as part of the stored recipe?
I have been caught several times when switching.
Should be a standard feature. Please note Fuji.
Best Rgds.
Malcolm Hayward.
The PASM models, although I’m not certain if it is all of them. I know that the GFX100S II is one and the X-S20 is another. I assume that the X-H2/X-H2s, X-M5, GFX100 II, etc., are also capable. Basically, any camera without a marked exposure compensation dial on the top.
Good idea with noting the recommended compensation into the name. Thanks guys!
This article however brings one particular recipe into my mind: Dramatic Classic Chrome (https://fujixweekly.com/2018/05/22/my-fujifilm-x-pro2-dramatic-classic-chrome-film-simulation-recipe/ ) This one permanently occupies C3 slot even though I stopped overusing it. Of course I did not remember recommended compensation but realized that this recipe is very sensitive to this settings and you can very well control which part of the scene will be rendered. Or in other words, where the drama happens.
There are some Recipes where nailing the exposure “just right” is especially critical. One-third stop too much or too little changes it in a negative way. I appreciate the comment!