Digital cameras 101

[Romy]

Greetings:

I'm wondering if there are any cameras out there that have exposure compensation of more than 2 stops.  I shoot a lot of artwork against a jet-black velvet background, and find that the camera reads the exposure as so dark, shooting at minus-two still isn't enough compensation. Three would be great-- if it exists.  Any advice on this?

Thanks,
Romy

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[ShutterbugGail]

Hi Romy,

Most digital cameras with exposure compensation have settings range from -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps. As far as I can tell, only some digital Single Lens Reflex cameras (dSLR) give you more range:

-3 EV to +3 EV in 1/2 EV steps

They do, however, cost more than advanced digital cameras. The ones I found include:

HP Photosmart C912, Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro, Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro Kodak DCS 14n, Kodak DCS SLR/n, Canon EOS-1Ds

The Nikon D70 has a significant range: -5 EV to +5 EV in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps

You can learn more about these and other cameras using this database.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

Remember, too, that Photokina will be coming up next month, and new cameras will be announced which may offer similar options. Certainly, the prices of some of the current models will go down, as new models come on line.

Best of luck to you in seeking a digital camera which suits your needs.