Hi TME,
Hmmm .... somehow this discussion is interesting to me.
Anyway, I know that in normal case when you not using a flash and you dial in exposure compensation, the shutter speed or aperture changes like what you have described - to either allow more or less light in. However, if you are using flash, say in A mode, then you will notice that the shutter speed setting doesn't change for the same focal length lens used (maybe I will try it out tonight, and why don't you try it out too - I stand to be corrected ) irregardless of whatever compensation you used. In this case, the only way you can increase the ambient exposure (for the same aperture value) is to switch to manual mode and select a slower shutter speed (the way i normally do) or use the slow sync function (but this might get you too low a shutter speed).
You may ask why is this so? This is because for minolta cameras, when you use flash and in A mode for eg, the camera will select the shutter speed that will be roughly 1/focal length of the length used with the max limit being the sync speed of your camera and the min limit being about 1/50 or 1/60s (not too sure about this) i think. That is to say, if you using a 28-70mm lens and say you zoom up to 70mm ..... your shutter speed would be set at 1/60s. And if you using a 200mm lens, then your shutter speed would be around 1/200s. Note again that this applies only when you use flash. So what effect do you have when you set exposure compensation? Well, the flash will provide the main lighting and therefore watever compensation you set, the flash will either increase or decrease its output. Another way of looking at it is that the camera will try to maintain a shutter speed for you that is below the sync speed and something which you can handhold. For example, if initially your shutter speed is 1/60s and say you dial in +2 stops exposure compensation, then if you say that this will change the shutter speed setting, the camera would have to set it at 1/15s and this to some (or many) pple is too slow for hand holding. So the camera actually doesn't change the shutter speed and for this example will still remain at 1/60s but the flash will provide +2 stops more light. That said, I have to disagree with your stand that setting exposure compensation doesn't affect the flash lighting up your subject.
Hope you get what I was trying to say.
Jerry
Hmmm .... somehow this discussion is interesting to me.
Anyway, I know that in normal case when you not using a flash and you dial in exposure compensation, the shutter speed or aperture changes like what you have described - to either allow more or less light in. However, if you are using flash, say in A mode, then you will notice that the shutter speed setting doesn't change for the same focal length lens used (maybe I will try it out tonight, and why don't you try it out too - I stand to be corrected ) irregardless of whatever compensation you used. In this case, the only way you can increase the ambient exposure (for the same aperture value) is to switch to manual mode and select a slower shutter speed (the way i normally do) or use the slow sync function (but this might get you too low a shutter speed).
You may ask why is this so? This is because for minolta cameras, when you use flash and in A mode for eg, the camera will select the shutter speed that will be roughly 1/focal length of the length used with the max limit being the sync speed of your camera and the min limit being about 1/50 or 1/60s (not too sure about this) i think. That is to say, if you using a 28-70mm lens and say you zoom up to 70mm ..... your shutter speed would be set at 1/60s. And if you using a 200mm lens, then your shutter speed would be around 1/200s. Note again that this applies only when you use flash. So what effect do you have when you set exposure compensation? Well, the flash will provide the main lighting and therefore watever compensation you set, the flash will either increase or decrease its output. Another way of looking at it is that the camera will try to maintain a shutter speed for you that is below the sync speed and something which you can handhold. For example, if initially your shutter speed is 1/60s and say you dial in +2 stops exposure compensation, then if you say that this will change the shutter speed setting, the camera would have to set it at 1/15s and this to some (or many) pple is too slow for hand holding. So the camera actually doesn't change the shutter speed and for this example will still remain at 1/60s but the flash will provide +2 stops more light. That said, I have to disagree with your stand that setting exposure compensation doesn't affect the flash lighting up your subject.
Hope you get what I was trying to say.
Jerry