Canon T3i Experience

Shooting 2 menuExposure compensation/AEB

You can use the [Av+/-] Button and Main Dial for quickly changing exposure compensation rather than using this menu item, but you need to access this item for Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB). More about Exposure Compensation and Auto Exposure Bracketing later. Put this in My Menu (discussed in upcoming Section 2.2) if you bracket often, such as for High Dynamic Range (HDR) shooting.

Auto Lighting Optimizer

This setting is fully addressed in the Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimizer section. Once you start to take control of your camera and your exposures, you may want to Disable this setting so that the camera isn't doing something with your exposures without you having control over it. After reading this guide you will know how to meter, read your histogram, and use Exposure Compensation to make proper or desired exposures.

Metering Mode

Metering modes will be discussed in detail in the Metering Modes section of this guide. For now, leave it on the default, Evaluative Metering. Put this item in My Menu in order to access it easily, or else you can access and change Metering Modes using the Q Button and the Quick Control Screen.

Custom White Balance

This is for setting a custom white balance rather than using one of the standard White Balance (WB) settings like Auto, Cloudy, or Fluorescent. For advanced users. Particularly handy for studio work where the lighting will remain constant or in a situation with difficult mixed lighting. This will be covered in the White Balance section.

WB Shift/BKT

This is White Balance Shift and White Balance Bracketing and is used for adjusting to a very precise WB, or bracketing exposures using different WB settings. Also for advanced users. This will be covered in the White Balance section.

Color Space

Most users can safely leave this on sRGB. You can read the various blogs, forums and books that endlessly debate sRGB vs. AdobeRGB, then continue to leave it on sRGB. sRGB is a slightly smaller color space than AdobeRGB, but will display properly on computer screens and printers. AdobeRGB is intended for uses like commercial printing. Unless you are calibrating your monitor, printing with a printer that has 5 or more ink cartridges, shooting for a commercially printed publication, and well versed in using color spaces and profiles in Photoshop and printing, you will never miss the difference and AdobeRGB images will possibly not display or print properly. If you are doing all these things, then use AdobeRGB.

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