What is the primary purpose of backlight compensation in a camera?

Backlight compensation is designed to improve picture quality in bright conditions by adjusting how the camera responds to varying light levels in the scene. When a camera is aimed at a subject that is backlit—such as a person standing in front of a bright window—the subject can appear dark and difficult to see. Backlight compensation helps to balance the exposure, allowing for a better representation of the subject's features against the bright background. This is accomplished by adjusting the gain of the image signal or changing the exposure settings, which ensures that the details of the subject remain visible.

The other options do not align with the primary function of backlight compensation. Reducing battery consumption pertains more to power management features rather than image capture quality. Enhancing low-light performance is an unrelated function that focuses on improving visibility in dim conditions. Decreasing latency does not relate to backlight compensation, as it deals more with processing speed and response time of the camera rather than managing exposure in high-contrast lighting scenarios.