over-"exposure" of LCD preview

Sluggo · 09-03-2016, 05:26 AM

Having shot a pair of music concerts with the K-01 and a loupe eyepiece attachment, I am running into what seems like a limitation of the camera: in dark enough situations with brightly lit subjects (specifically, performers under spotlight), the LCD preview can overexpose the scene to the point where subjects are washed out and clipped to white, and I don't have facial details to use for focusing; and then focus peaking doesn't help much as it only gives a vague outline around the silhouette.

This isn't related, as far as I can tell, to the camera's LCD brightness setting. Rather it's because the LCD preview is autoexposed independent of the exposure I've chosen for the shot. I didn't notice this at the first concert, because the band had set up a lot of ambient colored lights shining through smoke in addition to the spotlights. At the second concert, with simpler lighting, I was suddenly at sea with focusing, and ended up with fewer "keepers" when shooting with my darling A*85.

Is there an adjustment for this that I'm missing? If I frame things tight enough, there isn't as much negative dark space and it helps, but that's not always the composition I want. Any other workarounds?

Related question, does the live view feature on the K-5 and K-3 act the same way with regard to exposure? I might have to buy a more up to date body to gain an optical viewfinder again - I haven't upgraded DSLRs since the K20D and am rather overdue - but would probably still want to use the loupe eyepiece sometimes.

**UncleVanya** · 09-03-2016, 05:34 AM

Have you tried using exposure compensation and setting that to -3 or so? On the K3 the LCD doesn't reflect actual exposure but does darken or lighten in response to exposure compensation. You could use that as a truck to acquire focus and then switch to your actual exposure. If the feature works on the k01.

Sluggo · 09-03-2016, 05:42 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

Have you tried using exposure compensation and setting that to -3 or so? On the K3 the LCD doesn't reflect actual exposure but does darken or lighten in response to exposure compensation. You could use that as a truck to acquire focus and then switch to your actual exposure. If the feature works on the k01.

Hmm.... I pretty much always shoot in manual mode. Sounds like an auto exposure mode with compensation would at least be worth experimenting with though, if the camera considers that in how it presents the live view.

**UncleVanya** · 09-03-2016, 05:48 AM

Originally posted by Sluggo

Hmm.... I pretty much always shoot in manual mode. Sounds like an auto exposure mode with compensation would at least be worth experimenting with though, if the camera considers that in how it presents the live view.

EDIT: Ignore this - I misremembered.
I can't recall but I think you can stay in manual and still trick the LCD this way. Green button will set initial exposure based on exposure compensation if you do this - I think. Try it, it may require very little change in workflow.

Last edited by UncleVanya; 09-03-2016 at 06:42 AM.

Sluggo · 09-03-2016, 06:11 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

Green button will set initial exposure based on exposure compensation if you do this - I think. Try it

Did a quick experiment just now, and I don't think this works. In Av mode if I turn comp to -3, I can see that the LCD view does indeed dim; but then when I turn the dial to M it immediately brightens again. Also the green button in M mode apparently always assumes zero exposure comp - unless I'm doing it wrong.

**UncleVanya** · 09-03-2016, 06:18 AM

Originally posted by Sluggo

Did a quick experiment just now, and I don't think this works. In Av mode if I turn comp to -3, I can see that the LCD view does indeed dim; but then when I turn the dial to M it immediately brightens again. Also the green button in M mode apparently always assumes zero exposure comp - unless I'm doing it wrong.

I apologize I must have misremembered. Sorry. At least you can try the Av mode.

Sluggo · 09-03-2016, 06:25 AM

No apology needed! I appreciate you helping me brainstorm here. But can you confirm/check whether the K-3 behaves as you describe? (i.e., can you use exposure comp to manipulate live view in M mode?)

**UncleVanya** · 09-03-2016, 06:26 AM

Originally posted by Sluggo

No apology needed! I appreciate you helping me brainstorm here. But can you confirm/check whether the K-3 behaves as you describe? (i.e., can you use exposure comp to manipulate live view in M mode?)

Sure, I will do that now... Back soon.

Sluggo · 09-03-2016, 06:33 AM

Super, thanks. I'll be out for a bit and will check this thread later in the morning.

**UncleVanya** · 09-03-2016, 06:41 AM

Nope - I was just wrong. I was able to manipulate screen brightness in M mode by changing ISO - I'm not sure how that makes sense but it is what it is. So you could temporarily lower ISO as another option to get the brightness under control.

Sluggo · 09-03-2016, 07:52 AM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

I was able to manipulate screen brightness in M mode by changing ISO - I'm not sure how that makes sense...

The K-01 definitely doesn't do that. Sounds like it might be a useful quirk.

**leekil** · 09-03-2016, 01:46 PM

Can you do spot-metering on the K-01? Maybe you then spot meter on the performer and the camera would then accurately expose/display them on the screen.

Sluggo · 09-03-2016, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by leekil

Can you do spot-metering on the K-01? Maybe you then spot meter on the performer and the camera would then accurately expose/display them on the screen.

Only when the subject's face is dead center in frame, because when you're using manual focus, the camera doesn't let you specify a different AE/AF point. It's close to a workaround if I wanted to focus then recompose, but that's not reliable with wide apertures.

09-03-2016, 05:26 AM	#1
Sluggo Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 767	over-"exposure" of LCD preview Having shot a pair of music concerts with the K-01 and a loupe eyepiece attachment, I am running into what seems like a limitation of the camera: in dark enough situations with brightly lit subjects (specifically, performers under spotlight), the LCD preview can overexpose the scene to the point where subjects are washed out and clipped to white, and I don't have facial details to use for focusing; and then focus peaking doesn't help much as it only gives a vague outline around the silhouette. This isn't related, as far as I can tell, to the camera's LCD brightness setting. Rather it's because the LCD preview is autoexposed independent of the exposure I've chosen for the shot. I didn't notice this at the first concert, because the band had set up a lot of ambient colored lights shining through smoke in addition to the spotlights. At the second concert, with simpler lighting, I was suddenly at sea with focusing, and ended up with fewer "keepers" when shooting with my darling A*85. Is there an adjustment for this that I'm missing? If I frame things tight enough, there isn't as much negative dark space and it helps, but that's not always the composition I want. Any other workarounds? Related question, does the live view feature on the K-5 and K-3 act the same way with regard to exposure? I might have to buy a more up to date body to gain an optical viewfinder again - I haven't upgraded DSLRs since the K20D and am rather overdue - but would probably still want to use the loupe eyepiece sometimes.

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09-03-2016, 05:34 AM	#2
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 16,352	Have you tried using exposure compensation and setting that to -3 or so? On the K3 the LCD doesn't reflect actual exposure but does darken or lighten in response to exposure compensation. You could use that as a truck to acquire focus and then switch to your actual exposure. If the feature works on the k01.

09-03-2016, 05:42 AM	#3
Sluggo Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 767 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya Have you tried using exposure compensation and setting that to -3 or so? On the K3 the LCD doesn't reflect actual exposure but does darken or lighten in response to exposure compensation. You could use that as a truck to acquire focus and then switch to your actual exposure. If the feature works on the k01. Hmm.... I pretty much always shoot in manual mode. Sounds like an auto exposure mode with compensation would at least be worth experimenting with though, if the camera considers that in how it presents the live view.

09-03-2016, 05:48 AM	#4
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 16,352	Originally posted by Sluggo Hmm.... I pretty much always shoot in manual mode. Sounds like an auto exposure mode with compensation would at least be worth experimenting with though, if the camera considers that in how it presents the live view. EDIT: Ignore this - I misremembered. I can't recall but I think you can stay in manual and still trick the LCD this way. Green button will set initial exposure based on exposure compensation if you do this - I think. Try it, it may require very little change in workflow. Last edited by UncleVanya; 09-03-2016 at 06:42 AM.

09-03-2016, 06:11 AM	#5
Sluggo Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 767 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya Green button will set initial exposure based on exposure compensation if you do this - I think. Try it Did a quick experiment just now, and I don't think this works. In Av mode if I turn comp to -3, I can see that the LCD view does indeed dim; but then when I turn the dial to M it immediately brightens again. Also the green button in M mode apparently always assumes zero exposure comp - unless I'm doing it wrong.

09-03-2016, 06:18 AM	#6
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 16,352	Originally posted by Sluggo Did a quick experiment just now, and I don't think this works. In Av mode if I turn comp to -3, I can see that the LCD view does indeed dim; but then when I turn the dial to M it immediately brightens again. Also the green button in M mode apparently always assumes zero exposure comp - unless I'm doing it wrong. I apologize I must have misremembered. Sorry. At least you can try the Av mode.

09-03-2016, 06:25 AM	#7
Sluggo Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 767 Original Poster	No apology needed! I appreciate you helping me brainstorm here. But can you confirm/check whether the K-3 behaves as you describe? (i.e., can you use exposure comp to manipulate live view in M mode?)

09-03-2016, 06:26 AM	#8
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 16,352	Originally posted by Sluggo No apology needed! I appreciate you helping me brainstorm here. But can you confirm/check whether the K-3 behaves as you describe? (i.e., can you use exposure comp to manipulate live view in M mode?) Sure, I will do that now... Back soon.

09-03-2016, 06:33 AM	#9
Sluggo Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 767 Original Poster	Super, thanks. I'll be out for a bit and will check this thread later in the morning.

09-03-2016, 06:41 AM	#10
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 16,352	Nope - I was just wrong. I was able to manipulate screen brightness in M mode by changing ISO - I'm not sure how that makes sense but it is what it is. So you could temporarily lower ISO as another option to get the brightness under control.

09-03-2016, 07:52 AM	#11
Sluggo Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 767 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya I was able to manipulate screen brightness in M mode by changing ISO - I'm not sure how that makes sense... The K-01 definitely doesn't do that. Sounds like it might be a useful quirk.

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09-03-2016, 01:46 PM	#12
leekil Site Supporter Join Date: May 2016 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,393	Can you do spot-metering on the K-01? Maybe you then spot meter on the performer and the camera would then accurately expose/display them on the screen.

09-03-2016, 02:51 PM	#13
Sluggo Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ames, Iowa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 767 Original Poster	Originally posted by leekil Can you do spot-metering on the K-01? Maybe you then spot meter on the performer and the camera would then accurately expose/display them on the screen. Only when the subject's face is dead center in frame, because when you're using manual focus, the camera doesn't let you specify a different AE/AF point. It's close to a workaround if I wanted to focus then recompose, but that's not reliable with wide apertures.