glenerrolrd Posted February 16, 2016 Share #21 Posted February 16, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Agree an eyecup would improve things ..if I can find something that works . The EVF brightness is not adjustable (as it says in the manual ) just the LCD display . Making the EVF adjustable solves the problem . You can use the exp comp and see how it brightens the viewfinder (of course fouls up your exposure unless you are on manual ). I don t wear eye glasses and I have 20/20 vision but you may be on to something .Bright ambient light from the side could easily affect me more than it used to . Anyway its a “feature “ of the new SL to insure that you are sufficiently challenged when shooting sports in daylight .... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 16, 2016 Posted February 16, 2016 Hi glenerrolrd, Take a look here EVF brightness and contrast. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
hydet Posted May 5, 2016 Share #22 Posted May 5, 2016 I have had my SL for six months and have shot it tens of thousands of times. All of the sudden, while traveling, I found I had the same problem as the OP in this thread. I was using the new 28mm F/1.4 with the T adapter but the EVF was too dark to see and focus with. I knew I had changed some setting to cause this, but nothing I did seemed to correct it. I returned to my hotel and plowed through the manual, which wasn't helpful, then remembered this thread. ThighSlapper (post 7) is exactly right. Somehow I had changed the exposure compensation to -3. I always shoot in manual, so the setting is otherwise irrelevant, but it screwed up a morning shoot for sure. I zeroed it out and the world is bright again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted June 9, 2016 Share #23 Posted June 9, 2016 I no longer subscribe to Sean Reid, but his review of the SL on LuLa speaks to his issue with all EVFs, including the SL... "But current EVFs couldn’t handle high subject contrast even if their lives depended on it. Every electronic finder I have ever used, including the one in this SL and the ones in various excellent Sony A7 series cameras I’ve tested, have limited dynamic range. Michael wrote about the problem here a couple of years ago. Faced with a bright and sunny subject (or a lit stage near an audience in dim light, etc.) an EVF’s shadow areas go to black or the highlights go to white or both." When I recently tried the SL outside a Leica shop on a bright sunny day, i couldn't see a thing.....the EVF was black....and I thought the problem was understated, to say the least. Turns out that my polarized sunglasses blocked all the light. After changing to regular glasses, all was well. Lots of reasons for things happening. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
haydenc Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share #24 Posted June 9, 2016 did you try using the exposure compensation function to change the EVF's brightness? Gordon This topic just popped up and I saw this. Yes, exposure compensation is not the problem. If I completely overexpose for example, the white looks grey. In the months that have passed I have compared the brightness of this EVF to my other cameras. Including M240, X2, DLux typ 109, T, Panasonic GH4 and more recently the Fuji X-pro 2. In each and every case in bright sun light the SL is by far the darkest of the lot. It annoys me on a daily basis. However the good side of it is that in dark conditions, the EVF gains up nicely. Especially compared to the Xpro2 which appears very grainy etc. I was majorly annoyed when firmware 2.0 didn't add the ability to adjust the EVF. Especially as I can adjust the EVF in all my other Leica cameras. (Worth mentioning that all the others I haven't adjusted the brightness, it is only the SL that bothers me) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMarc Posted June 9, 2016 Share #25 Posted June 9, 2016 I was majorly annoyed when firmware 2.0 didn't add the ability to adjust the EVF. Especially as I can adjust the EVF in all my other Leica cameras. (Worth mentioning that all the others I haven't adjusted the brightness, it is only the SL that bothers me) Don't worry too much: having this solved will be a major selling point for the SL II ;-) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski542002 Posted June 28, 2016 Share #26 Posted June 28, 2016 Ok, so my frustration is getting the best of me; I apologize in-advance. I've got a $7,500 camera, trying to shoot with thousands upon thousands of dollars of M lenses. In evenly lit indoor standard ambient lighting situations, I can hit focus with any Leica lens wide open 99.9% of the time, AE or manual exposure. Consistently better than I ever could achieve with my M240. Outside, on a bright sunny day, with slight backlighting of the sky, or shooting a couple in open shade on a sunny day, achieving accurate focus is virtually impossible with the lens wide open. Who the hell at Leica thought that was a good idea? Right now I'm not interested in any of the SL zooms, but I am considering returning the camera and going with A7RII that supposedly has better EVF controls. All the blogs, the experts, the Leica pundits say how great the EVF is; the best. Did they not try the camera with an M lens? The screen on my $700 point-and-shoot (Sony of course), functions better in high-ambient light. In a previous post, I read "If the EVF is too dark when shooting in manual adjust the exposure compensation and the EVF will get brighter. This will not affect the shot exposure. However in AV,TV and P the shot exposure will also be affected. " So if I prefer to be in aperture AE, this solution won't work. Why the need to compromise and make concessions with very expensive equipment? Extremely irritating. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steppenw0lf Posted June 28, 2016 Share #27 Posted June 28, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) I use only manual lenses, but never had too much difficulty in broad daylight. But maybe the weather is not as brilliant in Switzerland as in the place you live - actually we had quite a lot of rain and thunderstorms this summer. But I usually try to use my lenses at their optimal aperture which is not wide open. Only occasionally the subject asks for a take at full aperture. And I also know that I do not focus perfectly, so I usually take several picture slightly varying the distance - a kind of manual bracketing. Usually when using my equipment I forget its price, I am just glad I was able to get it. So I try to overcome the "technical" difficulties no matter how valuable or cheap the equipment at hand is. Otherwise I would probably not go to many places where it is not advisable to show jewelry or cameras of high insurance value. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom0511 Posted June 28, 2016 Share #28 Posted June 28, 2016 does it help if you set jpeg settings to lower contrast? just an idea (I havent tried myself, but then I also have not run into the problems you describe) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski542002 Posted June 28, 2016 Share #29 Posted June 28, 2016 Ok, so my frustration is getting the best of me; I apologize in-advance. I've got a $7,500 camera, trying to shoot with thousands upon thousands of dollars of M lenses. In evenly lit indoor standard ambient lighting situations, I can hit focus with any Leica lens wide open 99.9% of the time, AE or manual exposure. Consistently better than I ever could achieve with my M240. Outside, on a bright sunny day, with slight backlighting of the sky, or shooting a couple in open shade on a sunny day, achieving accurate focus is virtually impossible with the lens wide open. Who the hell at Leica thought that was a good idea? Right now I'm not interested in any of the SL zooms, but I am considering returning the camera and going with A7RII that supposedly has better EVF controls. All the blogs, the experts, the Leica pundits say how great the EVF is; the best. Did they not try the camera with an M lens? The screen on my $700 point-and-shoot (Sony of course), functions better in high-ambient light. In a previous post, I read "If the EVF is too dark when shooting in manual adjust the exposure compensation and the EVF will get brighter. This will not affect the shot exposure. However in AV,TV and P the shot exposure will also be affected. " So if I prefer to be in aperture AE, this solution won't work. Why the need to compromise and make concessions with very expensive equipment? Extremely irritating. So, I'm spanking myself just a bit I tried this other solution of using the exposure compensation option when shooting in manual mode. I configured the FN button to access exposure compensation and I can brighten the screen to an adequate level to be able to see what I'm trying to focus. Just need to work out my exposure settings and not rely on the now too-bright screen to confirm correct exposure. Usually, my manual exposure situations don't change from location to location, unless the sun is going in and out of clouds. It's a kludgy workaround, but at least I won't have to stoop to the Sony camp anytime soon! I appreciate the suggestion of using exposure comp found earlier in this thread. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted June 28, 2016 Share #30 Posted June 28, 2016 Make sure you write to Leica about your issues. Be upfront and tell them what you want. The more people who inform Leica about this issue the more likely it'll be given some priority in the next firmware update. Gordon Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski542002 Posted June 29, 2016 Share #31 Posted June 29, 2016 Gordon, that's a prudent comment, and one that I will act on! I do need clarification. I've not tried the 24-90. Do the native SL lenses have the same issues regarding the EVF brightness, or is the issue exclusive to adapted lenses used with the SL? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD_50 Posted June 29, 2016 Share #32 Posted June 29, 2016 Gordon, that's a prudent comment, and one that I will act on! I do need clarification. I've not tried the 24-90. Do the native SL lenses have the same issues regarding the EVF brightness, or is the issue exclusive to adapted lenses used with the SL? Native lenses will stay wide open when focusing and then stop down for taking the photo. That said I have the same problem with the 24-90 that I have with my M lenses in that I don't have enough choice as to how the EVF handles high contrast scenes. I use exposure compensation to quickly review high contrast scenes before capture but I would prefer to have a setting (or button press to toggle settings) that would "stick" between shots. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski542002 Posted June 29, 2016 Share #33 Posted June 29, 2016 Thanks for the reply LD_50. It's disconcerting but at least you have AF to confirm more accurate (but not perfect in some situations) focus with the native lenses. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski542002 Posted June 29, 2016 Share #34 Posted June 29, 2016 Not to pile on, but what's wrong with this picture from page 6 of the SL brochure? I never see anything close to this level of illumination. I'm sure a future FW upgrade will allow for more flexibility, but I'm hoping sooner than later. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/254748-evf-brightness-and-contrast/?do=findComment&comment=3070613'>More sharing options...
Budfox Posted June 30, 2016 Share #35 Posted June 30, 2016 Does using the LCD to frame the shot result in a brighter preview than the EVF? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicaiste Posted June 30, 2016 Share #36 Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) .. Edited June 30, 2016 by Leicaiste Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGodParticle/Hari Posted June 30, 2016 Share #37 Posted June 30, 2016 Not to pile on, but what's wrong with this picture from page 6 of the SL brochure? I never see anything close to this level of illumination. I'm sure a future FW upgrade will allow for more flexibility, but I'm hoping sooner than later. SL promo pg 6.png I see no issues with the EVF performance I tried one SL body with the 24-90 and another SL body with an APO50/2 I could not replicate the settings from the image accurately as there is no 1/400 shutter speed [emoji4] Bright and lovely EVF, nothing to complain about from my end Does this only happen to you in strong light conditions? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski542002 Posted June 30, 2016 Share #38 Posted June 30, 2016 Hello: You asked "Does this only happen to you in strong light conditions?" I will say it's more about "strong contrast" light conditions. In looking at the screen-grab I took from the Leica literature, the deep blue sky and water are fairly even in terms of contrast, with only the strip of brown sand being quite a bit brighter. Based on what I've found, this scenario in my EVF would look darker than what is shown in the literature, but not impossibly dark. My other comments of shooting for instance, a couple in open shade on a sunny day, would result in the couple being extremely dark, and virtually impossible to focus accurately. Over the last few days, I've been putzing with the exposure comp settings while using manual exposure with my M lenses, and I am getting more comfortable with the EVF issue. For outdoor situations (as in the Leica literature), if I set the exposure comp +2/3 stop, everything looks great. I will still have to increase exposure comp in very high contrast situations, but at least it's workable. If I just use the in-camera exposure meter and avoid the look of the EVF, my captured images are spot-on. I also noticed that the exposure compensation setting that I'm using "does stick", even when powering the camera off, and then on-again. Another poster said the setting is not retained, but I've found the opposite, which is good. My frustration is beginning to wane, and I still feel the SL is a great camera/system that Leica (and the photog) can build on, Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski542002 Posted June 30, 2016 Share #39 Posted June 30, 2016 Does using the LCD to frame the shot result in a brighter preview than the EVF? From what I've found, the LCD reacts the same as the EVF, meaning that in very high contrast situations a dark area (open shade on a sunny day?), would be impossibly dark to achieve accurate focus without + exposure comp being applied. The LCD & EVF, react the same way to exposure comp. Changing LCD brightness settings at least for me, has no impact on this reaction. See my reply to TheGodParticle just posted before this reply. Still very pleased with the camera Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD_50 Posted June 30, 2016 Share #40 Posted June 30, 2016 I also noticed that the exposure compensation setting that I'm using "does stick", even when powering the camera off, and then on-again. Another poster said the setting is not retained, but I've found the opposite, which is good. My frustration is beginning to wane, and I still feel the SL is a great camera/system that Leica (and the photog) can build on, If you're referring to my mention of EVF settings "sticking" I was referring to exposure simulation being "sticky" not exposure compensation. In other words, I would like to be able to set the EVF to always simulate exposure, rather than auto-brightening to whatever level it chooses. Currently it can be set to exposure simulation but it "forgets" the setting after each shot. This being changed plus settings for contrast, color, brightness, etc would be useful and in line with competitive offerings. Douglas Herr's review (also linked in another thread on this site) goes into the same issue under the section "Real Time Exposure Feedback - Leica SL vs. Sony a7II" . http://www.overgaard.dk/Leica-Camera-Typ-601-The-Birdman-of-Sacramento-Douglas-Herr-takes-on-the-Leica-SL-Review-Sony-A7II-with-Wildlife-Tele-Lenses.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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