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EVF brightness and contrast


haydenc

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Hi.

Is there a way of adjusting the EVF brightness.

I played in the display settings but those only adjusted the rear LCD and not the EVF.

 

To me the EVF is too dark and has massive contrast where it is hard to see in shadows etc.

 

I have also toggled exposure simulation and that is not the problem.

 

I did some test shots and expected them to be too dark, but when I got them onto a computer they were exposed correctly.

 

I am used to the EVF on the T which seems much brighter to me.

I read amazing things about the SL view finder, so many I am missing something.

Firmware 1.2

Any suggestions?

Cheers

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No adjustments that I can see. It tracks with the setting for the LCD, I believe. Brightness of the EVF has always seemed just about perfect.

 

It will seem dark if you have Automatic set in dim circumstances, and outdoors in bright sunlight I find I usually want to wear a hat with a brim because (wearing glasses) the light sneaks around my eyes and makes it hard to see clearly. I have the same problem with SLR viewfinders in bright sun. I usually have mine set on Automatic, but there are times when I tweak it to Medium or Medium Bright to hold a specific brightness. It uses the ambient light sensor to manage the brightnesses. 

 

If yours isn't behaving that way, it may be that the brightness system is off and it needs a service from Leica. 

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Merry Christmas all!!

 

Can someone please confirm that on their camera the display brightness also adjusts the brightness of the EVF?

It has zero effect on mine.

 

I want the EVF to be much brighter.

Right now the T EVF is much better than my SL.

 

I lost a good deal of sleep over it last night.

I seem to have problems with Leica for whatever reason.

 

My M240 was stolen within 2 hours of me buying it (sept 2013).

My T had dodgy dials that firmware fixed but still has outstanding issues for me 15 months later.

 

Now the SL which I agonized over the purchase is not 100%.

All review comments seemed to have high praise for the 'bright' EVF.

I have only had the camera 1.5 days now...

Edited by haydenc
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EVF doesn't alter with LCD adjustment.

 

EVF reflects the native lighting of the subject (as if it were a window) till it drops below a certain value when it is amplified to 'normal exposure' levels to allow focussing/composure etc. 

 

On mine, with normal daylight, alternating the view with L (no evf) & R (evf)  eyes shows unaided and EVF illumination is equal .... if this is not the case then something is wrong with the camera.

 

I presume Leica did this to emulate an optical viewfinder as closely as possible and didn't feel any adjustment was necessary.

 

Brightness, contrast and clarity issues are all relative ...... and depend entirely what you are comparing them to ...... and what you are used to ....

 

I find it very naturalistic and have no complaints ...... I have an M240, T and Q and prefer the SL EVF over any of the others. 

Edited by thighslapper
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Bizarrely the EVF brightness is tied to exposure compensation. 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.

 

Gordon

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Thank you for the replies.

With mine it is like putting on 2 or 3 pair of sunglasses when I look through the EVF.

It is definitely no where near as bright as not looking through the EVF.

I mostly use A mode so it is not that the exposure is under exposed manually in M mode that is effecting the EVF.

 

I am going to take it back to the shop today and compare it to their shop camera.

 

Thanks again.

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Ok. I took it back to the shop and compared it to the shop camera.

 

Mine is darker but not by much. However I only tested it inside with zero Windows just lit from the shops lights.

 

Whites look grey.

In a non scientific test I did outside.

If I set the LCD brightness manually, the EVF is closest in brightness to the 'medium low' setting of the LCD. It is actually not as bright as that but not quite as dim as 'low'.

That is using my eyes to measure the difference.

 

Anyway, I was hoping to return the camera but they don't have any others in stock. And now Leica would be on holidays till the new year.

So now I have a new camera that is 3 days old that may need to go for repair/be adjusted.

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HI There Hayden

I'm really sorry you aren't liking it - I agree that the EVF in default mode is not as bright as that on the T . . . . but I really like using it, and I've not seen anyone else having an issue. 

I shot mine in bright sunlight right over the summer, and never had an issue with it. 

 

Have you actually been out shooting with it? or is it just a horrified first impression? 

 

The only relevant menu setting is on the camera menu (second page): Exposure Preview  -  you can switch it on and off, perhaps that will help - Gordon's observation with respect to Exposure compensation (post 7 above) might be relevant too.

 

If the shop camera was the same it seems to me that it might be worth taking out and shooting for a few hours (it surely won't make any difference to whether you can send it back). You might find that you actually get used to it.

 

all the best

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I'm no fan of EVF's but the SL I tried seemed to have quite a natural looking representation of the real world, as in the EVF didn't distort what I perceived with my eyesight, as many seem to. 

 

If your T is set up to show a brighter image you may just need to become accustomed to the SL viewfinder - maybe set it so that it gives you the simulated exposed view instead? 

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Jono, I first used the camera in really bright sunlight in the middle of the day.

I was getting a bit of sun light in the sides between my eyes and the EVF so I put it down to that.

I have tried it in every situation possible since then and in all it is still too dark.

I have played with exposure simulation on and off.

I even read the manual to find out if it could be some setting I couldn't see.

 

Re T EVF brightness. I have never adjusted it. It is still the middle setting.

However I did some tests between the T and the SL.

The T's dimmest setting is still brighter than the SL EVF.

 

I wish I had taken the shop camera outside as it is in bright situations where it is the worst.

I feel like I am constantly under exposing shots and are compensating for that when it is just the view that is dark.

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Jono, I first used the camera in really bright sunlight in the middle of the day.

I was getting a bit of sun light in the sides between my eyes and the EVF so I put it down to that.

I have tried it in every situation possible since then and in all it is still too dark.

I have played with exposure simulation on and off.

I even read the manual to find out if it could be some setting I couldn't see.

 

Re T EVF brightness. I have never adjusted it. It is still the middle setting.

However I did some tests between the T and the SL.

The T's dimmest setting is still brighter than the SL EVF.

 

I wish I had taken the shop camera outside as it is in bright situations where it is the worst.

I feel like I am constantly under exposing shots and are compensating for that when it is just the view that is dark.

 

Turn on the Live Histogram to see actual exposure, unless you have engaged exposure simulation mode. The viewfinder is not normally an exposure metering tool; it's designed to always present a constant brightness as best possible. 

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Yes I could use the histogram, however I prefer to rely on the EVF.

This is 6th camera I have had with an EVF.

I have shot with 4 different lenses in a range of lighting conditions. Probably about 800 or more shots so far.

 

As mentioned before I have used both exposure simulation off/on.

That is not the issue.

Eg if I completely overexpose an image, I don't see a nice crisp white, I see a whitish grey.

 

The real problem is when you are trying to focus on anything quite dark as all of the detail gets moved to black. Even when using spot metering on the exact spot. (M lenses no focus aid, exactly like how I have used the T for over a year)

Edited by haydenc
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Hi all,

I have done some more testing.

 

My problem seems to be in very bright conditions.

In dark conditions/indoor the image is brightened up. It could be a little brighter for my taste, but it is workable.

Outdoors for me is like the EVF is 3 or so stops less than the ambient light (by eye).

I would love the ability to change the brightness just like the brightness control for the LCD.

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Hi all,

I have done some more testing.

 

My problem seems to be in very bright conditions.

In dark conditions/indoor the image is brightened up. It could be a little brighter for my taste, but it is workable.

Outdoors for me is like the EVF is 3 or so stops less than the ambient light (by eye).

I would love the ability to change the brightness just like the brightness control for the LCD.

 

 

In bright sun, I put on a hat with a brim. I have the same problem with all EVF and SLR viewfinders... Too much light spill around my glasses. The hat solves it, and is an essential  part of my field kit. 

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  • 1 month later...

haydenc

 

You are completely correct ...the SL EVF is much too dark (2 to 3 EV) in even moderate full sun .  Yes it usable but its far from ideal and much worse than the Q for example .  

 

I know how to shoot in bright sunlight as I live in Florida for 6 months each year .  I shoot at the beach ,shoot tennis,polo and plenty of street shooting .   The SL is almost impossible to follow action and darn hard to even compose photographs .  I will use a cotton scarf to wrap over the camera and cover my forehead ...its better but its still too dark .  ( I larger accessory eyecup would help if anyone knows of one that could fit). 

 

This is a bright light problem ...if you are shooting in lower light ..you don t see it at all .  But if you are used to shooting with a DSLR ,an M or MF ...this EVF doesn t handle it .   I had far fewer problems using the EVF on my M 240 or the Q .  

 

How can this be considered an ACTION camera which this limitation in viewing ? 

 

This camera should be near perfect for tennis once the new 70-280 AF is available but not with this viewfinder .  

 

Would really love a solution as I had a full range of R lenses I ve been waiting to use (maybe we should talk adapters next ).  

 

Roger Dunham

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Curious that this only seems to be an issue with some people ....... I used the SL Seville and it was very bright and had no problems.

 

I think it might be more a feature of users own pupil behaviour in bright light ...... and probably much worse if they wear specs. 

 

The elongated shape of the Q viewfinder means your eyebrow rests on the top and shades your eye almost completely from ambient light 

 

The SL with it's greater eye relief and shape leaves a lot of fresh air around the eyepiece for stray light ..... and those with marked pupillary reactions may have trouble. 

 

I don't think the native SL EVF brightness is the issue ...... rather the camera needs some sort of eye-cup for very bright conditions where users have problems ......

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