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M9 constantly underexposes


Maximus

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I've just run through a bunch of my DNGs, the trend seems to be to have them correctly exposed on average the histogram is from -1.5 to + 1.5 approx., but most are to my taste without much correction.

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Yes, also mentioned back in post 107 :) I'm sensing a certain reluctance to solve the problem here. But it might just be my mood.

Not at all. Please don't be so suspicious. I don't want to sign up for their account - free or not. If someone wants to host it for me I don't mind as long as the file isn't too large to send via email.

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Not at all. Please don't be so suspicious. I don't want to sign up for their account - free or not. If someone wants to host it for me I don't mind as long as the file isn't too large to send via email.

 

The problem is any M9 raw file is going to get rejected by email servers. I'll see if I can get round to setting up a private FTP upload, but yousendit really is the easiest and cheapest way to do this.

 

Otherwise, Wilfredo gave you the best advice. If it's bugging you, send it to Leica.

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Although I don't normally advocate doing this you can register on upload sites using a temporary email address such as those provided by guerrillamail or one of these services. The email addresses "live" long enough for you to complete registration with the service provider without having to provide personal information.

 

Bob

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  • 4 weeks later...

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My m9 also underexposes.

 

One example:

 

situation: daylight, sunny day. 160 iso

 

m8:1/640 f/8 or 1/800 f/8 (if there was bright walls to prevent burning.)

 

m9: under this circumstances I've always obtained a dark image.On postprocess (Aperture) giving +0.5 exposure the image is OK.

 

so m9 daylight sunny 160 ISO= 1/500 f/8 for proper results

 

My d700 doesn't have this problem, in fact it does the opposite, overexpose constantly.

How to prevent it?, knowing your camera and its behaviour in several circunstances.

 

Now I'm absolutely convinced of needing a 1,4 lens to work on weddings with m9 and be close to d700.

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It is highly doubtful that it is "real" underexposure. It is not an absolute in 18% grey any more, like in the film days. The M9 is indeed more careful of the highlights, neccesitating a pull-up of the shadows from time to time. Personally I prefer it that way, as the shadows hold immense amounts of detail. There is also a difference in the RAW compression. If you use compressed DNG the RAW converter will handle the blackpoint differently. The main problem is that the DIN norm does not give a fixed methodology for determining digital exposure. It is just to be similar in result to exposure of film, leaving the choice open to interpretation of the individual manufacturer. With the results you noticed. Leica is following current "best practice"in preserving highlights over shadows, which is exactly the opposite to film, by reason of the absolute cutoff in the highlights on a sensor, similar to film blocking up the shadows as cutoff.

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I also believe the M9 underexposes vs the M8. In manual mode, I prefer to have the full dot plus + the right arrow in the viewfinder to kind of compensate. Even this way, highlights are fully preserved in most cases. Overall, I have much less burnt highlights than with the M8 and this is what matters to me, so I am fine with the metering.

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I suspect that every camera maker will put a value in this field, as it obviously has to do with the sensor character. Can anybody check some other brands? To interpret it as a simple built in underexposure is simplistic to the point of incorrectness.

True!

 

And for the records, in the DNG files created via Adobe DNG Converter from Sony ARW raw files, the Sony Alpha 900 camera has a BaselineExposure value of +0.35 EV.

 

 

Are other M9 users experiencing something similar with the underexposure issue?

No. My M9 exposes spot-on for low- or medium-contrast subjects and usually needs a compensation of -1/3 to -2/3 EV in high-contrast situations, to protect the highlights. Of course, the BaselineExposure value in the DNG files is -0.5 EV, as always.

 

By the way, when images look dark then it is not necessarily the same as under-exposure. When the highlights are close to the histogram's right edge then exposure is fine; still the overall image brightness might appear too dark visually. If that happens then push your raw converter's brightness slider up a bit, not the exposure slider. In Adobe Camera Raw I changed the brightness slider's default from +50 to +60 for M9 files. By the way, I also changed the defaults for clarity, vibrance, and saturation from all zero to +10, +5, and -10, respectively.

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  • 1 year later...

OKi I own and operate a photography studio. I have been shooting for 30 years. I have owned many cameras from Hasselblads through the major brands including the top film and digital units. I know when a camera is under exposing. I have never owned a camera that under exposed.... until the Leica M9.

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OKi I own and operate a photography studio. I have been shooting for 30 years. I have owned many cameras from Hasselblads through the major brands including the top film and digital units. .

 

Imagine that! Amazing!

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OKi I own and operate a photography studio. I have been shooting for 30 years. I have owned many cameras from Hasselblads through the major brands including the top film and digital units. I know when a camera is under exposing. I have never owned a camera that under exposed.... until the Leica M9.

Hi, would you mind posting some of the shots? Im curious, as I have never noticed. Could be that Im using exposure compensation quite a bit and I dont have your expreince. other than this, how are you enjoying it so far?

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Hey Z.Wang Leica Bro. Well guess what ? I love the M9, it is awesome. Now I think I solved the problem but I can't understand why the camera would operate in this manner.

When I received the unit (perfectly packaged as new BTW thanks to you), I went through the menu settings in order to return the camera to the factory default. I came across the exposure compensation setting which had been set to minus 1/3 and reset back to zero.

Camera settings were now standard. But it under exposed every frame (obviously not a stop as I had said but under none the less) Anyhow, what I did notice was a small flashing led beside the shutter speed, apparently this indicates that exposure has been altered in a camera setting. Even though the camera was set back to standard... weird.

I hit the reset button and since that point, the exposure appears to be correct, though I have not had the chance to make any exposures in sunlight which I had done in earlier testing. It may be that the perceived problem is remedied and that it was some sort of camera processor glitch... who knows, who cares, as long as it works.

Will keep you informed. Good luck with the M9P.

 

Cheers,

 

Paul

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Seems I am unable to replicate the flashing dot next to the shutter speed display in the VF. Can anyone explain what this flashing indicates ? "Warning of values beyond the metering range" ? does not make sense in light of the above situation where every shot was under...

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@ Studio58

Thats great to hear, I guess these days all the post processing we do (especially for someone like me who started with digital), I don't really notice or remember things like this anymore. Anyways, I will let you know how the M9-P goes, I guess it will be just like the M9 :).

 

Keep in touch, I will send you my direct email add, hopefully we can meet up next time I go down to tassie.

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