Over exposure

[IWC Doppel]

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Anyone else found their M8 tending to overexpose ?

 

I have the latest software but find I get way too much exposure on bright days, it seems at least a stop too much, this seems to be independent of lenses. Any advice here ?

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[jaapv]

Probably your exposure metering is fooled by the subject contrast, specifically the relatively dark shadows. The M8 has strongly centre-weighed exposure metering. Go to manual and measure your main subject selectively. If it has a density of anything approaching 18% grey you are fine. If it is darker, drop exposure by 1 EV. If it is much darker, by more. If it is lighter than middle gray adjust the other way.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello IWC Doppel,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Another way is to learn to see which Zone 0 - IX the area being metered by your meter is in. Then adjust the shutter/aperture accordingly. For example: If you are metering a Zone VII scene like a snowy field on a sunny day then ADD 2 stops of exposure to what the meter says . For example: an F8 reading is OPENED to F4.

 

You might try measuring w/ the specific Zone in mind. Say to youself: "That is a Zone IV in the area being read by the meter" - SUBTRACT 1 stop - & adjust the exposure you read in your camera accordingly - F4 is CLOSED to F5.6 - I think once you start to look @ which Zone the metered part of the scene is in you should find yourself w/ a higher degree of satisfactory exposures.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[wda]

Mine generally over-exposed by 1/3EV and I used an appropriate profile for those occasions when time was pressing. However manual exposure is the way to go if there is time to do so.

[IWC Doppel]

Thanks for the feedback, I have only just seen he light meter thread below and had coincidentally dropped the EV to -1/3 in the set menu to see how I get on.

 

I will read the manual again, to refamiliarise

[fWord]

Limited, non-technical experience with the M8 actually demonstrates that my specimen tends to underexpose instead (for an 'average' scene), so that's contrary to your experience. I don't mind this because it's relatively easy to just compensate a little at the shooting stage. And in the event that a photo is slightly underexposed, it's dealt with in post. Underexposure is lovely because it protects the highlights (at the expense of some shadows), but some colour images actually look more saturated because of the slight underexposure.

 

In another thread, I read that most people tended to leave their M8 at -1/3 exposure compensation for an 'average' scene. The M8 actually has marginally more dynamic range in the shadows than in the highlights (check up the review at dpreview), when compared to a quality digital SLR sensor, which might explain the fact that people intentionally underexpose to protect the highlights with little risk of blocking the shadows. But -1/3 stop would be too much for me personally, and I've left mine at 0 exposure compensation. Furthermore, image noise affects shadow details, and a image that needs to be 'pushed' (exposure increased in post) will demonstrate even more shadow noise. That's a double whammy from underexposure, IMO...you lose shadow details and wind up with much shadow noise.

 

Ultimately it does depend on the image itself...I've never been worried about noise levels in any of today's large sensor cameras. To me, they're more than good enough, even for the prints that I make. The true challenge is getting the right lighting and moment. I've got plenty of boring, noiseless images that have gone into the bin, but have yet to take a single prize-winning noisy image. Nevertheless, give these settings a try and see how it works for you.