EV: Do You Change It Often?

[esophoria]

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When shooting with a modern day DSLR-- changing the EV setting is common. I make use of it when fine tuning my exposure.......with my Sony A7 with Leica glass.

 

When using my M 240 I rarely press on the button on the front to change the EV setting. Do other M 240 users often change the EV setting when taking a photo?

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[Dikaiosune01]

I don't use it as much as I like. That front button is too difficult to find and press. One one unlucky situtation (but overall very very very fortunate), in my haste to find that front focus button... ... I PRESSED THE LENS RELEASE ... ... (sorry about the caps, that occurance still gives me nightmares.

 

Now I prefer manual exposure. If I want shutter priority, i will (1) half press to lock exposure; then (2) twiddle with the aperture to get the exposure that I want.

 

Fortunately, according to rumors (I don't know if they have been confirmed yet), with the new firmware coming out at the end of may, the M240 will not require that button for exposure compensation. This could be a good or bad thing. Good: Don't need to find that pesky front button. Bad: will be more missed exposure with a more easily knocked out of place EV compensation button .

[John Black]

I usually shoot in A mode, so if I need to add exposure, I find something darker, meter on that and then 1/2 press the shutter button to hold that exposure. If less exposure, then I find something brighter and same process. I watch the exposure value in the RF window to see how much the exposure is changing. Sounds complicated when writing it, but in practice it takes a couple seconds and process is second nature (to me). If the light is very dynamic (EV is changing alot, like on partly cloudy days), I start using manual mode.

[Jeff S]

Nope, prefer manual mode.

 

Jeff

[Echo63]

No, as i shoot in Manual all the time

Only time i use the dial is to zoom in during playback

 

I alos find it easier to use my index finger to move the SS dial, thsn to find that button, press it and use the EV dial on the back

[edwardkaraa]

With the M9 I used it all the time. With the M240 I use the same technique as John Black. I am one of those who are hoping for the FW update.

[jaapv]

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No, I prefer to shoot manual.

[Rick]

Dr. Cross-eyes - I find it easier and more straight forward to shoot manually. For any given situation I prefer to adjust shutter speed, f-stop, and sometimes ISO. I have never used EV compensation on the M cameras.

 

Cheers, and may base-out prism be with you.

 

Rick

[250swb]

I often use EV compensation, simply because making a bracketed sequence has to be done on Auto, and often the Auto exposure value is not the one I would choose if I had control of the camera (but Leica don't listen and allow auto bracketing in Manual exposure). So EV is used as an override. Before anybody asks, Auto Bracketing instead of just changing the shutter speed is used so you don't have to touch the camera between exposure's and so risk moving it on the tripod.

 

On a lesser basis I use the EV compensation when the light is changing fast and Auto Exposure is best for general fast moving situations, but otherwise Manual exposure works best. In either case I have fitted a spacer on top of the EV button so it can be felt more easily, especially when wearing gloves, made from a stamped disk of aluminium and a roundel of double sided tape. It looks like the original but sticks out a fraction further.

 

Steve

[keithlaban.co.uk]

Yes.

[wda]

On a range of cameras, I very rarely adjust EV. If in aperture or shutter priority modes, any correction reverts to full manual. After moving on, I invariably select my chosen preset so that I know I am back to my basic drill. I find it much safer that way.

[hamey]

When I got my M240 I wasn't too happy with the classic metering, several occasions I did use the EV compensation, however now I prefer the Live view mode and still focus through the range finder.

 

Shot this today in Melbourne Australia with the 35mm f2 ASPH uncoded.

Must say the images the M240 produces are very nice.

I reallly want to keep this camera, I just hope it becomes reliable.

 

Ken.

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[tookaphotoof]

Somehow I always get confused of the built in light meters. Shooting analog I will usually use an external light meter start off with.

With the M240 I don't. Shoot, check the histogram once to see if I'm about right and that's it. If uncertain when the light changes too much I'll just make a test shot again and check.

[tobey bilek]

Like auto anything, it fast becomes more trouble than it is worth.

 

Turn the dial on top to something other than A. If the exposure is wrong, turn the top dial a notch or change aperture.

 

I can understand if the light & action is moving fast, A has its uses. But then you do not have time for a mulligan anyway.

 

If there were time for a mulligan, I would meter from something darker or lighter to force a change and hold the shutter part way to put the new speed into memory. The is a nice comma that displays when you hold the speed this way.

[Echo63]

No, as i shoot in Manual all the time

Only time i use the dial is to zoom in during playback

 

I alos find it easier to use my index finger to move the SS dial, thsn to find that button, press it and use the EV dial on the back

 

I should add, that i use the EV dial on my 1DX a fair bit doing "spot news" type of stuff

but the moment it gets dark, or i set up lights, i head back into Manual mode again.

[edwardkaraa]

I understand the manual mode thing, I do it whenever I want consistent exposures, when I'm shooting the same subject under stable lighting. But I shoot mainly random street shots and lighting varies considerably from shot to shot. One could be in sunlight, the next in the shade, or in mixed lighting. I use automatic in this kind of shooting, I'm not HCB

 

PS: I even shoot on auto-iso

[The Clam]

With DSLR I used EV compensation much more frequently. I shoot in A most of the time and use the method John Black describes. I'm not sure whether it is the Leica metering, the DR of the sensor or some other factor, but I find I need exposure compensation far less now. That said, I am looking forward to the firmware update.

[lct]

Too slow a process for me. I rather shoot in A mode and half press on darker or brighter subjects if need be. YMMV.

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[Hookeye]

I must confess I use A mode quite frequently. Particularly when it is quite dark and I cannot read the settings on the shutter speed wheel. As I cannot see what shutter speed I have chosen in the viewfinder my only option is to waste a lot of time pressing the "info" button and reading it off the display on the back of the camera. That process not only make me miss the shot, it also blinds my night vision. I admit I have quite old eyes, so that does not help either. By choosinng A mode, the shutter speed info appears all the time in the viewfinder and that is just what I need.

 

And, YES, I do change the EV value all the time. But do not find it difficult. I do it without thinking and that much ridiculed button works fine for me. I also tend to use EV-1 or even lower when it is dark, otherwise my photos look as if they are taken in the daylight and the drama of the night is spoiled.

 

To you "manual only" purists: How do you find out what shutter speed you are working with when it is too dark to read the shutter speed dial? Is there some trick that I have missed, I would be very grateful if you could let me know!

 

Best wishes HP

[tookaphotoof]

Hookeye, it depends on how much time I think I have to take the photo. It's really easy to feel the dial wheel fall into the "A-mode". As with the aperture ring I simply count down the clicks of the dial. If in any way I forgot what shutter speed I had set, I just start again from the automatic mode. Hope that explains it to you.