Preview and AE

[dr_sese]

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I am a bit confused about the image preview function of the SL.

- whenever activating this mode the preview seems to be connected to an AE-L setting. That means whenever I change the framing in preview mode the exposure will not adapt unless I switch off the preview mode and restart it. Is this a bug or a feature? For me this does not seem to be very useful.

- after taking a photograph the preview mode is terminated automatically. Is there any way to have this set on permanently? This preview function makes sense (and is advertised) as one of the major benefits over an OVF. So why not enabling this as the default?

(observed with the SL/24-90, FW 3.0)

 

Thanks in advance for your input and thoughts!

Sebastian

[dr_sese]

Has anyone made similar observations?
 

When in preview mode I can change the aperture/time by turning the rear wheel (in mode A) but it does not restart the exposure metering when reframing or panning.

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[FlashGordonPhotography]

1. What mode are you shooting in? In Manual you can enable exposure preview to be on/off in the menu. in P, A or S modes it's always on. Once these are set you don't need to do anything else in normal use. The camera should show you a simulated view.

 

2. Half pressing and holding the shutter button will lock the exposure and preview. Releasing the button will unlock it.

 

3. If you have AE lock set to the press function on the joystick you may have enabled it by accident. Press the joystick again to disable.

 

4. If you are using the front button exposure preview it's a preview/exposure *lock* and stays active until you turn it off or take an exposure. It's for when you want to lock exposure and recompose, not for normal use and it actually stops the lens down (to show DOF), unlike normal exposure preview, which just simulates brightness.

 

It sounds as if you are using the front button as a normal exposure preview (point 4), which it is not. In normal use in P, A and S modes exposure preview is always active (unless you lock it with the front button) and selectable in M mode in the camera menu.

 

Gordon

[dr_sese]

Thanks Gordon!

If the camera would do the preview I'd be happy. But it does it always at fully open aperture. The simulation stopped down is only accessible with the front button which when pressed also locks and stops exposure metering. Even if I release the shutter button reframe and half-press again the metering will not work again (although AF does).

 

So maybe this is something for the wishlist for FW 4.0 but I think it would be cool not to just have the exposure preview but DOF at the same time as an always-on option.

As it is now the front preview button function is quite limited for practical usage.

 

(I am referring to SL/24-90 in A mode, AFS)

[FlashGordonPhotography]

If the lens stayed stopped down (like some Sony's do) one of two things will happen. Either battery life will plummet because the camera now needs to hold the aperture down and open close it with each AF rotation or AF performance and accuracy will plummet because the focus system is now receiving less light. The Sony cameras that had stop down preview had noticeably worse AF performance as the aperture was stopped down. People complained like nothing else and the newer cameras don't behave this way.

 

The front button is the Leica equivalent of the DOF stop down function on a DSLR and it's not designed to run constantly. And after Sony's failed implementation neither does any other mirrorless camera.

 

Also be aware that DOF preview is not an entirely accurate representation of the final image due to different output magnifications, anyway.

 

Gordon

[dr_sese]

That explanation makes sense. I wasn't aware of the technical issues Sony ran into.

Thanks again!