Indoor Incandescent Light Underexposure

[Dr. G]

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I spent some time shooting around the house tonight.  I'm finding that when my light meter is centered (shooting in M mode) my images are coming out underexposed.  I need to adjust the images +2/3 to +1 2/3 in LR to get them to look correct as well as bring up the shadows.  I never noticed this when shooting outdoors.  FWIW, I'm using native SL lenses.  I was wondering if I'm having the issue described here:

 

https://www.getdpi.com/forum/leica/57614-leica-sl-exposure-problem-settings-not-right.html

 

In any case, I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced this and, if so, how to best compensate.

 

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[LD_50]

Do you have a minimum shutter speed set along with maximum ISO with Auto ISO active?

[Dr. G]

In aperture mode I set shutter to 1/f and max ISO to 6400 with Auto ISO active.  

 

When in M mode I can set aperture, shutter and ISO to make sure the meter is centered/zeroed and I'm still getting underexposed images.  I could see how if the camera was hitting the setting limits it could happen, but don't understand why when I'm controlling everything to get the exposure it would happen.

[LD_50]

I have not experienced this shooting as described in M mode.

[thighslapper]

I think you are looking for faults in the camera when they are more likely generated behind it.

 

Check your metering mode ..... Spot ? Centre Weighted ? Multi-Field?

 

Indoors with very localised illumination you may have to change this to compensate.

 

Personally I have never had any problems as you describe ....

[Dr. G]

Spot metering.  It could be that I'm metering on the wrong areas.  I was choosing my subject, but it happened to be the brightest spot in the frame.  I'm going to try metering on a mid-level area and then focus on my subject to see if I can get it to improve.  

[LD_50]

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If you’re spot metering, is the metering area underexposed? If not, I no longer understand the original post.

[RoySmith]

In aperture mode I set shutter to 1/f and max ISO to 6400 with Auto ISO active.

 

When in M mode I can set aperture, shutter and ISO to make sure the meter is centered/zeroed and I'm still getting underexposed images. I could see how if the camera was hitting the setting limits it could happen, but don't understand why when I'm controlling everything to get the exposure it would happen.

Perhaps your chosen aperture, shutter speed, and maximum ISO did not permit a sufficient exposure for the light level.

 

 

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[Dr. G]

If you’re spot metering, is the metering area underexposed? If not, I no longer understand the original post.

Yes, if I spot meter my subject, I'm still getting an underexposure.

 

I'm going to try to spot meter a mid-level area, lock the exposure and then recompose and focus on my subject to see if I'm just choosing the wrong metering point.

 

In reading the manual, I don't see exactly how to do that. Is there a way to set up the SL so that I can lock the spot meter reading and still use the joystick to choose my focus point and refocus? My focus point is inside of my metering circle. Moving the focus point also moves the spot which then re-meters when I try to focus. For shooting outdoors with my Sony I mostly meter off the sky and use the AEL button on my other camera to lock exposure and then recompose and focus.

[Dr. G]

Perhaps your chosen aperture, shutter speed, and maximum ISO did not permit a sufficient exposure for the light level.

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Probably, I'm just trying to figure out how to use the camera as posted above to avoid that.

[LD_50]

Yes, if I spot meter my subject, I'm still getting an underexposure.

 

I'm going to try to spot meter a mid-level area, lock the exposure and then recompose and focus on my subject to see if I'm just choosing the wrong metering point.

 

In reading the manual, I don't see exactly how to do that. Is there a way to set up the SL so that I can lock the spot meter reading and still use the joystick to choose my focus point and refocus? My focus point is inside of my metering circle. Moving the focus point also moves the spot which then re-meters when I try to focus. For shooting outdoors with my Sony I mostly meter off the sky and use the AEL button on my other camera to lock exposure and then recompose and focus.

I believe you asked the same question in another thread you started about spot metering. Pages 218-219 in the English manual discuss ways to decouple but they only apply to A, P, and T modes.

 

I still don’t understand your original post. Is the entire scene underexposed or just the area you aimed your spot meter at? If it’s the entire scene it sounds like a user error. If it’s actually the area you are using for spot metering I have not seen similar behavior. If I want to make a quick change I use exposure compensation before shooting in A or T modes (and M if using auto ISO) and adjust aperture or shutter in M mode with fixed ISO.

[Donzo98]

Post some pics...

[mmradman]

Chimp and adjust.