what is displayed in the viewfinder with M10 and M10-P

[sebben]

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Yes it does when instead of showing your meter reading it is showing -1EV. The meter should always show the current reading, not the date, the EV setting or shots remaining on the SD card. It’s the meter for gods sake! 

Edited October 18, 2018 by sebben

[lucerne]

When exposure compensation is zeroed, Nothing showing on mine.  No numerals.  Just exposure arrow. Of course you will see 1ev if that’s the compensation you’ve set.  But, it doesn’t delay the shot. No need to wait for the displayed value to clear. Adjust exposure and shoot. 

Edited October 18, 2018 by lucerne

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[sebben]

It delays the metering. That's the issue. 

[a.noctilux]

3 minutes ago, sebben said:

It delays the metering. That's the issue. 

 

I don't understand what you mean by "it delays the metering" ?

Out of curiosity, I try to take a picture while the "EV value " shows in VF, no delay for me.

I admit that while the picture taken without delay, the shutter speed chosen by the M10 not seen.

[sebben]

Thats what I mean. You don't see the meter value. If you try it in manual mode it won't show the dots without a delay either. So basically if you are shooting fast you never see the meter value or you find yourself waiting for the EV value to disappear. In a fast moving documentary situation this  gets frustrating very quickly. 

The only work around like you say is not to use the EV comp. Unfortunately for me in Scandinavia this leads to a lot of clipped highlights in blonde people's hair!

 

 

[Nordvik]

This was new for me. I have never used exposure compensation. I can see that this would be annoying.

But. Can you not just press the shutter instead of waiting for whatever shutter speed that will be displayed? If it is too slow and you want to make another metering, then the moment is gone. Or?

[adan]

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I get the feeling that some people have a weird habit - and that habit is, they think they have to push and/or hold down the shutter button slightly, to turn on the metering, or take a meter reading.

That is incorrect technique with the M10 - or any digital Leica I've use - or any metered film Leica I've used, for that matter.

Turn on the M10, or wake it up with one very brief light press of the shutter button - and then release any pressure on the shutter button (rest your finger lightly across the rim or bowl around the button - that's what it's there for). You'll immediately see the basic meter indication (shutter speed in A, or manual symbols >o<) without any pressure on the shutter button. Which will stay "on" until the camera goes to sleep again.

There is no need to put any pressure on the shutter button until 1) actually firing the shutter in either manual or A mode, or 2) you want to lock the exposure in A mode (half-press). So don't do it.

Another faulty idea: Using EC in manual mode. There is a simple, time-tested way of "compensating" exposure with manual metering in the Leicas - just change the aperture or shutter speed from what the meter recommends. If you want to meter manually for slight underexposure to avoid blown highlights, simply adjust the aperture and/or shutter speed until the meter symbols show >o (1/2 stop under) or just barely > (1 full stop underexposure). Not any more difficult than adjusting to get the meter centered to read o - just turn the rings and dials.

If you must use "meter-and-recompose" in "A mode" while also using exposure comp (IMHO a faulty idea - use one or the other - "meter-and-recompose" IS exposure compensation, by a different means), then, again, keep you finger off the shutter button until you see the automated shutter speed you want. I.E. you point the camera at the subject and see 1000, and then point the camera around until you see 2000 or 500 or whatever. Then press the button halfway to lock that speed (which you now know). And recompose and take the picture. Presumably, for the second or so you are holding down the locked speed, you can remember what you just locked in a second before(?).

[pico]

It was so much simpler with our entirely manual M cameras.

 

[Guest Nowhereman]

@adan Good explanation! As I've always shot both film and digital Leica-M cameras in manual mode and have never used A-mode or EC, I didn't understand the problem discussed in this thread until I read your post. I've always thought that exposing manually is the most practical, whether it's to expose digital, or slide film for the highlights, and negative film for the shadows — particularly if you shoot both digital and film Leicas: much less chance of confusing what you want to do, i.e., expose for the highlights or the shadows.
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[IkarusJohn]

Of course, for manual mode to work properly, as Andy explains, you need to also fix the ISO.  If you have Auto ISO set, even in manual mode, the camera will adjust the ISO to match the meter - so you will still need to use EC adjustments.  I’m not sure why you’d be in manual mode and still have Auto ISO, I’d have to say.

Much like Pico, I suspect many have forgotten the basics of photography.  With a manual camera (M-A or any pre-meter M camera), you’d be aware of the available light, you’d set the ISO and then adjust the combination of aperture and shutter speed to set the shot.  With all incident light meters, EC was not something you thought about too much.

If you’re using Aperture priority and Auto ISO (there’s no criticism intended on my part), then set the aperture for depth of field.  Hopefully you already have some conception of the available light to know that the shutter speed will be aceptable.  Set you EC and ignore the message flashed up in the view finder, other than to ensure that you haven’t set too high a negative or positive value. I tend to set the ISO beforehand, so I know what the likely shutter speed will be.

As an alternative, try using an L mount camera in manual - as you get exposure simulation through the EVF, you don’t need a meter at all, but that is another issue.

Edited October 20, 2018 by IkarusJohn

[sebben]

They didn't fix this with M10D either... Which is bizarre because you can clearly see the Exposure comp on the dial on the back.

Quote

When mode A is selected, the compensation value is displayed in the viewfinder, for example 1.0- /0.3 (temporary display instead of the shutter speed). Then the compensation value is shown in the form of changed shutter speeds and a flashing dot at the bottom or as a value for about 0.5 s when the shutter button is tapped.

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by sebben

[MikeMyers]

I don't want to start another thread for this simple question, but I've been searching, and can't find an answer.

In my M10 viewfinder, if I press the shutter release half way down, a tiny red light comes on above and to the left of the exposure indicator symbols.  What is this light, what does it do, and did I somehow change a setting that is now causing it to light up?

[adan]

1 hour ago, MikeMyers said:

In my M10 viewfinder, if I press the shutter release half way down, a tiny red light comes on above and to the left of the exposure indicator symbols.  What is this light, what does it do, and did I somehow change a setting that is now causing it to light up?

1) Pressing the shutter release half way down while in any AUTO (A) mode (shutter speed dial, ISO dial, or both) locks the auto exposure the camera has chosen, until you take the picture or stop pressing the shutter button half way.

2) The tiny top red light is the reminder or warning that you have locked in an exposure by doing (1). That is all it does.

3) There is no camera setting that lights up the top tiny red dot except doing (1).

I.E. there is not some "on/off" control for that light. Think of it like the brake lights on your car. If you step on the brake pedal, they light up, but there is not a "brake-lights setting" to turn them on or off otherwise.

Edited September 18, 2022 by adan

[MikeMyers]

Thanks, 'Adan'.  Makes perfect sense - before, I didn't use the automatic settings very much, and if I did, I didn't notice the light.  For this morning, the ISO was set to (A) so what you wrote explains it.  

That also explains why the exposure was slightly off, as I repositioned the camera before taking the shot.  Since I do that often, maybe I should be more cautious about using (A).

Good thing the camera has that light - now that I'm aware of the purpose for it.