Correct Depth of Field through EVF

[Ktsa5239]

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This might be a stupid question but I'm still on the learning phase with my SL2. Is there a way to change the settings so that the evf shows the change in Depth of Field when I change the aperture of the lens?

Thanks!

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[isleofgough]

It should show this automatically.

[Ktsa5239]

3 hours ago, isleofgough said:

It should show this automatically.

Really? At the moment even when I stop down to f8, the image through the evf is still the same as f2 until after I press the shutter and look at the preview 

[SrMi]

There is no depth-of-field preview possibility on SL2 any longer. Forum members have complained about that already.

[Ktsa5239]

1 hour ago, SrMi said:

There is no depth-of-field preview possibility on SL2 any longer. Forum members have complained about that already.

Oh! Is there a rationale behind that!? Why would they remove that feature!?

[isleofgough]

Maybe it only works on manual focus lenses. It definitely works for me with three Zeiss lenses.

[jplomley]

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It was idiotic to remove the depth of field preview capability on the SL2 IMHO

[SrMi]

14 hours ago, Ktsa5239 said:

Oh! Is there a rationale behind that!? Why would they remove that feature!?

I do not know, but the rumor is that Leica removed it because photographers they talked to did not use it.

[SrMi]

8 hours ago, isleofgough said:

Maybe it only works on manual focus lenses. It definitely works for me with three Zeiss lenses.

I do not know which Zeiss lenses you refer to, but most manual focus lenses have manual aperture lenses, i.e., the aperture does not stay open until you press the shutter and therefore you always have correct DOF visible in EVF.

All M-mount lenses show you correct DOF (manual aperture lenses).

[isleofgough]

Perhaps you are speaking of something you read rather than actual lenses you own. The aperture does not "stay open until you press the shutter" with Zeiss 100mm Distagon macro, 21mm or 55mm Otus for Nikon with a novoflex adapter. Rather than setting each lens at the smallest aperture, you can set it to the aperture you want on the lens itself and then turn the dial on the adapter to get an exact f stop. I'm not guessing about whether it shows a true depth of field preview; I have tried it with all three lenses and it works. It could be different with the Canon or Sony versions of the Zeiss lenses. I don't have those to test.

Edited November 4, 2020 by isleofgough

[SrMi]

4 hours ago, isleofgough said:

Perhaps you are speaking of something you read rather than actual lenses you own. The aperture does not "stay open until you press the shutter" with Zeiss 100mm Distagon macro, 21mm or 55mm Otus for Nikon with a novoflex adapter. Rather than setting each lens at the smallest aperture, you can set it to the aperture you want on the lens itself and then turn the dial on the adapter to get an exact f stop. I'm not guessing about whether it shows a true depth of field preview; I have tried it with all three lenses and it works. It could be different with the Canon or Sony versions of the Zeiss lenses. I don't have those to test.

It seems that I did not explain well. 

On SL2, with my M lenses (no automatic aperture), the aperture is always fixed at the selected value, and therefore there is correct DOF. I assume that is the case with Zeiss 100m Distagon macro when using it with the Novoflex adapter? I do not have a Novoflex adapter to try it with my Nikon mount Zeiss lenses.

AFAIK, all L-mount lenses have an automatic aperture that stays wide open while focusing and looking through the EVF (on SL2). The aperture is only closed to the selected aperture when the shutter is pressed.

[isleofgough]

The novoflex adapter is purely mechanical (a tube), so it sounds like Leica m lenses perform the same way as the zeiss. I have a Leica 50mm summicron sl, and it sounds like it will not generate an accurate dof preview.

[masjah]

8 hours ago, SrMi said:

It seems that I did not explain well. 

On SL2, with my M lenses (no automatic aperture), the aperture is always fixed at the selected value, and therefore there is correct DOF. I assume that is the case with Zeiss 100m Distagon macro when using it with the Novoflex adapter? I do not have a Novoflex adapter to try it with my Nikon mount Zeiss lenses.

AFAIK, all L-mount lenses have an automatic aperture that stays wide open while focusing and looking through the EVF (on SL2). The aperture is only closed to the selected aperture when the shutter is pressed.

It's the same with R lenses. Even though, unlike M lenses, R lenses have a diaphragm stop-down mechanism to enable open aperture metering on R cameras, the SL2 does not use it. This means that the camera sees everything at working aperture. I find this an advantage, because I use focus confirmation with the aperture wide open (minimising depth of field and thereby maximising focus peaking sensitivity) and then I stop down manually to my intended aperture. (I do the same when using R lenses on an M240 + adapter + EVF2.)