Leica CL …..a discovery. In praise of not using the histogram.

[LocalHero1953]

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15 minutes ago, davidrc said:

We agree on one thing then…..the histogram has limitations. If you have the time to faff around with that trying to interpret it, you have the time to use a HH meter. 
We get to the bottom line….the histogram is only really any good for trying to preserve clipped highlights, and if they are well  outside the DR, you’ll just under expose the rest.

 

Er - a quick glance at the histogram to see the distribution of brightness across the image is not 'faffing around'. It's just a momentary glance. It's the quickest way I know to get an impression of the scene lighting if you suspect your WYSIWYG EVF is a bit off - which it often is in extremes. Don't use the histogram if you don't want to, but don't attribute to others the problems you have with it. I use the blinkies for clipped highlights (so I can ignore them if they are specular or hot lights), and the histogram for the scene balance.

Edited February 10, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[davidrc]

4 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Speak for yourself. I can faff well within a second. 

😀  you can’t beat a good faffer.

[davidrc]

5 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

Er - a quick glance at the histogram to see the distribution of brightness across the image is not 'faffing around'. It's just a momentary glance. It's the quickest way I know to get an impression of the scene lighting if you suspect your WYSIWYG EVF is a bit off - which it often is in extremes. Don't use the histogram if you don't want to, but don't attribute to others the problems you have with it. I use the blinkies for clipped highlights (so I can ignore them if they are specular or hot lights), and the histogram for the scene balance.

I didn’t say I had problems with it, I can use it, kept a check on it for years in the manner you describe. But i’ve come to learn it is not that accurate above anything else. And it’s documented why.  The CL metering system can be used in a much more efficient way.

And for a fan of the blinkies….what happens if they exist behind the ridiculously overly large EVF histogram?  Hmm?

[SrMi]

9 minutes ago, davidrc said:

I didn’t say I had problems with it, I can use it, kept a check on it for years in the manner you describe. But i’ve come to learn it is not that accurate above anything else. And it’s documented why.  The CL metering system can be used in a much more efficient way.

And for a fan of the blinkies….what happens if they exist behind the ridiculously overly large EVF histogram?  Hmm?

I have always histogram turned off.

[davidrc]

4 minutes ago, SrMi said:

I have always histogram turned off.

🙄. 

[LocalHero1953]

20 minutes ago, davidrc said:

I didn’t say I had problems with it, I can use it, kept a check on it for years in the manner you describe. But i’ve come to learn it is not that accurate above anything else. And it’s documented why.  The CL metering system can be used in a much more efficient way.

And for a fan of the blinkies….what happens if they exist behind the ridiculously overly large EVF histogram?  Hmm?

Well, I didn’t find it overly large when I had the CL (or TL2, twice). I never gave it a second thought. And I am usually aware of where my highlights are before I put my camera to my eye: jewellery, chrome, sweaty/greasy faces, white clothes, white walls.

(I find that any highlights - other than the sun or artificial lights - which are towards the edge of the frame can be problematic for compositional reasons, so I try to avoid them. As with all such notions I have, I recognise that others may take a different approach).

TBH I never had such a problem with CL metering that led me to think there might be a more efficient/quicker way.  It’s the least of my problems when taking a photograph.

Edited February 10, 2024 by LocalHero1953

[SrMi]

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7 minutes ago, davidrc said:

🙄. 

I have turned histogram off as blinkies, for me, are enough to set the exposure.