SL3: viewfinder doesn’t match image

[erudolph]

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I am finding (and this is a new behavior) that the exposed image is brighter than it appears in the viewfinder.  Today, after several months use, the SL3 is behaving like this, and this is the case no matter how I change the settings.

 

Usually I am in Highlight-Weighted Metering, Exposure Preview is PASM.  For all metering and focus modes and any ISO setting the captured image seems about a half stop brighter than it appears in the viewfinder.  

 

Any suggestions?

[SrMi]

The image's brightness in EVF is not related to the brightness of the captured image as you see on your computer.

Are you saying that the image brightness in EVF at the time of the capture is different than the brightness of the image when reviewed in the EVF?

[erudolph]

Yes, thanks for the clarification.  The histogram reflects this difference.

Edited April 30, 2024 by erudolph

[Carrot]

I experienced exactly this yesterday, viewing the scene in the EVF before taking the shot, and then after the momentary blackout viewing the shot I’ve taken before I take my eye away from the camera, the taken image is noticeably brighter.  Didn’t noticed this prior to yesterday, before I had the SL3 lock up trying to do a lens firmware update (SL APO 50mm) out of the blue - see my separate post on that. 
 

I would add that I always have the EVF brightness set to maximum. 

Edited April 30, 2024 by Carrot

[erudolph]

Update:  I reset the camera, which had no effect on this issue.  I then decided to try a different lens.  Switched from the APO 75mm-SL to the 24-90-SL.  With the zoom I see no difference between viewfinder preview and viewfinder playback.

[Dr. G]

When you half press the shutter, does the EVF stay the same brightness or change?  I always use the histogram for exposure, but was having a strange issue a couple of weeks ago where I was using the joystick for focus lock and then when I pressed the the shutter both the image in the EVF and the histogram was increasing exposure by almost a full stop.    

Edited April 30, 2024 by Dr. G

[erudolph]

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2 hours ago, Dr. G said:

When you half press the shutter, does the EVF stay the same brightness or change?  I always use the histogram for exposure, but was having a strange issue a couple of weeks ago where I was using the joystick for focus lock and then when I pressed the the shutter both the image in the EVF and the histogram was increasing exposure by almost a full stop.    

Half-pressing the shutter, the image brightness in EVF doesn't change no matter which lens I use.  But the problem I mentioned in OP appears to depend on lens.  With SVE 24-90 and 90-280, the image in EVF plays back looking like the preview did.  With APO 35mm-SL and APO 75mm-SL, the recorded image, played back in EVF, is appreciably brighter than the preview in EVF.

[Ken Abrahams]

Check where the focus rectangle is in your scene and if it's placed over a darker or brighter area, that is not actually on the specific subject. Also make sure that spot metering isn't selected. (Just re read and you select Highlight Weighted metering) I allocate the joystick for focus grab and the shutter is then delegated to AE Lock.  Sometimes I will press shutter half in one section of scene (centre weighted metering) to lock exp and then shift camera to my subject and back focus and then full press shutter to shoot. It's one way to control highlights or expose for more challenging scenes bot it can also stuff you up.  

Edited May 1, 2024 by Ken Abrahams

[erudolph]

56 minutes ago, Ken Abrahams said:

Check where the focus rectangle is in your scene and if it's placed over a darker or brighter area, that is not actually on the specific subject. Also make sure that spot metering isn't selected. (Just re read and you select Highlight Weighted metering) I allocate the joystick for focus grab and the shutter is then delegated to AE Lock.  Sometimes I will press shutter half in one section of scene (centre weighted metering) to lock exp and then shift camera to my subject and back focus and then full press shutter to shoot. It's one way to control highlights or expose for more challenging scenes bot it can also stuff you up.  

Thanks Ken, will give that a try.  I am mystified why this seems limited to the couple of primes i have and doesn’t affect the zooms.

[Fgcm]

11 hours ago, erudolph said:

I am finding (and this is a new behavior) that the exposed image is brighter than it appears in the viewfinder.  Today, after several months use, the SL3 is behaving like this, and this is the case no matter how I change the settings.

 

Usually I am in Highlight-Weighted Metering, Exposure Preview is PASM.  For all metering and focus modes and any ISO setting the captured image seems about a half stop brighter than it appears in the viewfinder.  

 

Any suggestions?

This sporadically happens on my Q3 when AF is set to iAF or cAF (same sensor)

the istogram you see when half pressing the release button is different from the one of the image actually taken. In my camera, the photo is actually well exposed, the image in the viewfinder isn’t 

set the AF to sAF and try again. 
hope Laica will fix it in next firmware
 

[Carrot]

Further to my earlier posts (#4) I’ve established that this effect is only happening with my SL lenses. With M lenses and Leica adaptor, the EVF image before taking the shot and after on playback is of equal brightness. 

[Fgcm]

1 hour ago, Carrot said:

Further to my earlier posts (#4) I’ve established that this effect is only happening with my SL lenses. With M lenses and Leica adaptor, the EVF image before taking the shot and after on playback is of equal brightness. 

Yes, because using M lenses, Auto Focus is disabled. The issue is related to the AF

Edited May 1, 2024 by Fgcm

[Carrot]

Can't see how it would be related to AF, as I get the same effect shooting my SL prime lenses in MF mode, the shot image appears brighter in the EVF than when framing the shot.  I've tried all metering modes (spot, CW, multi-field, highlight weighted) and focused on light and dark areas, and the same effect arises every time.  If I make exposure compensation adjustments based on what I see in the EVF I'm at risk of over exposing the shot.

And like the original poster of this issue, it's not something that's been happening since Day 1, it just started happening after many weeks of using the SL3.  It has coincided with the camera out of the blue a couple of days ago displaying a message that it was updating the lens firmware, when the lens was already on the latest version and the last camera firmware update was done a couple of months ago.

Edited May 1, 2024 by Carrot

[Carrot]

The issue isn't simply with the EVF, the effect is the same with the LCD.  The image displayed in auto review, and in playback, is definitely brighter than the image displayed in the EVF and LCD screen prior to taking the shot.  This has nothing to do with EVF/LCD brightness settings, as you can clearly see that the histogram in the taken image is shifted noticebly to the right - see the images labelled 1 & 2 attached.

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Edited May 3, 2024 by Carrot

[Ken Abrahams]

Sorry to hear you are having issues with the SL3 Carrot. I experienced the same kind of bright overexposure with my SL2S Reporter some months ago. It only happened with the SL Apo lens and the problem went away after a great deal of frustration and testing to systematically eliminate factors involving the lens, user error and camera. The kind of forensic work one needs to get the facts prepared to send the camera to Germany or at least to Leica Australia under warranty. I hope you get to the bottom of this issue soon. @Carrot

Best

Ken  

[Carrot]

Thanks for your message Ken, did you eventually establish, or suspect, what was the issue was?  I'm emailing back and forth with Leica at the moment and they can't replicate the issue and suggested I reset the camera, which I've done and it makes no difference, the histogram still shifts to the right in the taken image compared to what you see before taking the shot.

The issue is also technically there with M lenses, but the change in histogram is ever so slight, so in practical terms it's non-issue.  I've been leaning more and more to using my M lenses on the SL3 in recent weeks due to the considerable weight difference, so this could be another nail in the coffin for my SL lenses.

[Photoworks]

Are you using iDR?

it looks to me that only the shadows are getting changed in this sample.

I would try to turn off iDR and see if you have the same contrast image.

[Carrot]

Not using iDR, it's set to off.  But doesn't iDR only affect jpegs?  I shoot RAW.

[Ken Abrahams]

Yes, I mainly have M Lenses to0 C, however the modern style Apo SL lenses are just fantastic. The SL3 and Apo lenses are really getting into rarefied image quality territory.

I have had to learn how to use these AF lenses and not let the lens focus on something in the background instead of my subject. I am very quick with manual M lenses and have skills that were well used in the 1980's so I have only had AF lenses for about 12 months. I think my issue in my case was user error and forgetting to check where the focus rectangle was. Also forgetting to check if I had mechanical shutter on when really higher shutter speed was in order. I was getting over exposed images which is rare for me especially in the locations I was shooting. The issue seemed to go away for a few months and then come back. It was frustrating and I was really doubting myself and my beloved SL2S Reporter model. My settings must have changed and the issue either went away or came back. Anyway this lead me to intensely investigating the camera and the way I was shooting. Lucky I have a few SL's so I could rule out the lens but I couldn't rule out exposure lock when in continuous shooting mode. The first image is fine but after that, not so much. Workarounds were developed and ultimately I wasn't going to be beaten by an AF camera. Checking that spot metering is off helps especially when the crosshairs are in the shadows.   

Edited May 3, 2024 by Ken Abrahams

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[Dr. G]

Carrot, if you use matrix metering vs spot does it still happen?  Also, if you use Exposure lock is it happening then, too?