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| Tree in fog a dawn, (backlit) in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee (click to enlarge) X-T2, 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 16mm; 1/640th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200 |
I use a combination of the in-EVF histogram as well as the overall "look" of the image in the EVF two different ways to gauge my exposure. I'll use strictly the histogram when the scene is very contrasty and I intend to utilize the RAW file for further editing and preparing a final image. I like using the overall "look" of the image in the EVF if I intend to use the JPEG and want it to appear as close as possible as I intend it to look right out of the camera. This second method is used when I want to do minimal or no editing and the scene is average in contrast, etc.
When I first started using my X-T2, I noticed, when using the second method described above, that the image in the EVF would look great—luminance or brightness wise—but in Lightroom it was much too dark and I was having to increase the "Exposure" slider sometimes one and up to two stops to brighten the file to its proper look. Obviously, to me, the EVF brightness was not matching how I wanted the final image to look. What to do?
I decided to experiment and, thinking through the issue, it seemed to me that if I darkened the EVF the resultant increase in exposure would brighten the file and come closer to what I desired.
I first tried reducing the brightness of the viewfinder to -1, and that helped, but it wasn't enough. I now have it set to -2 and the images look much closer to how I want them to look SOOC (straight out of the camera).
I still see some image files that are about 1/2 stop darker than desired, so I'm not totally through experimenting. At this juncture, I need to ascertain if it is now me or the EVF setting that is making a few images just a bit darker than I intend.
As an aside, I don't notice any negative effects, nor do I even notice that I have darkened my EVF. In the end, I give each image more exposure and the EVF brightens back to where it was in the first place with default settings.
As I finalize this process for me, I'll give you one more update. But for now, I'm keeping the EVF at -2 for a while longer and see how my JPEGs look SOOC.
Again, this might not be an issue for you as you may use your camera body differently than me. So your experience may vary.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
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Dennis: This is also true for my X-T1. If I want a good match, it's EVF brightness must be set to -2 with a look at the histogram, as well.
ReplyDeleteDoug, thanks for writing.
DeleteI didn't find as much of an issue as I do in my X-T2. But I did find many frames "underexposed" but just mentally compensated rather than actually experimenting and making changes.
Dennis. With my XE2 the EVF is set on 0. Also the LCD is set to 0. Both are fine in daylight. In dark circumstances EVF and LCD brighen up, but the image has the right amount of brightness. So why not the X-T1/2? I Always shoot in RAW and almost never encounter highlightclipping. But Fuji seems to underexpose a little (also with my earlier XE1).
ReplyDeleteThat was my issue. The image would look good in the EVF, but upon opening the RAW image in Lightroom, it appears underexposed. Strangely, the JPEG, when shooting RAW + JPEG, would look properly exposedin Lightroom! I'm not sure why that is happening. Fuji may be applying a luminance boost as part of the in-camera JPEG processing while not applying luminance modifications in the RAW files. My tests show Fuji does apply color noise reduction to their RAW files in-camera, however. I'll keep probing.
DeleteDennis, I don't have experience with jpeg. But being more precise: my RAW files in Lightroom are properly exposed in the dark and middle areas, but the highlights seem underexposed ore compressed. When using the adobe standard converter, I Always have to adjust the highight levers. On internet I noticed more users remark the underexposure tendency, probebly to avoid highlightclipping. I share your feeling about the build-in color noice reduction with RAW. Greetings, Ton van Schaik
DeleteTon,
DeleteOf course what we are looking at is a JPEG rendition generated in-camera when we look at our LCD. However, in Lightroom, the rendition is based upon what Adobe applies by default during import to generate a viewable RAW file. I'm curious if the highlight compression is a result of some Lightroom setting or in-camera JPEG preference settings. I'm not seeing a highlight compression in Lightroom upon import.
In Lightroom, for my RAW files, I normally change the rendition to Provia, which has a relatively large effect on how the image displays, compared to the default "Adobe" rendition. My in-camera JPEG preference are +1 for highlights and -2 for shadows, as I like my shadows open and a bit of contrast in the highlights.
I wonder if you create an import preset for your camera in Lightroom that applies the settings you normally would need to make to uncompress your highlights automatically if that would help and save time?
Dennis, In RAW and JPEG I choose a conservative approach (jpg/provia, noicereduction -2, others 0). In RAW mostly standard adobe as a start, image depending provia or astia, never velvia. When using Fuji lightroompresets shadows are to dark. I have no general preset for all my images. Processing is image-depending. Time-reduction is by synchronising series of similar images. And, from 1000 images throwing away 990 images (which is a hard timeconsuming process on itself,leaving more individual processing time for less images. I must experiment more with the provia, astia and classic presets, which I all like colorwise (but not the dark areas and contrast.) Ton
DeleteI've experienced exactly the same phenomenon with my X-Pro. I found I not only needed to reduce the EVF brightness setting, but also had to turn ON "Preview Pic. Effect." That's a bit annoying because it makes shadows block up in the EVF, but at least I don't get nasty surprises in Lightroom anymore. I don't recall my previous X-T 10 behaving the same way, so maybe this is a "new feature." Just one of those arbitrary Fuji quirks we're supposed to learn to love, I guess...
ReplyDelete