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Judging exposure 7D
Is it ok to judge exposure… in constant light situation pretty much just off the screen.. ?
Thanks
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11 Replies
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Depends on how familiar you are with the camera. Your brightness settings on the screen could be very misleading.
Half pressing the shutter button before recording, or using the central button top right on the back of the camera will give you an exposure reading in the viewfinder, as per stills shooting. Learning how to use and read this is a good idea (spot, average etc).
If in doubt favour slight under exposure.
Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/ -
Hi Phil
Thanks for your time. Not familiar with the camera.. but its only B cam on an interview so not the end of the world.. but still good to get the exposure close 🙂 I have the light metre showing on the screen.. so yes could go by that too.. just wondered if the screen can be used the same as a pop out screen on a video camera.. also not that accurate but gives a pretty good idea.. but this isnt the case ???
Thanks again sir
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You could always take a still and analyze the histogram to make sure you are getting a healthy exposure. You are shooting highly compressed footage that doesn’t hold up well to a lot of exposure and color correction; they recommend getting it as right as possible in camera.
I meter my scenes with a hand-held light meter.
Best regards,
Kevin Camin
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Take some practice video with different ISO settings and write them down. Shoot in different lighting situations so you’ll be able to replicate the results.
You should be practicing and learning your equipment, BEFORE you go on the job.
Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.netSony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut StudioHP i7 Quad laptop
Adobe CS-5 Production Suite -
I want to add that the pop out screen alone on a video camera would never be an accurate way to judge a scene. The 80 and 100 zebra patterns would be used to access maxed out white levels on traditional video cameras, and the video signal would be run through a waveform monitor to judge the health of the entire signal.
On a DSLR, it is just like taking still photographs or shooting with cinema film cameras. There are plentiful ways to analyze the scene but they all go above eye balling a 3″ LCD with its own independent brightness level. Just like any filming, I’d be worried about crushing my blacks or blowing out my highlights (unless they are specular or I’m aimed right at a bright light source).
Good luck.
Best regards,
Kevin Camin
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Thanks all for the advise.. actually just judging off the screen is fine..
Thanks again
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Ok, good luck with that. I don’t think it is ‘fine’ or a professional or a reliable way to work. I would look into analyzing exposure on a deeper, professional level and then you would never ask this question on a forum.
Best regards,
Kevin Camin
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You could take along a 70% grey card.
Set camera light meter to spot and take a reading off the card in the area you need correct exposure.
Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/ -
Hi Phil,
I think you are referring to an 18% gray card, or more accurately a 12% gray card (12% will give you a photographic middle gray).
The problem is that it doesn’t address the dynamic range of the scene. He could have black being crushed or diffuse whites being blown out. This is where a hand held spot meter would be useful. Or at least examining a histogram of the scene to see if clipping is occurring.
Cinematography or photography is all about the control of light to meet an expressive end. Everything needs to be examined and considered, unless you are doing bottom shelf ‘run and gun’ work with no concern for quality.
Best regards,
Kevin Camin
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Cinematography or photography is all about the control of light to meet an expressive end. Everything needs to be examined and considered, unless you are doing bottom shelf ‘run and gun’ work with no concern for quality.
Thanks for letting me know, but with over 40 years of experience on tv broadcast shooting film and video, international award winning documentaries, and feature films which have had Academy Award nominations, I think I’d already figured that out.
Robin says he was looking for a quicker method when using his 7D as a B camera shooting interviews. I used to use the grey card method when I was also doing stills back in the 1970’s it’s very accurate if placed so a reading can be taken at the position of most important exposure. I own six light meters, very useful but often there’s no time to run around the set taking spot reading whilst the director, interviewer and interviewee wait, so not really under those circumstances the right tool for the job.
Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/
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