Help: when GH1 exposure meter at "0", image looks overexposed

N

Nicholas Natteau

Veteran
Has anyone been having this problem?

When my GH1 exposure meter is centered at "0", the image looks way too overexposed: whites washed out.

To my eye, it seems properly exposed when the GH1 exposure meter is about 2 stops below "0". So should I trust what I see or what the GH1 meter says?

I just need to get this problem solved before I use the GH1 for a doc-film interview.

Thanks very much in advance,

- Nick
 
Nicholas Natteau said:
Thanks for replying. Can you elaborate further? What happens in high contrast scenes in your experience?

Thanks,

- Nick
Click to expand...

What kind of metering on the GH1 are you using? Spot?
If you meter on a low-lit part of the scene, then the other parts will be overexposed.

In high contrast scenes, you just have to make choices. What is the most important part on the scene? You have to know the limits of the dynamic range and play with it
 
I've also noticed similar thing. Some of my pictures are way over exposed (exposure set at 0). Specially the sky. What is the recommended setting ? I use "Smooth" with everything set at 0.
 
Martti Ekstrand said:
The exposure meter is, as has always been on all still cameras, a very rough average. Learn to use the histogram. Here's a good primer and as it's live on GH1 it's even easier to make use of.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml
Click to expand...

It depends... at least on the G1, there is a "spot" meter option... it doesn't make sense learning to use the histogram if you don't know what and where you're metering.

If you want to be precise, spot metering is very important

just my opinion though :happy:
 
Hey guys,

Thanks very much for the feedback. Kerplunk, the problem appears to be when viewing on the GH1's LCD. Fortunately, once I imported my footage into FCP, the footage viewed in the Canvas or Viewer looks perfect.

Not sure why the brightest parts look over-exposed (washed out) on the GH1's LCD, but in FCP they look fine.
 
That's why I wish the GH1 had an SDI-out option which would allow us to connect the GH1 to a broadcast monitor. Who knows, maybe Panasonic will include that option in a future version of the camera.
 
Nicholas Natteau said:
Not sure why the brightest parts look over-exposed (washed out) on the GH1's LCD, but in FCP they look fine.
Click to expand...

You may want to check for this - make sure "Power LCD" is turned OFF in the Setup Menu (the wrench icon). LCD mode should be set to OFF to get the most accurate picture on the LCD. Otherwise, it will be adjusted - see page 35 of the manual.

And you can read about metering on page 119.
 
Nicholas Natteau said:
Has anyone been having this problem?

When my GH1 exposure meter is centered at "0", the image looks way too overexposed: whites washed out.

To my eye, it seems properly exposed when the GH1 exposure meter is about 2 stops below "0". So should I trust what I see or what the GH1 meter says?

I just need to get this problem solved before I use the GH1 for a doc-film interview.

Thanks very much in advance,

- Nick
Click to expand...

Get some ND filters and a PL and you will see much better results oh and check your ISO.
 
Hi. I just checked my settings and LCD Power was set to off from the beginning.

Regarding ND filters and a PL, what would you recommend? What kind of ND filters? Brand? Price?

And sorry, but what is a "PL"?

Thanks,

- Nick
 
And sorry, but what is a "PL"?
Click to expand...

I think he's referring to a polariser. You might not want to use it in all situations but it's really an essential for your kit bag. Circular PLs cut out reflections at certain angles and are useful for cutting down on glare in the atmosphere and on snow/water.

BTW I looked at your other thread with the sample lighting images that you posted. I thought the second one actually looked pretty good.
 
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