GH3 How can I preview in the EVF or LCD display how the picture will look like?

C

cuervo.taylor

Active member
Hi guys,

how can I set my camera to show me in the EVF or in the LCD display how will the picture look like.

A lot of times (I'm always shooting on Manual), I think my pictures are being taken ok, but then it is overexposed or underexposed but in the EVF/LCD they seemed ok.

PD:I'm new into photography please try to be simple and clear in your explanation.
 
You have to look at the light meter and use it to help judge exposure. The other option would be to quickly switch to video mode (where what you see is what you get) and make your adjustments there and then switch back to manual mode. I'm not aware of a better way but maybe someone here knows one.
 
Ahh, I just pulled out the manual. Apparently, you can set any of the Fn buttons to 'preview', and then when you hit that button, WYSIWYG
 
cuervo.taylor said:
how can I set my camera to show me in the EVF or in the LCD display how will the picture look like.

A lot of times (I'm always shooting on Manual),
Click to expand...

On both the GH2 and GH3 look for a configuration item CONSTANT PREVUE. Set this to ON and both the viewfinder and LCD will lighten with overexposure and darken with underexposure. This works ONLY in manual still mode and if you have set for movie mode EXPOSURE MODE to "M" (the choices are P, A, S, & M).

In all auto modes the LCD and EVF will show you a "perfect" view no matter how off your actual exposure will be. In manual modes for both stills and movie (you have to set movie EXPOSURE MODE for M with the dial on top in Movie Mode (the icon of a movie camera with an M).

I evaluate exposure by the meter readout at the bottom and by the image on the LCD or EVF. I have a function button set to set the histogram when I need it.
 
Hey Bruce, do you know any way to force the constant preview on when you're shooting with a flash? It's annoying as hell. I throw a variable ND filter on there to control depth of field and I'd love to have live preview...
 
I'll have to fire up one of my GH3's and see what happens when I set it for flash. I generally do flash in manual mode so I can control the shutter speed and set the aperture. I'll let you know what happens.
 
Not sure how the camera would be able to provide a constant preview for flash photography. Unless the flash was constantly on, the camera can't simulate what your exposure will be.
 
It doesn't seem logical to me. I don't need it to simulate what the flash will do, I want it to tell me what my current exposure settings will do, just like it does when I don't have a pocket wizard on the hotshoe. First, I set my ambient light levels before I add fill, but with the current setup, I have to keep flipping back & forth between video mode and manual mode.
 
omnikron said:
It doesn't seem logical to me. I don't need it to simulate what the flash will do, I want it to tell me what my current exposure settings will do, just like it does when I don't have a pocket wizard on the hotshoe. First, I set my ambient light levels before I add fill, but with the current setup, I have to keep flipping back & forth between video mode and manual mode.
Click to expand...

Looks like you're going to have to keep on "flipping" back and forth between modes. When you pop up the built in flash or slide something into the shoe the camera can "detect", the viewfinder (and LCD) goes out of CONSTANT PREVUE "ON" so you can "see" to compose and focus. The viewfinder will always (except in manual mode with CONSTANT PREVUE "ON") show you a "perfect" view.

It is possible a flash connected to the PC flash terminal on the front of the camera can't communicate in any way with the camera in which case you might be able to visually set your ambient exposure. Be careful what flash you connect this way as some older ones used to have very high trigger voltages.

The flash effect relative to ambient exposure is going to depend on whether your flash will be the primary source of exposure or will be to "fill" heavy shadows. In being able to "flip" between modes you have an advantage we didn't have in the film days before digital. At weddings I used to have to know what my shutter and aperture settings were going to give me from experience if I wanted to allow "ambience" to keep everything a few feet behind the couple from going too dark or BLACK!
 
I figured as much. This is just another reason to get more comfortable with knowing what settings work, which I'm getting better at. The problem with a variable ND filter is that it's much harder to learn, because it's always spinning around with no hard stops or numbers. It's probably a cheaper and sloppier way to work than just sticking to a .3 or .6ND and knowing my exposure.

Thanks for info. Ya, I had thought about using the PC flash terminal... but honestly, flipping back & forth isn't that big of a deal. I was shooting 30-40 portraits a day last month in different locations and it was quite a lot of flipping back & forth though =P
 
guys how can I edit the pictures while still in the gh3?

I google'd it and searching in the advance manual but even though it says I can edit in playback, Im not sure how to do it...any help appraciated
 
My Quick tip - switch quickly to auto to double-check that your exposure and colour is "close" then flip back into manual mode and your own settings. That way if your EVF has been bumped or is incorrect you will know straight away.
 
I'm still having a problem with this. The preview is not accurate no matter what settings I use. Constant Preview has no effect on it. The preview looks perfect, and then when I hit record the saturation is suddenly increased along with some gamma shift that just looks ugly! I can't figure out how to compensate or adapt to this....it's impossible to tell what the heck I'm going to get and I don't have time to shoot a test clip for every single shot just to find out!
 
It seems that what is occurring is that the preview cannot render the Photo Style settings. Lowering saturation all the way down to -5 reduced the amount that the saturation changes when hitting record, but did not eliminate it.
 
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