Chuck, if I had just used the Sekonic, there would be ZERO issues with
exposure.
AG
On Saturday, December 3, 2011, Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Your struggles with the exposure foibles of the E-1 reminds me of an
> article I read recently chastising our camera designers for not making
> full use of the exposure measurement technology already available to
> them. It covered more ground than ETTR but, since ETTR is of special
> interest to me, it's what I paid most attention to. The author simply
> pointed out that any camera with live view could easily implement an
> ETTR exposure mode and guarantee that no highlights would be blown since
> it knows the exposure state of every pixel.
>
> Using the 5D's histogram or flashing highlights display usually works
> fairly well for ETTR but sometimes is a real guessing game. It irks me
> to sometimes have to underexpose a bit to be sure I've not blown one
> channel. For the 5D the ETTR analysis has to be post exposure but any
> live view camera should be able to make perfect ETTR into a point and
> shoot exercise.
>
> Chuck Norcutt
>
>
> On 12/2/2011 10:52 AM, Ken Norton wrote:
>>> Ken, I thank you... and my E-1 thanks you, too!
>>
>> Ditto in return.
>>
>> An analysis of the image is actually very instructive. This image could
be
>> a poster child for several E-1 issues.
>>
>> 1. The E-1's sensor is overly sensitive to near-IR. The problems seen
with
>> the Leica M8 are also present with the E-1, but just to a lesser extent.
>> Typically, this is not a problem, but when using strobes it can be.
Strobes
>> have extensive IR and UV radiation. Caucasian skin will turn nice and
pink
>> when photographed with the E-1 using flash.
>>
>> 2. This extended near-IR sensitivity leads to the exposure lifting of
>> caucasian skin--especially in the red channel. We are more likely to blow
>> exposure in this case. If we use highlight-recovery to bring things back
>> into line again, we get color shifts in the highlights as the four color
>> array did not clip at the same point. Highlight recovery with the E-1 is
>> very much a crap shoot. In comparison to the other digital cameras in my
>> household--the exact same exposure with the E-1 will make caucasion skin
>> look at least a half-stop lighter.
>>
>> 3. Because of 1 and 2, it is better to UNDEREXPOSE the image slightly and
>> bring up the exposure during RAW conversion. With my E-1, and I believe
>> this to be true with all E-1s, if you chimp the portrait on the LCD, if
the
>> skintones look "just right" you are about 2/3 to a full stop under. If
you
>> want the skintones to actually be properly exposed (for no pulling
exposure
>> in conversion) you have to expose the image so the skin looks a bit
bright
>> on screen. Generally speaking, I make sure I never have flashing
(clipped)
>> highlights and try to stay about a stop away from clipping. With the
E-1's
>> four-color array, you can be clipping in-camera and never know it.
Anytime
>> you are within a stop of clipping you are guaranteed to be clipping.
>>
>> 4. Just a side note, this child has extremely smooth skin.
>>
>> 5. When you get too close to your subject and you are bouncing the light,
>> the in-flash auto-sensor of the T45 will overexpose because the exposure
>> sensor isn't looking at the same point the camera lens is. Move farther
>> away and this isn't a problem.
>>
>> 6. Not illustrated in this photograph because the ISO was set to 100, but
>> when using a high-power on-axis flash and higher ISOs, the dreaded
>> magenta-blacks will show up. A flash at full or near full power produces
a
>> ton of IR and the E-1's sensor in "boost" mode seems to be particularily
>> susceptable to this problem.
>>
>> 7. Not related to the sensor or exposure is the lens. The 50/1.4 is
bloody
>> sharp. Notice that the proper focus point wasn't too difficult to achieve
>> either. Even though this lens lacks that "wrap-around" characteristic of
>> the 35-80, it still does a remarkable job for portraiture. The
comparative
>> 35-80 shots aren't as sharp because of the chromatic aberrations (see
notes
>> about extended near-IR sensitivity) and the fact I was at 1/60th of a
>> second so I was inverted on the maximum handheld speed equation. The
50/1.4
>> is easier to handhold than the 35-80.
>>
>> 8. Flash facing 90 degrees sideways is a fantastic technique. I bounced
the
>> light off the side wall. The images where she is looking "towards the
>> light" are really really nice. Using the Rogue FlashBender to throw a
>> little forward light works really well. Granted, in this case, I had a
>> touch too much light thrown forward, but the theory is sound. The best
>> shots were the ones where the FlashBender was bent back so much that it
>> wasn't really in the flash's light path.
>>
>> 9. A bit of pride in the fact that my purchase decision a zillion years
ago
>> worked out so well this far down the line. At that time, I don't think
many
>> of us expected the E-1 to be viable past three years. Yet, for
portraiture,
>> this remains my go-to camera.
>>
>> 10. Just a random note about the exposure. I do believe the skin looks
>> overexposed partially because of the proportion of the entire image area.
>> Another shot of her and her mother had exactly the same brightness
levels,
>> but because they were "farther away" from the camera showed that they
were
>> exactly where we would want them to be. Oh, and they haven't been in the
>> sun for a couple of months so their skin really is quite light.
>>
>> 11. Other than t--
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--
Ken Norton
ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.zone-10.com
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