backlight button at DVinfo.net

Jason Hakala · January 31st, 2005, 03:10 PM

is there a backlight button on the xl2?? i wasn't able to find one, or read about one in the manual. if there is none what would have to do to correct backlighting??

thanks
jason

Jimmy McKenzie · January 31st, 2005, 03:20 PM

Two options. Best way is to control the contrast between the foreground and background. Hard to do outdoors unless you have huge diffusion f stop absorbing panels. Option 2 is tons of bounce or hot lighting for the talent in the foreground.

I think the backlight buttons of the past were sort of a consumer product crutch to assist in getting the forground a bit better exposed.

Kevin Kocak · January 31st, 2005, 04:14 PM

properly light what you are shooting. Read, read, and read some more and then practice with lights. Just because you spent 5K on a camera you can't expect it to do everything for you.

A. J. deLange · January 31st, 2005, 09:49 PM

That would be the Spotlight mode. It measures in the center of the frame and ignores the edges. Suitable for spotlighted subjects but also exactly what you want for backlit subjects as well.

Jason Hakala · February 1st, 2005, 02:00 AM

i am unable to get lighting by using lamps, or reflectors, the reason for this is because all the shots are done on the fly. in my situation weddings, alot of churches have strong backlights so how would i have to try and correct that while shooting?? any suggestions?

isn't spotlight the total opposite of backlight?? considering spotlight adds to the lighted areas, and darkens the darker areas, as the backlight lightens the darker areas.

thanks
jason

Richard Hunter · February 1st, 2005, 02:20 AM

Hi Jason. You can set the AE Compensation dial to give more (backlight) or less (spotlight) exposure, but I'm not sure if the adjustment range is sufficient. Have you tried it already?

Other than that, there is always manual mode, using the zebra stripes as a guide to exposure on the subject.

Richard

A. J. deLange · February 1st, 2005, 06:15 AM

What the meter does in spotlight mode is measure the thing that is in the center of the image and ignore the rest of the picture thus it is suitable for any situation in which the lighting on the center is dramatically different from the surrounding bits. This desecribes both the spot light situation in which the subject is brighter than the background and the back lit situation in which the subject is darker than the background.

There are other ways to skin this cat. One would be to zoom in on the subject to the point where he/she/they fill the screen and then hit and hold Exposure Lock while you zoom back to the composition you want and record. Another would be to use an Expodisk (18% transmissive frosted filter), point the camera at the light that will be illuminating the subject, set color balance and exposure manually and then use that exposure as a starting point. This is what I would probably do more for the sake of color balance than exposure because I think I could find the proper exposure pretty quickly by using the zebra stripes set at say 90% to be sure I was not over exposing the subjects (the background would be all zebra stripes presumably). There is no reason not to use manual exposure in this case. The groom isn't likely to turn and run, much as he might want to, so things should be pretty static.

Richard Hunter · February 1st, 2005, 07:28 AM

<<<-- The groom isn't likely to turn and run, much as he might want to, -->>>

:)

Eugene Weaver · February 1st, 2005, 08:39 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Kocak : properly light what you are shooting. Read, read, and read some more and then practice with lights. Just because you spent 5K on a camera you can't expect it to do everything for you. -->>>

I'm learning that myself.

January 31st, 2005, 03:10 PM	#1
Jason Hakala New Boot Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Honolulu, Hi Posts: 21	backlight button is there a backlight button on the xl2?? i wasn't able to find one, or read about one in the manual. if there is none what would have to do to correct backlighting?? thanks jason

January 31st, 2005, 03:20 PM	#2
Jimmy McKenzie Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Waterloo Ontario Posts: 721	Two options. Best way is to control the contrast between the foreground and background. Hard to do outdoors unless you have huge diffusion f stop absorbing panels. Option 2 is tons of bounce or hot lighting for the talent in the foreground. I think the backlight buttons of the past were sort of a consumer product crutch to assist in getting the forground a bit better exposed.

January 31st, 2005, 04:14 PM	#3
Kevin Kocak Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tampa, Fl Posts: 149	properly light what you are shooting. Read, read, and read some more and then practice with lights. Just because you spent 5K on a camera you can't expect it to do everything for you.

January 31st, 2005, 09:49 PM	#4
A. J. deLange Major Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: McLean, VA United States Posts: 749	That would be the Spotlight mode. It measures in the center of the frame and ignores the edges. Suitable for spotlighted subjects but also exactly what you want for backlit subjects as well.

February 1st, 2005, 02:00 AM	#5
Jason Hakala New Boot Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Honolulu, Hi Posts: 21	i am unable to get lighting by using lamps, or reflectors, the reason for this is because all the shots are done on the fly. in my situation weddings, alot of churches have strong backlights so how would i have to try and correct that while shooting?? any suggestions? isn't spotlight the total opposite of backlight?? considering spotlight adds to the lighted areas, and darkens the darker areas, as the backlight lightens the darker areas. thanks jason

February 1st, 2005, 02:20 AM	#6
Richard Hunter Trustee Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Lipa City Batangas, Philippines Posts: 1,110	Hi Jason. You can set the AE Compensation dial to give more (backlight) or less (spotlight) exposure, but I'm not sure if the adjustment range is sufficient. Have you tried it already? Other than that, there is always manual mode, using the zebra stripes as a guide to exposure on the subject. Richard

February 1st, 2005, 06:15 AM	#7
A. J. deLange Major Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: McLean, VA United States Posts: 749	What the meter does in spotlight mode is measure the thing that is in the center of the image and ignore the rest of the picture thus it is suitable for any situation in which the lighting on the center is dramatically different from the surrounding bits. This desecribes both the spot light situation in which the subject is brighter than the background and the back lit situation in which the subject is darker than the background. There are other ways to skin this cat. One would be to zoom in on the subject to the point where he/she/they fill the screen and then hit and hold Exposure Lock while you zoom back to the composition you want and record. Another would be to use an Expodisk (18% transmissive frosted filter), point the camera at the light that will be illuminating the subject, set color balance and exposure manually and then use that exposure as a starting point. This is what I would probably do more for the sake of color balance than exposure because I think I could find the proper exposure pretty quickly by using the zebra stripes set at say 90% to be sure I was not over exposing the subjects (the background would be all zebra stripes presumably). There is no reason not to use manual exposure in this case. The groom isn't likely to turn and run, much as he might want to, so things should be pretty static.

February 1st, 2005, 07:28 AM	#8
Richard Hunter Trustee Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Lipa City Batangas, Philippines Posts: 1,110	<<<-- The groom isn't likely to turn and run, much as he might want to, -->>> :)

February 1st, 2005, 08:39 AM	#9
Eugene Weaver Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Millersburg, Ohio Posts: 35	<<<-- Originally posted by Kevin Kocak : properly light what you are shooting. Read, read, and read some more and then practice with lights. Just because you spent 5K on a camera you can't expect it to do everything for you. -->>> I'm learning that myself.