Dumb question: what is messing with my footage brightness?
 

Hi all,

I feel silly for asking this, but I'm stumped and would love to find out what's affecting my footage.

The problem: Even when I'm in manual mode, with iris set to manual, with gain set to low, my EX1 is still somehow automatically raising and lowering brightness based on the amount of light in the frame. The f-stop doesn't change, but it *acts* like the f-stop changed -- like the iris is set to auto when it isn't.

Example: When shooting towards the ground, footage is bright and clear. When I raise the camera up and a direct light source comes into frame, the footage darkens to compensate for the added light -- even though I don't want it to. I realize the light will be blown out if it *doesn't* compensate, but that's okay for this particular project.

I'd post footage if I could, but I can't release it yet (belongs to client). But again, if more light enters the frame, the camera is darkening the footage as though the iris is closing when the EX1 says it isn't.

Any help? I have a feeling there's something set to "auto" somewhere in the menu, but I am confuzzled.

Your not in "full Auto" are you? check little button above white balance switch - does it show green, meaning it's on? or do you have TLCS enabled ?

Paul

Perhaps shutter speed is still on auto?

Hi Paul! Nope, not full auto.

Hi Seth! Hmm, maybe. It does list "SHT: Auto" in the LCD, but the only options appear to be Auto or Off. I manually set the shutter speed in the Shutter menu; is there some 3rd option I'm missing between "Auto" and "Off" that'll let me take advantage of the shutter speed I set?

Oh for pete's sake. I found the "shutter" on/off button at the bottom front of the camera, and *that* lets me switch fron Auto to my manually set shutter speed in the LCD menu now.

Thanks Seth!

(I told everyone it was a dumb question....)

The Shutter on/off switch should not enable auto shutter, it just switches the shutter on and off. I'm not really sure how you could be seeing SHT:AUTO on the LCD with the shutter switched off, as it normally says SHT:OFF, unless full auto is engaged.

regards

Paul.

Hi Paul,

When the physical "Shutter" switch under the lens on the front of the camera is set to "Off" I couldn't select in the LCD the shutter speed I'd set in the Menu. When I set it to "On," then I could. Have you not had that experience?

Edit to add clarity: This is the physical shutter switch I'm talking about -- when that is set to off, you can only either set the SHT in the LCD to Auto or to Off.

Hi Marc, yes I understand the switch you are talking about, but for me when that shutter switch is in the 'Off' position the LCD says SHT:OFF. From your initial replay it sounded as though you could see SHT:AUTO on the LCD which I think only happens when in Full Auto mode.

Anyway, you sorted it so it's not important :)

regards

Paul.