4-stop bracketing possible with E-PL1?

[feppe]

I'm trying to figure out if and how it would be possible to bracket a shot at 0 and +4 EV with my E-PL1 - this is to blend the shots in post to reduce noise in shadows (further detail). I accomplish this with my 550D by setting exposure compensation at +2 EV and bracketing to 0, -2 and +2 EV - this yields 0, +2 and +4 EV brackets, the +2 is thrown away.

Unfortunately E-PL1 only brackets up to 1 stop. Exposure compensation also goes only to +3 EV. Is there a way to quickly accomplish 0 and +4 EV brackets with E-PL1?

 

[Malo1961]

I'll guess going fully manual mode (exposure) is the way to achieve this.
Nothing to stop you in bracketing that way. Just start counting stops after the viewfinder exposure bar exceeds the 3 stop limit.

 

[linkedit]

Unfortunately E-PL1 only brackets up to 1 stop. Exposure compensation also goes only to +3 EV. Is there a way to quickly accomplish 0 and +4 EV brackets with E-PL1?

interesting article. as the previous poster mentioned you'd have to shoot in manual and overexpose by 4 stops (i would do it with the shutter speed).

did you try some test shots with a 3 stop over exposure?

 

[feppe]

Manual is obviously an option, but not very practical when shooting handheld - which in fairness is of marginal utility, as the technique is best used on tripod.

Haven't tried 3-stops. I prefer others to do the heavy lifting when it comes to theory and concentrate on shooting - while applying what works The difference between 3 and 4 stops is twice the # of levels per channel so that extra stop might be a significant advantage: the lowest EV at only 1 level (basically on or off) when exposed-to-the-right becomes 8 or 16 levels with the 3 or 4 stop overexposure - which shows why the technique is so useful.

It also might be that the 3 (or even 4) lowest EVs are of marginal utility due to poor signal-to-noise ratio. In any case from my own experience two blended shots bracketed four stops apart offers significant improvement in shadow noise.

 

[linkedit]

Manual is obviously an option, but not very practical when shooting handheld - which in fairness is of marginal utility, as the technique is best used on tripod.

manual or not, you have to use a tripod regardless of how you get the +4 image. the two images need to match up perfectly so that can be combined

Haven't tried 3-stops. I prefer others to do the heavy lifting when it comes to theory and concentrate on shooting EDITED

yes, I read the site. my point was that it seems that getting an exposure at +4 with the PL1 is going to be very hard. regardless of the instructions from that site you probably want to do some tests at +3 because 1. the PL1 will allow that exposure bracket and 2. you may like the result.

don't think so much, just shoot!

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Excuse me but I have a relevant question and rather than start a new thread : Does the e-pL1 have ISO-bracketing like that found in the menu on our Olympus e-600 DSLR, but not on my older e-410.?

If it does, then taking 2 frames with ISO-bracketing enabled can get you anything up to a 6-EV range. Thats -2 -1 0 with the first frame choosing exp-comp minus 1, then +1 +2 +3 with the second frame choosing exp-comp+2...

Also, if it does then I'm more in the market for one if I can get a VF-2 aswell.

Edit : Bumping because I still want an answer to the ISO-bracket question.

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

OK, now I've looked through the manuals of our Olympus e-600 and the e-pL1 and found they both can use ISO-bracketing.
Now (because the manuals are unclear) I need someone (please :smile: ) to activate ISO-bracket on their e-pL1 and take some photos.

Tell me if
1. One frame taken results in three files at the three different ISO values (as happens in the e-600 ) (in which case taking three shots will result in 9 files)
or
2. Three frames are taken (clicky, ckicky, clicky) resulting in only three frames recorded at the three different ISO values.

 

[Vivalo]

E-P1 does the ISO bracketing for one shot, so one shutter count but three differently exposed images. And if you have both AE and ISO BKT selected at the same time you will get 9 different images with three shots. I suppose they are exposed like this: 0AE with 0ISO/-1ISO/+1ISO, -1AE with 0ISO/-1ISO/+1ISO, +1AE with 0ISO/-1ISO/+1ISO.

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Thanks Vivalo.
Since the e-600 does that and now you say the e-P1 does that we can assume the e-pL1 does it ... but I'd be happier with some confirmation from one of the many e-pL1 users on the forum.

 

[Otto]

I just shot 9 E-PL1 images with 3 presses of the shutter using AEB and ISO bracketing at 1 ev. The shots are as follows:

1 - 0 ev 200iso
2 - 0 ev 100iso
3 - 0 ev 400iso

4 - -1 ev 200iso
5 - -1 ev 100iso
6 - -1 ev 400iso

7 - +1 ev 200iso
8 - +1 ev 100iso
9 - +1 ev 400iso

Hope this helps,
Otto...

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Thanks for doing that Otto, it seems I'm probably in the market for a nice shiny e-pL1 this Xmas!

Edit : Oh dear, please clarify ... 3 presses of the shutter = how many shutter activations did the camera do?
(When EV-bracketing with any camera I press the shutter-button once and let the camera take 3 exposures = click, click, click.)
(when ISO-bracketing with e-600 I press the shutter-button once and the camera take only one exposure = click.)

 

[Vivalo]

E-P1 in AE BKT Gives one "CLICK" for every press, but when you press three times in a row or keep pressed in burst mode it exposes the three following photos differently. So there is only one photo after one "KLICK".

In ISO BKT you get one "KLICK" for each press but there will be three different exposures waiting in the memory card after that.

In combined mode there will be three photos after each "CLICK": for example 0EV 200ISO, 100ISO and 400ISO, then after second click there is the -1EV three photo group with different ISOs and so on.

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Yes Vivalo, I understand that, as it applies to our cameras : the e-600 and your e-P1.
I'm just trying to double-check that it is exactly the same in Otto's e-pL1. (The pdf manual for the e-pL1 words this part differently and made me a bit suspicious of a difference in behaviour.)

 

[Otto]

Yes Vivalo, I understand that, as it applies to our cameras : the e-600 and your e-P1.
I'm just trying to double-check that it is exactly the same in Otto's e-pL1. (The pdf manual for the e-pL1 words this part differently and made me a bit suspicious of a difference in behaviour.)

I had to press the shutter each time for the AEB shots. Each press of the shutter created 3 images because of the ISO bracketing. Unfortunately, the E-PL1 doesn't automatically take the 3 AEB shots like my Canon G10 does. You have to physically press the shutter release for each.

Three presses resulted in 9 images.

Hope this helps,
Otto...

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Thanks Otto, that's the mystery solved.

As for this!;

...Unfortunately, the E-PL1 doesn't automatically take the 3 AEB shots like my Canon G10 does. You have to physically press the shutter release for each....

Seriously?!?
My sympathies ... unless someone has a solution.
I wouldn't stand for it! Even my old e-410 takes the three exposure-bracketed shots ... unless I've left it on one-shot mode by mistake.
Are you sure you set it on 'burst' or 'multi' or whatever the thing with the three overlapping pages icon is called in that camera.

 

[Otto]

Thanks Otto, that's the mystery solved.

As for this!;


Seriously?!?
My sympathies ... unless someone has a solution.
I wouldn't stand for it! Even my old e-410 takes the three exposure-bracketed shots ... unless I've left it on one-shot mode by mistake.
Are you sure you set it on 'burst' or 'multi' or whatever the thing with the three overlapping pages icon is called in that camera.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The Canon G10 will take all 3 bracketed shots with one press, and release, of the shutter. If sequential shooting is set, the E-PL1 will take all 3 (9 with iso) with one press of the shutter as long as you hold it down until all shots are taken.

Hope that clears it up,
Otto...

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Oh yeah Otto, that makes sense.
I do find it a bit of a pain when using the tripod : wish there was a setting for 2-second delay then take all bracketed shots ... but there isn't.

 

[Vivalo]

Well, you can always use radio trigger if you don't want to touch the shutter button.

 

[Otto]

I don't know of any trigger device that works on the E-PL1. I believe many have tried to no avail.

You can use an analog shutter release like this one though.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Good shooting,
Otto...

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

That's a classic.
Wallace & Gromit...esque.