E-M1 mark II Exposure Bracketing

[marcr1230]

is it correct that the exposure bracketing limits on the E-M1 mark II are:

In AE bracketing- you can set the EV step to 0.3 0.5 or 1.0

At 1 EV step size you can’t use 7 frames and 1 EV step, just 5 frames x 1 EV step - so the max spread is +/- 2 EV ( range of 4 EV)


At 0.5 EV, the widest range is again 5 frames 1.0 EV (+/- 2 EV again) , 7 frames only available with 0.5 EV range

At 0.3 EV, again the max range is 5 frames 1.0 EV or the equivalent 7 frames at 0.7 (0.66 EV)

In HDR mode - the steps are larger - you can save individual shots at a 2 EV step - for 7 x 2.0 which I think ends up being +/- 6 EV ( range of 12 EV) but the step size is not adjustable so you lose the intermediate 1 EV steps

Is this all correct - why not allow the user to set the number of frames and EV step? Like 9 frames at 1.0 EV step?

The goal here is not HDR, but getting a proper exposure in an extreme lighting situation ( solar eclipse)

Thanks

 

[Reflector]

I have to agree on this being a stupid arbitrary limitation on the bracketing functionality, the EOS RP has more exposure bracketing functionality than the E-M1II which is a shame. You can set the EV steps and the number of shots (I forgot what it was since I was able to play around with one for a bit).

What's also still stupid is Olympus makes the in camera HDR modes fire the mechanical shutter off. The camera is more than capable of doing a handheld HDR using the electronic shutter at 60fps. I know it can because I do a bracket-stack and mask over the shadows with the overexposed frame to maximize signal - there's enough shutter speed to pull it off.

 

[Robert Davidson]

The new firmware has AE bracketing - 7 frames at 0.7 EV

 

[Reflector]

The new firmware has AE bracketing - 7 frames at 0.7 EV

That's been there since 2.0 and earlier. It would have been nice for Olympus to make it be 1.0 EV steps.

 

[marcr1230]

Yes - I was a little unclear but 7x 0.7 (0.66?) is a total of the same range, +-2 EV, as 5x 1.0 EV

That's been there since 2.0 and earlier. It would have been nice for Olympus to make it be 1.0 EV steps.

 

[Robert Davidson]

Yes - I was a little unclear but 7x 0.7 (0.66?) is a total of the same range, +-2 EV, as 5x 1.0 EV

Well a little more - range 4.2EV over 7 frames. I agree why not make it 1.0 EV.

 

[marcr1230]

You would think, but in Olympus-speak 0.7 is 2/3 of a stop. So EV step of 0.3 (1/3 stop) allows max range of 7 frames at 2/3 stop change or 5 frames at 1 stop - both a total of 4 EV

Also a nuance is that when you set the AE EV step to 0.3, 0.7 or 1.0 you are setting the minimum bracket step only, larger steps are available in the bracket menu in multiples of the minimum - up to a max EV range of 4, +/- 2 stop on either side of the base

At EV intervals of 0.5 and 1 you see the same maximum range limit range limit

Well a little more - range 4.2EV over 7 frames. I agree why not make it 1.0 EV.

 

[marcr1230]

Well - it was an amazing experience
I’ll post pictures when I get a chance to sort through them

Some take-aways:

Know your gear - you have 2 minutes or so to shoot totality- lots of stuff happening - bracketing and changing the base exposure- it’s pretty frantic, especially when dark

Focus - shout out to painters tape , I focused a few times during the pre totality partial, lock you focus down w tape

Manual focus - brilliant with the magnify on when you focus

Tripod - know your tripod, usual precautions, don’t raise the center post and weight it down ( hook under center post)

Two cameras- that would have been really hard to manage - I just went with one and a long lens

PhotoPills app - indispensable, especially the AR overlay of the eclipse track

Set alarm to remove filter just before totality

Bring a chair

Articulated screen - brilliant , a shirt or jacket works nicely to focus on the sun / glare

Bracket - know your camera , Olympus E-M1mkII could improve the range and flexibility of the bracketing easily

Lens 300/f4 with MC-20 is an amazing combo - very sharp

More later

 

[Lcrunyon]

I think the HDR modes are better than the exposure bracketing modes because they fire all of the frames instantaneously, whereas with exposure bracketing, I need to fire each one manually.

That said, with the exception of HDR 1 and 2, the HDR modes do exactly the same thing as the exposure bracketing modes. They both just create the bracket frames. How you merge them in post (HDR, layer masking, neither) is up to you.

It would be nice if Olympus took the best of both and combined them into one. It would simplify things.

 

[marcr1230]

Here’s some quick examples - no processing other than minor cropping. All shot with 300mm/f4 + MC-20

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[Lcrunyon]

Here’s some quick examples - no processing other than minor cropping. All shot with 300mm/f4 + MC-20

View attachment 758488 View attachment 758489 View attachment 758490

Is that a solar eclipse?

 

[marcr1230]

Yes - I was asking about bracketing re the July 2, 2019 eclipse- I mistakenly posted these here instead of astrophotography, where I have an separate thread going on my eclipse experience

Is that a solar eclipse?

 

[Lcrunyon]

Yes - I was asking about bracketing re the July 2 m, 2019 eclipse- I mistakenly posted these here instead of astrophotography, where I have an separate thread going on my eclipse experience

Very cool pics!

 

[Joseph Mina]

Re Olympus bracketing: would much prefer having the option to create my own bracketing modes. If I'm using HDR, I usually keep the -2/0/+2 images while discarding the -1/+1 images. As such, if I could select in-camera a 3 bracket with -2/0/+2, I could pick out the threesome quickly in post.

 

[Lcrunyon]

Re Olympus bracketing: would much prefer having the option to create my own bracketing modes. If I'm using HDR, I usually keep the -2/0/+2 images while discarding the -1/+1 images. As such, if I could select in-camera a 3 bracket with -2/0/+2, I could pick out the threesome quickly in post.

So just use the HDR mode. It’s not doing anything different, despite the different name.

 

[Joseph Mina]

So just use the HDR mode. It’s not doing anything different, despite the different name.

I don't have the camera with me at the moment. If I recall correctly, the camera merges the HDR images rather than providing 3 or more separate RAW files. Is that correct?

 

[Lcrunyon]

I don't have the camera with me at the moment. If I recall correctly, the camera merges the HDR images rather than providing 3 or more separate RAW files. Is that correct?

In the HDR submenu, there are many options...

The first two (HDR 1 and 2) do exactly as you say -- creating a subtle or heavy HDR JPEG, respectively. They do an okay job, and aren't tone mapped to look unrealistic, so if you use them only when you genuinely need the extra dynamic range (which is most people's mistake with HDR), they can produce good results. That said, I don't use them, as I prefer to do my own processing and have RAW files.

All of the options after that are just exposure bracket intervals -- including three shots of +/-2 EV, and other options (5 or 7 frames, greater intervals). All these options are doing is shooting the source frames (RAW, if you're set up that way). There is no internal processing other than the standard file creation, so you will have to merge them (or not... whatever you choose to do with them) in post, just like you might with exposure bracketing. The only difference is that the HDR modes shoot all of the frames automatically with one touch of the shutter button, whereas the Exposure Bracket menu forces you to manually shoot each frame (at least this is the way it is on the E-M1 MkII). For that reason, I prefer to use the HDR modes. They are practically immediate and much easier go get the shots you want.

I think there is so much angst against the term "HDR" that people have eschewed a great feature -- to the point that Olympus was asked to take the HDR button off of the right shoulder of the E-M1X and replace it with Exposure Bracketing (which I haven't played with yet to see if it has changed). I think it's a shame, but no big deal, because HDR is a customizable button option. However, what I would like to see is Olympus make all Exposure Bracketing shoot all frames automatically, and have HDR 1 and 2 accessible as an option in Exposure Bracketing submenu, in the same way that Focus Stacking can be turned on in the Focus Bracketing submenu.

 

[Growltiger]

I don't have the camera with me at the moment. If I recall correctly, the camera merges the HDR images rather than providing 3 or more separate RAW files. Is that correct?

No it isn't. You can get 7 raw images.

Exposure bracketing is all about taking several photos at slightly different exposures, in order to achieve perfection.

HDR bracketing is all about taking several photos with quite different exposures which can be combined using HDR processing.

People keep trying to use the inappropriate feature.

 

[Lcrunyon]

No it isn't. You can get 7 raw images.

Exposure bracketing is all about taking several photos at slightly different exposures, in order to achieve perfection.

HDR bracketing is all about taking several photos with quite different exposures which can be combined using HDR processing.

People keep trying to use the inappropriate feature.

Perhaps that is the thinking behind the design, which is why they were separated out, and why exposure bracketing has +/-1 intervals whereas HDR starts with +/-2. However, there really is no reason why each can only be applied one way. I can HDR exposure bracketed files, or I can take a frame from an HDR and use it by itself because I like the exposure.

 

[marcr1230]

If you set the E-M1mkII In bracket mode and continuous shooting ( I used the Continuous High) and hold down the shutter button , it will shoot the entire sequence and then stop

...whereas the Exposure Bracket menu forces you to manually shoot each frame (at least this is the way it is on the E-M1 MkII). For that reason, I prefer to use the HDR modes...