Chuck thus wrote:
> I found Ken's article interesting but I have a much different view of
> spot metering (single or multi) for the future. A live histogram is
> possible with any form of live view. With a good histogram (maybe
> turned on and off with a simple button press) I don't need any spot
> metering at all. Even today with my 5D I have never used the spot
> meter. If I have any serious question about exposure I'll simply take a
> test shot and examine the histogram. Live view would just make that
> much simpler and faster as it does in the Minolta A1.
>
While I like the way the Minolta A1 implements the live-view histogram, I
find it EXTREMELY bothersome for several reasons--reasons that will crater
proper use of said item until specific display systems are developed.
1. Delay. The live-view histogram is slow to generate and display. It's
usually running about a second behind what is going on.
2. Overlay. I despise overlay information on the image area. The only thing
I find acceptable is a grid and maybe an active focus spot. I find it
extremely offensive that the manufacturers place static information on the
overlay that means absolutely nothing to the image itself. With all of the
various things that can be turned on and so forth, by the time the overlay
is showing everything, you can barely see the image itself!
See this page for examples of all of the overlay information!
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/MinoltaDiMAGEA1/page8.asp
So, what I am proposing has very specific reasons and is founded in the
display and operational behavior of well-established exposure tools that
professionals have used for decades.
1. The shutter-speed scale. This is only software, and could be done the
opposite way where the shutter-speed is set (shutter-priority) and the scale
indicates the aperture. But what is so important here is information
comprehension. Let me use the OM-2S as an example, as this display is
essentially identical to it. With the OM-2S, you can see the movement and
position of the bar-graph without looking at it. Same with any SLR with a
moving needle or the new Zeiss rangefinder camera which uses LEDs next to
the shutter-speeds. This is a tried-and-true method and I know what my
general shutter-speed is at any given time. I actually prefer the OM-2S over
the OM-3Ti and OM-4Ti displays because it is to the left where my peripheral
vision can see it and just like a mercury thermometer, you know how hot or
cold it is by the height.
2. The scale to the right is actually exactly the information you need for
determining dynamic range. When taking a picture with a digital camera, what
is the information you are trying to glean from a histogram? It's the
extremes. You really don't care much about the shape of the humps, you just
want to make sure your highlights don't blow out and you're not pushed into
the mush on the bottom end. By defining where the red thresholds are (1%,
2%, 5% for example), you know at a glance whether or not the scene is going
to cause problems and you and adjust accordingly.
I really have a problem with the shoot-review-adjust-shoot methodology.
That's fine and dandy for the static shots, but for a dynamic, action-filled
situation, you don't have time to do that and even if you did, it means
taking your eyes away from a potentially hazardous situation. If you are
shooting wildlife, for example, you need to know that your exposures are
correct without reviewing because any unnecessary noise and movement is
going to scare them off. Sometimes, you are even in a situation where you
cannot chimp anyway because of one-handed operation or dangerous
conditions-when in a war-zone with snipers shooting at you--is chimping such
a good idea?
The bar-graph displays that I'm presenting give you the most important
aspects of the histogram without presenting a histogram. This is the "Zone
System" simplified to it's rawest form. BTW, I use multi-spot metering in
manual-exposure mode with the OM-3Ti and OM-4Ti in this exact manner. I
meter the highlights, the shadows and a couple other spots to generally get
a feel for the dynamic range of the scene and then I adjust exposure till
all the dots are within the dynamic range of the film.
Like I've said many times before, there is no way the average photographer
is going to know what relationship 1/320 has to 1/180 or 1/125.
AG
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