What's your method of exposing properly?

[SwiftFoX]

Hey,

Very new to the amazing RAW recording on the 5DIII. The first set of footage seems rather underexposed in Davinci after being processed into cdng for example. I'm filming in MLV_RAW, not RAW_REC (does that make a difference apart from lower I/O speeds due to sound being recorded? I only care if it makes a difference to visual quality / data).

Do you guys use the ETTR tool to let it automatically expose while filming, or do you naturally just overexpose by 1 or 2 stops? The liveview isn't giving me a great representation of exposure, so I'd guess I'll always need to over expose?

Thanks for any tips.

[dubzeebass]

Use the histogram hints. Expose until it shows clipping then dial back slightly. I always expose maximally and fix the levels is post. Better to have too much and dial it down (includes dialing down noise) than dial up (ibid).

[Audionut]

http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=12096.0

[QuickHitRecord]

For grabbing a quick exposure, I like using the ETTR hint in conjunction with the raw histogram.

[DeafEyeJedi]

I second that @dubzeebass & @QuickHitRecord -- using the ETTR hint in the histogram definitely helps because I've learned that using the ETTR as always enabled doesn't always give me the exposure that I want...

Life's better when we control everything manually rather than having a computer control us.

[dmilligan]

The histogram is a good tool, but I think zebras are the most useful, esp. when you have specular highlights (things you don't mind clipping). Histogram and the ETTR hint can tell you how much you've clipped (or not), but they can't tell you where (which can be important information). Was it just the sun or a light bulb or a bright reflection off glass (=> probably okay to clip) or was it a specular reflection on a subject's skin (=> probably not okay).

I usually just start cranking up the exposure until I see zebras in areas I don't want them, then dial it back one.

[DeafEyeJedi]

Excellent point @dmilligan -- thanks for pointing that out!

[DanHaag]

I prefer using zebras for the same reason. It also helps to locate possible issues on the set and fix them prior to shooting. Like moving the lights or changing the actor's white shirt. So it doesn't just support your choice of exposure but also helps making quick decisions in other regards since you can spot the problems right on your viewfinder.

[DeafEyeJedi]

And do we tend to leave the Zebra's @ 99% or does anyone know of a sweet spot for this?

So far for me it's still in the default 99% and seems to work well for most situations.

I understand it varies on lighting set wise but just purely out of curiosity!

[Audionut]

I prefer raw based zebras.

I usually just start cranking up the exposure until I see zebras in areas I don't want them, then dial it back one.

This.  So easy.

[SwiftFoX]

Thanks for the advice, has really helped me out! How do you handle ETTR in low light conditions with dim lighting? Usually I can't expose to the right in those conditions, wondering what the standard thing to do in that situation is?

[l_d_allan]

Thanks for the advice, has really helped me out! How do you handle ETTR in low light conditions with dim lighting? Usually I can't expose to the right in those conditions, wondering what the standard thing to do in that situation is?

Why not able to use ETTR? If the shutter speed would be too slow to hand-hold, would a tripod help? Is the subject static, or moving? Dual-ISO can sometimes help with very high contrast situations.

With ML, the BULB is enhanced to easily provide much longer exposures than 30 seconds, without having to hold the shutter down, or use a remote control.

I've done ISO 100 ETTR at f8 during full moon night captures that are several minutes long (but the moon will move if it is in the frame). However, Auto-ETTR can sometimes have trouble deciding on the exposure with really long exposures.

[Audionut]

On Canon cameras, if you've reached the limit with shutter/aperture, you can ETTR with ISO.