Auto ETTR based on RAW histogram (ettr.mo)

[platu]

I have been shooting using the Auto ETTR feature today and just have to say that it's amazing.  So much more advanced than Canon's own metering.  This deserves a lot more attention but I understand about the excitement of Raw video.  Great job Alex!

[Audionut]

It is very cool.  A little customization built in also so that you can tweak it to your liking.

I know quite a few people now who have been harping on about wanting something like this, rather then Canon's 12% grey.

[a1ex]

Another tip: combine this with Post Deflicker from shoot menu. This one will save exposure compensation info in sidecar files, so when you develop the raw shots, all your pictures will appear equally exposed.

Also try it instead of bulb ramping: enable intervalometer, auto ETTR and post deflicker. In theory, this should give 100% flicker-free timelapse on the entire exposure range (from 1/8000 to 30 seconds). I'll try it this weekend hopefully.

Both methods use robust statistics (that percentile thingie from the old bulb ramping), so I expect very good results.

[ozcancelik]

So we have accurate deflickering! I hope it works well. Are we gonna use your deflickering application? Or it doesn't need any deflicker touch in post?

[X-RAY]

This is really the next big feature...but as platu already noted, just doesn't get the same excitment as RAW. I think its because its not as comprehensible.

I've got a question on the RAW histogram. So as I understand, before that the histogram was created from a jpg-like presentation...so you didn't get an idea of the headroom which you are able to recover in the shadows / highlights. Is it right, that now in the RAW histogram it shows the whole range of information? That would be so much better. ^^


Some ideas on that feature:

Auto ETTR needs just a little bit of time, is it already optimized for speed? Maybe it would be helpful when there is a indicator that the Auto ETTR "has just set the values". Like a beep or something.

Any chance to get it working in other modes than M? Like C-Modes? It would be great having a mode reserved just for Auto ETTR.

It only alters the shutter speed and iso values. Perhaps it would be reasonable to set in the options which value should be calculated.
At the moment: Aperture uncalculated + iso / shutter calculated

Wouldn't it also be great to have the Auto ETTR on the *-Button (exposure) in M-Mode? Then you really don't need to toggle the feature when you want to use it or not.

[a1ex]

For deflickering: my app is no longer needed, all you need to do is (for ufraw workflow):

Code Select Expand


rename 's/UFR$/ufraw/' *
ufraw-batch *.ufraw --out-type=jpeg


For XMP, I have no idea how to use it, I guess it's similar to the DNG video workflow.

Raw histogram is computed from 14-bit raw data trimmed to 12-bit (count the intervals, each bar is 1 stop).

Auto ETTR can be assigned to some shortcut, but I'm not sure which is the best way to do it. The * button is hard to detect, we can't tell the difference between it and half-shutter.

[Audionut]

I've got a question on the RAW histogram. So as I understand, before that the histogram was created from a jpg-like presentation...so you didn't get an idea of the headroom which you are able to recover in the shadows / highlights. Is it right, that now in the RAW histogram it shows the whole range of information? That would be so much better. ^^

Yes, it's based on RAW data, so it's accurate.  It's not let down by all the problems of trying to read a histogram based of processed JPG data.

Auto ETTR needs just a little bit of time, is it already optimized for speed? Maybe it would be helpful when there is a indicator that the Auto ETTR "has just set the values". Like a beep or something.

A beep would be nice.  It is fairly easy to tell when your settings have been changed though.

Auto ETTR can be assigned to some shortcut, but I'm not sure which is the best way to do it. The * button is hard to detect, we can't tell the difference between it and half-shutter.

M-Fn, DOF or AF-ON would be my choices for 5D3.

edit:  Actually, what about that silly rate button or the other useless one above it?

[a1ex]

From those buttons, RATE is the only one easy to intercept. For other cameras... SET and INFO/DISP can also be used (just like with expo presets).

DOF is also possible, but only with Canon lenses.

[Audionut]

RATE would be the best pick then imo.  Afaik, the only decent use people have been getting out of it, is marking the first shot in a series.

[Audionut]

Another tip: combine this with Post Deflicker from shoot menu. This one will save exposure compensation info in sidecar files, so when you develop the raw shots, all your pictures will appear equally exposed.

Oh wow, this works good    I like the post calibration info on the screen also.

[X-RAY]

But rate is only on 5D3. On 5D2 I think Set would be ok. But also the DOF-Button would also be perfect for me. I never use that.
INFO/DISP isn't good to reach.

[eyeland]

Again, what a sweet implementation, I am sure that many more stills shooters will try out ML in the light of this!
Great that the non-video people get some love from ML as well, we wouldn't want them to feel left out
For me, being almost equally interested in video and stills these days, this is all so amazing...
+1 to assigning the rate button
Can't wait to try this out on a star timelapse

[Simdub]

Wow, very nice implementation  . Thanks again ML Team! After some tries, I can assure you it works very well! Just have done an example here. I took 2 pictures of the same scene, one underexposed (aprx. 1 maybe 1.5 stop underexposed) and the other one I let ML's autoETTR make his job. Then I used Ligthroom 4 to adjust them (no noise reduction or sharpness increase). They have the same configuration (except exposition of course). So here are the results:

                shutter speed : 1/160 - iso : 200 - f/2.2                                   shutter speed : 1/60 - iso : 400 - f/2.2

   

100% crop:

   

Even if I knew benefits of ETTR I wasn't a big fan of it (Ok, I wasn't brave enough). But now, this features will obviously change my mind. All the shots I took were very concluant. Even if we have to took 2 pictures for one scene, I think this could be a game changer in exposure modes. So thank you again, I find this feature really helpfull !

PS: second shot isn't as sharp as the first one, it's because I set ETTR's slowest shutter at 1/60 sec. You can change this and set it at 1/125 and so on for scenes where there are some mouvements!
PS2: Sorry for my bad english, I just wanted to share those results .

[1%]

BTW... for raw histo and all that:

[platu]

Using Auto ETTR with silent pictures enabled, the maximum number of photos it will let me setup in the intervalometer is just a small fraction of the space I have available on my CF card.  I'm guessing that it is calculating the space available based on CR2 file sizes and hasn't been updated to account for the smaller file size of silent pics.  Am I understanding this correctly?

[noisyboy]

Sweet feature! Can't wait to try this. I would dare say that ML DSLR's (in particular the mkIII) is fast becoming one of the most all rounded and feature packed camera on the market.

Mad props! 

[RenatoPhoto]

Just tried a time lapse with ETTR enabled but did not work because I set Image Review = OFF (In Canon Menu) to save power.  The ETTR program did not adjust exposure and I did not know it until I reviewed the images in my pc. 

For now make sure Image Review = 2 seconds.

[platu]

Also, post deflicker does not work when silent pictures is enabled.  For me, one of the most exciting prospects of ETTR is being able to use the combination of Auto ETTR,  post deflicker, and silent pics (to save my shutter) for timelaspes.  That is potentially the ultimate combo.  I realize that Auto ETTR was just released so it may already be part of Alex's plans for all I know.

[tkyisepic]

Does this feature work with long exposure photography with ND filters?

[JoshuOne]

Greetings, I was hoping that someone could tell me how to implement the auto ETTR feature on the 500d, I am using the latest nightly and could not find the feature in the menus. Thanks so much to all the devs who work on this awesome software.

[RenatoPhoto]

Greetings, I was hoping that someone could tell me how to implement the auto ETTR feature on the 500d, I am using the latest nightly and could not find the feature in the menus. Thanks so much to all the devs who work on this awesome software.

Probably not enabled yet.  Follow the specific development thread to find the latest on this camera.  For more information about AutoETTR go here:

ETTR (Exposure to the Right): - -History & Beginners Guide --
http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=5693.0

[1%]

I think this is what broke voice tags... would also be nice to have it in movie mode with shutter doubleclick.

[a1ex]

Voice tags are working here.

[X-RAY]

@ alex
I tested the 5D2 build 1fcfef6c9425 from a.d.
But the shortcut buttons don't work for me. Only the "Always On" mode seems to work. The others move the mirror but don't calculate values. Ist it already tested and working with other 5D2s?

[a1ex]

On my 5D2 it's working. ExpSim enabled and LiveView is set to photo mode, right?