Hey everyone,

 

Recently upgrade to sony A7rV and noticed when taking pictures underwater the "auto review" images often appear quite dark and underexposed compared to the subsequent RAWs that I upload to lightroom or preview on my computer. I have played with some settings but was curious if anyone knew how to adjust this setting to get more representative pictures on auto review to what the RAW picture will end up looking like.

 

Appreciate any help with this.

Hey Tyler

 

im not a Sony user but that sounds like a setting on the screen needs adjusting. Setting in the menu to increase the screen brightness?

The playback should be showing the embedded jpeg, so even when the highlights are blown out in the preview, they can sometimes be saved in the RAW file.

 

If the jpg is coming out dark, maybe you have a picture profile turned on somewhere?

Try to adjust the monitor brightness manually to "high" ... and no one uses the "auto review" - this blocks the screen. I usually use the histogram view (press two times up on the "wheel") that shows better whether you have under-or overexposed.

I had a similar problem with my A7R5, that costed me a lot of photos for the first monthes of diving. I think your problem may be closely related, if not the same. When I reviewed the photos UW through the EVF, they looked well exposed. After transferring the raw files to the PC and importing into LRc, I found out that many photos were underexposed...

 

My problem was that the "AUTO Viewfinder Brightness" is "ON" by default in the A7R5. After turning this menue item "OFF", everything is o.k. and I see the correct exposure of the photos in the EVF...

Look e.g. here and search for "AUTO Viewfinder Brightness" for the intsructions how to turn it "OFF": https://www.colbybrownphotography.com/the-complete-setup-guide-for-the-sony-a7r-v/

 

Wolfgang

Thank you all for your responses, changing auto view finder brightness off and set EVF to high seems to have helped.

On 8/6/2024 at 8:14 PM, Architeuthis said:

I had a similar problem with my A7R5, that costed me a lot of photos for the first monthes of diving. I think your problem may be closely related, if not the same. When I reviewed the photos UW through the EVF, they looked well exposed. After transferring the raw files to the PC and importing into LRc, I found out that many photos were underexposed...

 

My problem was that the "AUTO Viewfinder Brightness" is "ON" by default in the A7R5. After turning this menue item "OFF", everything is o.k. and I see the correct exposure of the photos in the EVF...

Look e.g. here and search for "AUTO Viewfinder Brightness" for the intsructions how to turn it "OFF": https://www.colbybrownphotography.com/the-complete-setup-guide-for-the-sony-a7r-v/

 

Wolfgang

 

Argh

I think this was my issue. 

The exposure levels I reviewed underwater looked correct but at home they were drastically under exposed. 

 

I'll check this setting. 

 

Attached is resized jpg.

 

Full raw images here; 

https://quickshare.samsungcloud.com/sCsx8GjV5CmY

 

 

Edited September 8, 20241 yr by hedonist222

1 hour ago, hedonist222 said:

 

Argh

I think this was my issue. 

The exposure levels I reviewed underwater looked correct but at home they were drastically under exposed. 

 

I'll check this setting. 

 

Attached is resized jpg.

 

Full raw images here; 

https://quickshare.samsungcloud.com/sCsx8GjV5CmY

 

 

 

Hmm my view finder brightness was not on auto. It was set to maximum brightness on manual (+2).

 

Could me setting it to maximum brightness replicated the "auto" issue? 

 

 

5 hours ago, hedonist222 said:

 

Hmm my view finder brightness was not on auto. It was set to maximum brightness on manual (+2).

 

Could me setting it to maximum brightness replicated the "auto" issue? 

 

 

 

I think it could as you see everything pushed up by +2 (I guess EV?)...

Although your image looks to me underexposed by -3 to -4 EVs...

 

Edited September 8, 20241 yr by Architeuthis

I agree that the image appears to be dramatically underexposed.  
 

Once you get the LCD set as you like it, I would strongly encourage the use of the histogram when reviewing for correct exposure in the field.  For me, this is the best way to judge if I have correct or usable exposure.  By quickly reviewing the histogram I have a “feel” as to what will be a good image for post processing vs. unusable images due to crushed shadows or blown highlights.

 

Hope this helps…

 

Edited September 8, 20241 yr by ChipBPhoto

6 hours ago, ChipBPhoto said:

I agree that the image appears to be dramatically underexposed.  
 

Once you get the LCD set as you like it, I would strongly encourage the use of the histogram when reviewing for correct exposure in the field.  For me, this is the best way to judge if I have correct or usable exposure.  By quickly reviewing the histogram I have a “feel” as to what will be a good image for post processing vs. unusable images due to crushed shadows or blown highlights.

 

Hope this helps…

 

 

That's a good point. 

Data (histogram) is unaffected by these type of variables. 

On 9/8/2024 at 4:56 PM, hedonist222 said:

 

Argh

I think this was my issue. 

The exposure levels I reviewed underwater looked correct but at home they were drastically under exposed. 

 

I'll check this setting. 

 

Attached is resized jpg.

 

Full raw images here; 

https://quickshare.samsungcloud.com/sCsx8GjV5CmY

 

 

 

I decided to test whether the brighter view finder caused this. 

I tested by viewing the same photos with my view finder brightness on maximum, like the day I took the pictures. They, as expected, appeared aptly exposed on the view finder. 

I then continued to turn down the (view finder) brightness till the exposure matched what I saw on my PC. I had to turn down brightness till -1 to get the view finder to match the output. 

 

I hope this helps others. 

 

 

This seems like an issue that needs to be corrected by Sony.  There is typically a setting to increase the viewfinder brightness setting to cope with for example flash photography so you can frame your image properly when using it as a viewfinder.  But when you review the images in the same EVF, this should be disabled.  I use Olympus and changing this setting to the auto brightness setting the viewfinder image is nice and bright, but when it flashes up the review image this setting is disabled and it shows the image as taken.  Does Sony not have an option like this?

Check that "Setting effect" is OFF (Shooting>Shooting display>Live view display setting)