Nikon Z9 Exposure Simulation?

[Kenny88]

I don't have a Z9 (yet), but I'd like to reach out to those that have one to help me determine if the Z9 EVF exposure simulation still behaves the same as the Z6x/Z7x series of bodies.

With Auto ISO = off, d8 apply to Live View=on, and the Starlight setting=off, when in "Aperture" or "Shutter Priority" mode, if the shutter speed, or aperture value changes from one end to the other, does the image displayed on the EVF change as well? Ie. Dialing in the shutter from 1/4000 to 1/50 will result in the EVF image getting brighter.

I know for fact that in Manual mode, and with the above parameters set, the EVF behaves like a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), but in A or S mode on the Z6 or Z7 bodies it doesn't behave the same as in Manual mode.

Cheers

 

[StevieJSmall]

Are you sure about that? Pretty sure the Z6/Z7 operate the same as the Z9 in that when in Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, your back LCD screen or your EVF will start brightening or darkening once you hit the limits of the camera light meter’s ability to keep exposure at “zero” or in the “middle”.

For instance, when I’m not in Manual, I use Aperture Priority and I like to shoot with fast lenses wide open, typically 1.2 on my 50mm. During middle of the day, my screen is completely white or blown out because even 1/32,000 seconds isn’t fast enough to stop too much light hitting the sensor and my light meter is way north of the middle. When I had my Z6 and Z6II, almost positive it behaved the same way.

The thing with A and S priority, they’ll rack your cameras values and can go pretty low/high. You may not be putting your camera in a tough enough situation where the light meter isn’t able to accurately meter the scene.

When you take the photo, is it matching what you saw in the EVF? If so, would mean your light meter is working and your EVF is truly giving you what you see.

I’ll double check my Z9 tomorrow to make sure I’m not mistaking myself on that camera but I would say the behavior for all Z cameras are the same in this vein.

 

[Kenny88]

Are you sure about that? Pretty sure the Z6/Z7 operate the same as the Z9 in that when in Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, your back LCD screen or your EVF will start brightening or darkening once you hit the limits of the camera light meter’s ability to keep exposure at “zero” or in the “middle”.

For instance, when I’m not in Manual, I use Aperture Priority and I like to shoot with fast lenses wide open, typically 1.2 on my 50mm. During middle of the day, my screen is completely white or blown out because even 1/32,000 seconds isn’t fast enough to stop too much light hitting the sensor and my light meter is way north of the middle. When I had my Z6 and Z6II, almost positive it behaved the same way.

The thing with A and S priority, they’ll rack your cameras values and can go pretty low/high. You may not be putting your camera in a tough enough situation where the light meter isn’t able to accurately meter the scene.

When you take the photo, is it matching what you saw in the EVF? If so, would mean your light meter is working and your EVF is truly giving you what you see.

I’ll double check my Z9 tomorrow to make sure I’m not mistaking myself on that camera but I would say the behavior for all Z cameras are the same in this vein.

Thanks for the details - and if you can please check on your Z9 on A or S mode whether the image on the EVF changes accordingly when either A or S values are changed that'll confirm what I'm experiencing might be not normal. I'm sure that what I see in the EVF is not the same as when I take the picture.

 

[Dionigi Colombo]

Good morning
it is normal because in S if you change the shutter speed the camera changes the aperture, in A if you change the aperture the camera changes the shutter speed
to see differences and make photos lighter or darker you have to use the +/- compensation

my english is not good, i hope i understood and wrote right

 

[Cameron T]

I don't have a Z9 (yet), but I'd like to reach out to those that have one to help me determine if the Z9 EVF exposure simulation still behaves the same as the Z6x/Z7x series of bodies.

With Auto ISO = off, d8 apply to Live View=on, and the Starlight setting=off, when in "Aperture" or "Shutter Priority" mode, if the shutter speed, or aperture value changes from one end to the other, does the image displayed on the EVF change as well? Ie. Dialing in the shutter from 1/4000 to 1/50 will result in the EVF image getting brighter.

I know for fact that in Manual mode, and with the above parameters set, the EVF behaves like a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), but in A or S mode on the Z6 or Z7 bodies it doesn't behave the same as in Manual mode.

Cheers

So for some understanding, I believe you're confused which is going to cause confusion on our parts.

If you're in shutter priority mode, and you change the shutter speed, why would the evf change (until you're outside the range of aperture adjusting)? And the same for aperture priority and changing aperture. The camera maintains (or tries to) the 'optimal' exposure, so what you see wouldn't change at all.

In manual mode, it will change because the camera isn't compensating (except with auto iso, but you don't have that on) for anything, so it will change with every adjustment.

This all seems to be working exactly as it should.

 

[Kenny88]

So for some understanding, I believe you're confused which is going to cause confusion on our parts.

If you're in shutter priority mode, and you change the shutter speed, why would the evf change (until you're outside the range of aperture adjusting)? And the same for aperture priority and changing aperture. The camera maintains (or tries to) the 'optimal' exposure, so what you see wouldn't change at all.

In manual mode, it will change because the camera isn't compensating (except with auto iso, but you don't have that on) for anything, so it will change with every adjustment.

This all seems to be working exactly as it should.

Just tried on my friend's 2 Canon bodies and it behaves as I thought it would. That is changing Shutter or Aperture value in A or S mode results in change in the image on the EVF. Ie. in a bright sunny outdoor environment, I put the Shutter at 1/500 and the view was washed out. On the Z camera it does not. and only happens in Manual mode. It appears to be a Nikon design choice.

 

[Cameron T]

Just tried on my friend's 2 Canon bodies and it behaves as I thought it would. That is changing Shutter or Aperture value in A or S mode results in change in the image on the EVF. Ie. in a bright sunny outdoor environment, I put the Shutter at 1/500 and the view was washed out. On the Z camera it does not. and only happens in Manual mode. It appears to be a Nikon design choice.

Yes... Because you have the "apply to live view" on, so you'll see what the image will look like when you take it.

I'm trying to understand your confusion here, because nikon explicitly states how it works in the manual.

I'm not sure what Canon decided to do with their implementation, but if it's washed out I'd expect the camera was in manual mode or otherwise had their equivalent of "apply to live view" off.

It looks like it's literally called "exposure simulation" in canon cameras, which should do exactly the same thing in the various modes as "apply settings to live view" for nikon.

 

[bleirer]

Just tried on my friend's 2 Canon bodies and it behaves as I thought it would. That is changing Shutter or Aperture value in A or S mode results in change in the image on the EVF. Ie. in a bright sunny outdoor environment, I put the Shutter at 1/500 and the view was washed out. On the Z camera it does not. and only happens in Manual mode. It appears to be a Nikon design choice.

As a Canon shooter, I'd say your friend has something else going on. If you are in aperture priority and change aperture the shutter speed will compensate to keep the same brightness in the evf until a shutter speed limit is reached. If auto ISO is off then the scene could start to change only after a shutter speed limit is exceeded. If auto ISO is on the evf will maintain the same brightness until you hit an iso limit. Same in shutter priority. If you change shutter speed the f number will compensate until you run out of f numbers. If auto ISO is off the evf will change brightness. If auto ISO is on then iso will change to maintain the same evf brightness, until you hit an iso limit. There are settings for limiting the iso range and for using iso to maintain a minimum shutter speed. The different modes have rules for which setting gets adjusted first, but they all maintain metered brightness unless exposure compensation is used.