Auto ISO and Exposure Compensation

[SimonW]

I've been using mainly manual exposure, very occasionally shutter or aperture priority, since I bought this camera, but now want to use Auto ISO and can't seem to set it up.

My old Pentax had TV, AV andTAV modes along with manual. that's shutter (time) priority or aperture priority with the ISO value fixed, and what they called shutter and aperture both adjustable and auto ISO. I have managed to set the Fuji to do this. (Though it's a little annoying that the ISO chosen isn't shown on the screen - instead it always shows the chosen maximum possible).

However, what I cannot find how to do is set an exposure adjustment along with this, for example -1/3 stop (or one step of ISO) to avoid blown highlights.

Maybe someone here knows the secret or can confirm it cannot be done?

Simon

[CatsAreGods]

Easy peasy! Find your main setting screen and change the left knob from switching between film simulations to exposure compensation.

[SimonW]

Wow, as you say, easy when you know how. It works a treat so thank you Catsaregods for replying.

Simon

 

[Sany]

Hi both - as extension to this question, I noticed the same limitation when I tried to keep Auto ISO, when I set, for example, max sensitivity to say 6400 - the ISO gets stuck at 6400. Since it is in Auto, I expected the number to flux between the lowest 160 and 6400 depending on the exposure. Please correct my understanding. 

As suggested by @CatsAreGods - I assume this is the only way to then move the ISO to shift between the min sensitivity and max sensitivity. Is this how we should handle the ISO when we put it on Auto?

Second question: When I assign the left dial for this instead of the Film Sims - where can I go to find film sim as alternative without going into the IQ setting? Can Q menu help to dial quickly between various film sims? 

[Greybeard]

4 hours ago, Sany said:

Hi both - as extension to this question, I noticed the same limitation when I tried to keep Auto ISO, when I set, for example, max sensitivity to say 6400 - the ISO gets stuck at 6400. Since it is in Auto, I expected the number to flux between the lowest 160 and 6400 depending on the exposure. Please correct my understanding. 

As suggested by @CatsAreGods - I assume this is the only way to then move the ISO to shift between the min sensitivity and max sensitivity. Is this how we should handle the ISO when we put it on Auto?

Second question: When I assign the left dial for this instead of the Film Sims - where can I go to find film sim as alternative without going into the IQ setting? Can Q menu help to dial quickly between various film sims? 

1) Are you half pressing to see the ISO change?

2) You can attach the film sims to a function button or Q menu (function button would be quicker but you have a limited number of function buttons)

[Sany]

Thanks @Greybeard no I have back button focus enabled and removed half press to focus from the shutter release. So this means the actual ISO captured is not displayed before the capture!?

I will try the q button and see how easy it is for the film sims to sit there.

 

[SimonW]

I use back button focus the same as Sany. It's interesting that the actual ISO might be visible in half-shutter press mode as Greybeard suggested.  I really don't want to change from back button focus but might get round to testing Greybeard's idea sometime.....

(Glad I mentioned that irritation now).

[Sany]

On 4/20/2022 at 4:25 AM, CatsAreGods said:

Easy peasy! Find your main setting screen and change the left knob from switching between film simulations to exposure compensation.

Hi - I am stuck here. I tried to assign the left dial to 'exp compensation when in M mode' option instead of the film sim. However, when i set it and made sure I am in 'M' mode. Still when I dial, only the film sims come back. I check the thrid option 'NONE' which works as well. For some reason, the exp compensation is not doing its job, maybe another setting somewhere is disabling this!?

 

[Greybeard]

4 hours ago, Sany said:

Hi - I am stuck here. I tried to assign the left dial to 'exp compensation when in M mode' option instead of the film sim. However, when i set it and made sure I am in 'M' mode. Still when I dial, only the film sims come back. I check the thrid option 'NONE' which works as well. For some reason, the exp compensation is not doing its job, maybe another setting somewhere is disabling this!?

 

I've never noticed that  'exp compensation when in M mode' option before - and it doesn't work for me either.

When in M mode and you have a specific ISO setting then you get the Film Simulation using the dial - which sort of makes sense as you wouldn't want exposure compensation to work when you have set Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO.

But when in M mode and using auto ISO the dial doesn't seem to do anything - I was expecting it to adjust the ISO but it doesn't.

Maybe someone else has found the answer.

[SimonW]

I asked Fuji UK. They confirmed it cannot be done if using back button focus. They said they have raised it with Fuji head office. Maybe next firmware update.....

Simon CT

[SimonW]

Sandy, using exposure compensation in full manual mode would make no sense - just adjust speed, aperture or iso as required. But if you have iso scrolled down to an auto setting then exp comp should be available.

Simon

[Greybeard]

3 hours ago, SimonW said:

 But if you have iso scrolled down to an auto setting then exp comp should be available.

It should - but is it? Have you confirmed that it works this way?

[SimonW]

Yes, it works fine. But from memory l needed to assign it to the control knob. The option choice allows for it to select film simulation in manual and exp comp in auto.

[Sany]

On 5/5/2022 at 1:56 PM, SimonW said:

Sandy, using exposure compensation in full manual mode would make no sense - just adjust speed, aperture or iso as required. But if you have iso scrolled down to an auto setting then exp comp should be available.

Simon

Hi @sumonw, I agree. The reason why it came up in first place was based on using a custom film simulation. For some of the film simulation, the ISO min and max sensitivity is provided in auto. So during these situation and while on back button focus - I noticed the ISO displaying the max value. That is when a suggestion here also suggested connecting it to the left side dial to replace the standard film sims. 

Yes now I got the answer from the above discussions - why the 'exp compenstion' is not getting assigned while on manual mode even though we assign this in the setting. The strange thing is the second option for the left dial says 'Exp compenstion while on manual mode' is what confuses which misled by thinking.

Edited May 7, 2022 by Sany

[infoschuerfer]

2 Contributions:

- Left dial not working even though set to exp comp in manual mode:  I have experienced this when the camera believes that the required ISO value was at one of the limits of the selected Auto ISO ranges. That would at least be partly a logical explanation (not for the switching to film simulations though, which I experiences once as well).

- Reason for using exposure comp in Manual: Easier and much faster way to adjust exposure than by toggling ISO values, especially since you prefer the Auto ISO, because the light can always change while your are toggling the ISO values. Manual Mode with Auto ISO recommended by pros for wildlife photography.

And it basically works well. I was just able to shoot a black raven in front of a bright sky by using exp comp plus 2 2/3 and thereby raising the iso to 2500 within the range. One click by the left dial is 1/3 exp comp. Only by cranking the exp comp up in this way, the different shades of dark grey, including blacks and highlights on the feathers of the raven came out properly. And the sky in the background was not blown out.

Even with spot metering, the camera would have selected iso 1000, which was too dark for the details of the black raven feathers (the raven was not in the shadow), and raising the shadows/black point in post processing for these non adjusted pictures could not bring out the fine shades of the feathers and resulted in some disturbing color tints. Even the allegedly very good NoNoise AI I use cannot compensate for the loss of quality (dynamic range) due to underexposure of dark areas.

Not nice, as others have pointed out: In the EVF only the max value of the selected Auto ISO range is shown, and you have to half press the shutter button to see the actual value selected by the camera.

Edited February 21, 2023 by infoschuerfer
Part of the comment was inaccurate, after some better understanding of the camera's functioning

[Sany]

@infoschuerfer when you have time could you please explain how you did the auto ISO adjustment while you were in manual mode as explained by you this...."And it basically works well. I was just able to shoot a black raven in front of a bright sky by using exp comp plus 2 2/3 and thereby raising the iso to 2500 within the range...."