AE, for the first time

R

RML

Guest
Never had I any use for AE... until yesterday!

Yesterday I went to a Fantasy fair with some friends. The weather was sunny with scattered clouds, and there was lots to see and shoot. The venue was in the gardens and grounds of a castle (Huis de Haar, for those familiar with castles in Holland). I started shooting in my regular way: J-8, iso200, f8, AWB, and setting shutter time to match the light. After only a few shots I was getting desperate. The dis- and re-appearing sun made guessing shutter time a chore, the abundance of trees and parks didn't make things easier. The shutter times were all over the place: from 1/30 to 1/500 and everything in between. Horrible!

Then I had a flash of sense. Why not try out the AE dial? It's there and it can't do worse than I'm already doing, so let's give it a try. And so I did. I set it at +1, and shot the entire afternoon with it. Loved it! I may never return to setting shutter speed by myself again. :)

Anyway, for results check _the Fantasy fair photos_ and _the PAW for week 16_ on my photo portfolio blog.
 
I find the exposure accuracy on the R-D1 to be exceptional - even under difficult lighting conditions it is almost always spot on. One thing Epson definitely got right.

Cheers,
Kirk
 
good for you remy!

i have been using ae on the zi since it arrived as i thought it a good test.
seems pretty good and i found it works better if i change the speed on the iso dial as i change films...;)

joe
 
back alley said:
good for you remy!

i have been using ae on the zi since it arrived as i thought it a good test.
seems pretty good and i found it works better if i change the speed on the iso dial as i change films...;)

joe
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Joe, that was my idea too. Changing the iso to suit the situation (when it gets darker or when indoors) works well. I just have to remember to peek at the shutter speed that is set. I forgot once or twice and got blur-by-camer-shake. Fortunately, those weren't critical shots so no harm done.

I'm definitely going to use this AE thingy on a regular basis. What's next? AQuto focus sounds like a good idea.... :p
 
KEH said:
I find the exposure accuracy on the R-D1 to be exceptional - even under difficult lighting conditions it is almost always spot on. One thing Epson definitely got right.

Cheers,
Kirk
Click to expand...

Indeed very good. I have the same experience with the metering on the Bessa R and L. Both are extremely accurate. I tended to over-expose by about an "arrow LED" to get more shadow detail but the results were always very predictable. I now experience the same with the R-D1. My experience with the Bessas made me more confident to use the AE, and I'm not let down.
 
peter_n said:
Great stuff Remy. :) Glad to see you're still using your trusty J-8. I love the AE on my M7!
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Thanks all, for the compliments.

Yes, I re-found the J-8 after several months of solely shooting the M-Rokkor 40/2. Both are fabulous lenses. Sometimes you just need to switch flavours to keep things spicy. :)
 
Very nice pictures, indeed. Looked like a fun event. My only question is: where are the pictures of you in your Fantasy Fair outfit?
 
Sorry BJ, I didn't dress up. Didn't know it was an event like this.

Maybe next year. :p Got the wife a bit excited to go there next year around, dressed as Mongolian Khan and Khatan (king and Queen). :) Maybe our little girl can go as Little Red Riding Hood, or a Gremlin. :)
 
ChrisN said:
Good work! That looks like a wonderful event for a photographer - all those willing subjects!
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Missed your post, Chris!

Yes, very willing subjects! Everyone dresses up as if they're crazy and everyone wants to show off their creations. And very impressive creations there were. I wish life was a bit more like this. :)
 
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