Using Aperture Priority

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Marklow@mac.com

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Has anyone been using the Aperture Prioroty setting on the M8 and how does it work compared to manual? I personally like the A Priority mode and have always used it with my other cameras much of the time. I can just focus on what aperture I want to work at and just let the camera set the shutter speed. Any comments would be appreciated.

Mark:)
 
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I use it almost exclusively, unless I'm in mind of a specific effect I want to achieve at a specific shutter speed. I find that I can get sharp pictures down to 1/8 sec. (if I concentrate *and* my subject isn't moving too fast), so letting the aperture be the priority almost always works for me.
 
Sounds good... Do you find also that you have to use the exposure hold feature as you select which portion of the image the camera meters and also do you hav e to use the EV compensation in any way?
 
I tend to aim the camera at a middle gray area at AE, then use hold (half depressed, recompose and focus. It is a technique I have used for so long with my M6-es (albeit not the hold, but the red-dot-in-the middle) with their real spot-metering that I still do so on the M8, where it makes less sense. I find the metering very accurate, with only rarely a need to correct by going into manual. EV compensation I never use.
 
Marklow@mac.com said:
Has anyone been using the Aperture Prioroty fetting on the M* and how does it work compared to manual? I personally like the A Priority mode and have always used it with my other cameras. I can just focus on what aperture I want to work at and just let the camera set the shutter speed. Any comments would be appreciated.

Mark:)
Click to expand...

I thought every M except M7 is manual camera.

The technique varies from person to person. I set the shutter speed first, mostly 1/125 or 1/250 outdoors, adjust aperture accordingly. If I have incident meter, I'd take a reading and stick with EV combo.
 
i use AP probably 90% of the time. point to where i want the exposure taken off of, depress half way, recompose and take the shot. only time i use manual is if the lighting condition is difficult, ie sunlight directly in front of the object, etc.

i use Exposure Compensation on certain lenses. i find with my 15mm Heliar, the auto exposure makes my pictures darker than i would like (guessing its something to do with the wide angle) so i up the exposure compensation a click or two.

:)
 
Well, I don't know why but when I fill the frame with an 18% grey card, and EV comp set to 0, it exposes it about 1 2/3 to 2 stops high, over exposed. It does this at any focal setting and any ISO and with all my lenses. I wonder if something could have happened to throw the meter off or could it have come to me not properly calibrated? It would be cool if firmware allowed provision for callibrating the meter to your own personal setting. Would this be something that could be done relatively easily back at Leica? I could just live with it but I just don't like investing so much for a camera when it is not quite right. Yes I could leave the EV set to -2 stops but then I have only one stop more if I have a situation where I need a couple stops down in compensation. Hey, I guess I do have 5 instead of just three stops up for + compensation.
 
Marklow@mac.com said:
Well, I don't know why but when I fill the frame with an 18% grey card, and EV comp set to 0, it exposes it about 1 2/3 to 2 stops high, over exposed. It does this at any focal setting and any ISO and with all my lenses. I wonder if something could have happened to throw the meter off or could it have come to me not properly calibrated? It would be cool if firmware allowed provision for callibrating the meter to your own personal setting. Would this be something that could be done relatively easily back at Leica? I could just live with it but I just don't like investing so much for a camera when it is not quite right. Yes I could leave the EV set to -2 stops but then I have only one stop more if I have a situation where I need a couple stops down in compensation. Hey, I guess I do have 5 instead of just three stops up for + compensation.
Click to expand...

maybe its the grey card? have you tried testing the same shot one with grey card and one just exposing on your subject?
 
The AE is awesome. Just keep an eye on the background lighting. It is a center weighted system. And be aware of the tonality of your subject. No different than any other center weighted meter. I've found that if I set to -1/3 EV in the set menu that it is almost always dead on with no highlights blown. Shot RAW and you have it all! Note the rhyme!
Steve
 
I use AE 100% of the time, both with the M7 and the M8. I meter off the principal part of the scene and use the exposure hold. I do prefer the smaller spot on the M7 to the ellipical patch on the M8. If you use a Visoflex, you almost have to use AE.
 
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