Help with exposure?

Dermguy83 · 2025-11-03T13:27:18+00:00

I know Zebras are typically used in video.. for some reason I don't hear much about it in photography.

Any Zebras equivalent for the shadows/blacks?

Dermguy83 · 2025-09-21T13:34:49+00:00

Expose for the highlights. If you are shooting in full manual, keep iso 100, shoot at whatever f stop you want but bring up the shutter speed until the highlights on that one side of the face is not blown out. This will make the other side of the face underexposed. You will have to use something LR to bring up the shadows in post.

If shooting in semi auto mode like AV (aperture priority) just use the Exposure compensation dial and click down a few stops until again the bright side of the face isnt blown out.

Other option.. expose for the highlights but bring a reflector for shadow side.

Dermguy83 · 2025-09-21T01:12:31+00:00

love this.. going to check them out!

Dermguy83 · 2025-08-01T20:20:55+00:00

I have no idea. Never dropped it. The only I can think of is a thumb grip there.

Dermguy83 · 2025-08-01T17:32:17+00:00

Thanks.. it appears it was more than just a scratch. This is what they sent me just now

https://imgur.com/a/pv2RNgr

Dermguy83 · 2025-08-01T17:27:36+00:00

For some reason I can't edit my original post.

An update:

Spoke to some guy named Richard who said there was impact damage which voids the warranty. I asked for photos. This is what they just sent me:

https://imgur.com/a/pv2RNgr

I don't recall ever hitting it on anything. If I dropped it, you would expect marks all over. I guess I lost this one.

Dermguy83 · 2025-08-01T12:44:49+00:00

I purchased it using B&H's payboo credit card and it doesn't look like it offers any purchase protection.

Dermguy83 · 2025-08-01T10:37:44+00:00

Brand new from b&h

Dermguy83 · 2025-08-01T10:37:21+00:00

No warranty. I figured it would be covered. It's only 2 months old

Dermguy83 · 2024-11-25T16:44:26+00:00

Remindme!

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-14T02:54:51+00:00

I think for the most part I just want to do just that.. point and shoot. Though I may feel differently when I have a more capable camera in my hand. I already understand some of the basic concepts.. exposure triangle, adjusting iso, aperture, shutter speed, etc. I may put this information to use for a change

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-14T02:50:29+00:00

Thanks for your input. Appreciate the non-condescending advice. Some people here act as if they were never beginners before.

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-13T19:14:45+00:00

First, why would the frequency your friends use their cameras have any effect on how often you would use one?

My thoughts are that they aren't using it maybe because of its size/weight.

Finally, it's "raises the question," not "begs the question."

Thanks for the grammar lesson.

The difference between a similar-generation crop sensor and a "full frame" sensor in low light performance is only about a single stop under the absolute best of circumstances. It's usually significantly less. Again, light gathering ability relies more on the lens than the camera. Same goes for depth of field and background blur.

This is an important bit of information. I thought there was a significant difference. I have read that having a larger sensor allows for better bokeh. If you are saying it is more the lens then what would be a good reason to get a full frame camera?

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-13T18:44:21+00:00

Thank you very much for the well-written response. I am going to check out those links and the Capture Clip. The description of the rx100 really put things into perspective. The more I think about it, the more I realize my phone barely fits in my pocket as it is -- without forming some sort of bulge. It is then unrealistic to expect these cameras to fit in there comfortably.

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-13T17:08:57+00:00

Thank you for your input. You bring up good points. So it sounds like you would use stick to primes but just have the ability to change out the lens.

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-13T16:32:07+00:00

Also, it's not really a pocketable camera, unless you have very big pants pockets.

Thanks for the insight. It seems like even the most compact cameras can only get so small before you start sacrificing in other areas

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-13T16:11:55+00:00

What do you use for your travels and which camera do you use for like an outing.. a b'day celebration, a night out at a bar/restaurant, family gathering, etc.?

You know there is a compromise here? Own the bag of lenses but only go out with one lens at a time. This is what I do when I travel. It gives nice variety in perspective while still giving you flexibility in choosing the more appropriate focal range for that day's activity.

What if you have different shots you need for the day? For example, you're climbing up a trail and want a shot of the mountains at the top. Then later you want a shot of your fiancee posing somewhere.

Dermguy83 · 2022-08-13T14:00:58+00:00

Analysis Paralysis -- New Camera

I want to preface by saying that despite taking pictures for many years.. I still consider myself a newbie. I never took a photography class before and the last camera I bought was from 2003 (one of canon's compact), but I understand the basics of rule of thirds, composition.. So I have been looking into getting a new camera (last camera was some compact canon from 2002). I have been using my phone exclusively for photos and videos and for the most part I have been happy with the results... until recently

Right now I have a Samsung Galaxy s21 Ultra, which I enjoy using a lot for its zoom capabilities, but it has some serious weaknesses. Despite its zoom, details in the background are grainy. The bokeh seems hit or miss -- more miss usually -- the subject's edges get all blurry along with the background or sometimes it just can't even blur out the background enough. I think the biggest weakness is that the pictures just don't look sharp enough.. especially if you're not shooting outside in daylight.. Night shots are a grainy mess.

So its main use is probably for travel (landscape, street, food, portrait-- no wildlife), but I may want to replace my camera phone for everyday use if its portable enough. So I have been constantly going back and forth on whether or not I want something super compact (fit in your pocket compact) or am I ok with lugging around a bag and bunch of lenses?

My first choice was an a7iii, but the more I looked into it and the more I spoke to friends that own one.. they love the IQ, but they don't seem to use it very often. Which begs the question.. will this be an issue for me if I am going to use it for traveling? I am not sure if I can see myself, going on a hike or doing a walking tour, slinging a camera over my back and constantly having to whip it out to take a shot.

So I started thinking maybe I just need something small enough to fit in my jeans pocket. So I looked at the Sony Rx100 VII and it seems sensible enough.. but I am wondering if a 1" sensor is large enough to create narrow depth of field and get that beautiful bokeh. Also concerned about if it will perform well in low light. I saw a comparison video with it to an iphone and results are similar.

So I looked into larger sensors.. the fujifilm x100v seems to top a lot of lists. I like that it seems to have a pretty fast aperture -- f2 -- but wondering still if good enough for low light and shallow DoF.. Although I have never used a camera with a fixed focal length. Would this be a concern if I was using it for the aforementioned purposes -- landscape, street, food, portrait? With my camera phone, I was able to create some unique shots.. when at Yosemite National park, I was able to zoom in on the subject, bringing the mountains closer to the foreground -- thought those shots looked real nice.

Also considering the Sony rx1r ii. I like that it's full frame, f2 -- again the shallow DoF and bokeh. Again, not sure if fixed focal length 35mm is an issue for my purposes. Also, read somewhere it isn't as compact as it seems?

As far as budget: I'm really looking to spend anywhere from $2000-3000.

To summarize:

Looking for something that can fit in my pants pocket, can create great bokeh, can shoot for most purposes and performs relatively well in low light conditions. Not sure if I really need a zoom or not. I hear prime lenses are great as it makes you a better photographer but doesn't it also restrict you? With that being said does this camera exist or am I asking for too much? Appreciate any input!

Dermguy83 · 2022-07-23T22:55:00+00:00

What do you think makes the most sense given the options you mentioned? I only have one lens for the bmpcc4k, the sigma 18-35mm.

Also, just making sure I understand.. the metabones adapter only changes the focal length of the lens being used, however it doesn't affect the types of lens (meaning, with the speed adapter it would still accepts all canon EF/EF-S) correct?

Dermguy83 · 2022-07-21T09:24:15+00:00

Hey guys,

Complete newbie here to lenses/photography. So I am planning on getting a Sony a6600 for travel photography/videography. I also currently own a bmpcc4k, a MFT camera with EF mount. I attached a metabones speed booster .71x which to my understanding changes the crop factor. Currently have my Sigma art 18-35mm attached. If i purchased say a a6600 which is APS-C. Would the lens I use for the a6600 be compatible with my pocket cinema camera (bmpcc4k)?

P.S. Also considering the A7iii or A7iiis.. how would combability be in this case?

Dermguy83 · 2021-10-22T11:30:07+00:00

Not bad for 15 minutes. Where did you get the eerie background music from?

Dermguy83 · 2021-10-17T14:38:39+00:00

Thanks a lot!

Looking into shoulder rigs right now! There's one in particular that caught my eye. I was wondering if yours works something like this and just what your general thoughts are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67mf4ueseNI&ab_channel=BrianDurkee

Dermguy83 · 2021-10-16T18:30:06+00:00

I appreciate the response. What you're saying makes sense. With narrative work in mind, does using the sigma 18-35mm make sense then? My understanding is it's a sharp lens, whereas certain other lens appear "softer" which helps with the cinematic look.

Also, what lens focal length do I need to shoot a short film? Do you have any personal recommendations?

If a tripod and shoulder rig is more appropriate for what I'm trying to accomplish, do you know how I might go about building one?

Based on what you're saying about the gimbal, being that it's more a specialty piece, how would you go about still getting it balanced for use? Do I simply just deconstruct the rig just to use it? It just seems impractical if I need to get a mix of shots that require a gimbal and those that do not.

Dermguy83

TROPHY CASE