drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

I have noticed a great difference between the camera back view and when I bring the shots up on my monitors. Which happens using my D7200 at low light levels (such as theatre performances or sports). The shots on the monitors are in need of more exposure but while viewing them in camera during the shoot they appear normal. Might this effect come from viewing the shot in camera in the dark? Camera back is set to normal brightness. Monitors are calibrated using Spyder 5 pro. When I view in normal room light the shots also appear normal in camera back. Is there a method I missed in the camera manual as to calibrating the camera back? in theatres I shoot for an ISO that will allow my lenses plenty of light to give good flesh tones. Basically like in film days of slides I shoot for bright areas to be normal tones so as not to wash out the whites and take what I get in the blacks. I can fix the shots in photoshop but I would prefer to get it right in camera first.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The little monitor on the back of the camera is not calibrated very well (and isn't possible to do so very much) and is used in a wide variety of lighting conditions, both of which make it a poor reference for exposure or color evaluations. Also many cameras automatically adjust the brightness based upon ambient light conditions (might be possible to disable that... check your manual). I recommend only using the screen on the camera to roughly judge composition, timing and zoom in for a quick check of focus accuracy. Don't trust it for other things... and don't be too quick to delete images based on what you see on the screen. They often can be better than you thought, by the time you get them onto a bigger computer monitor.

If not already doing so, get in the habit of using the histogram to evaluate exposure. Once you learn to do so, it can give you much better exposure info than the image preview.

You might be able to make some adjustments to the camera's monitor. Even if shooting RAW, what's shown on the screen is a JPEG (one that's embedded in the RAW for just this purpose and other previews). It's subject to the "style" you've set up in the camera. For mine I have set it to minimum saturation and maximum sharpness... Since I'm shooting RAW, this doesn't actually effect what's captured... but on my cameras (different from yours) reducing saturation does give something close to what I might expect to see initially in Lightroom, when I download the images. I set the sharpening high to better be able to check focus accuracy. (If I were using the camera manufacturer's own software for RAW conversions, I'd have to take these into account when previewing or converting... but since I'm using a third party s'ware, it's not a concern.)

You might also double check your monitor. I also use a Spyder to calibrate mine. I find that the recommended brightness is still a little too bright for me.... that my images look better if I dial it down a little more. Maybe it's because I have a hooded monitor and work in a low light situation. But if I left it as bright as recommended, I'd tend to adjust my images a little too dark for printing or online display. You can check the brightness by making a print and comparing it alongside your monitor.... comparing the reflective print against the backlit monitor, under your usual working lighting conditions.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Consider checking your histogram and understand what is going on.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

The little LCD on the back of a camera is not good for evaluating the exposure of an image and is not intended as such. Checking the histogram is and so is the large computer monitor!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Hopefully, a fourth reference to using your Histogram will help you to adjust your technique.

ggenova64

Calibrate the Monitor!

fetzler Loc: North West PA

I agree with pixelStan77. Check the histograms

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

The picture you see in your LCD is a low resolution .JEPG (.JPG) rendition of your photograph. It should never be used to judge anything about your picture other than composition. Exposure should be evaluated using the histogram. If you shoot in RAW mode, which everyone who wants high quality photos should be doing, your camera takes the RAW data, highly compresses it and displays it on the LCD but saves your image as raw data without any loss. When you set your camera to shoot in .JEPG, the image is immediately compressed into a .JPG file and a large portion of the RAW data is discarded in the process and can never be recovered.

ggenova64

Good advise.

"When you set your camera to shoot in .JEPG, the image is immediately compressed into a .JPG file and a large portion of the RAW data is discarded in the process and can never be recovered."

Hedgehoggers, This statement now ends our debate on "JPG vs RAW"

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Not to be simplistic, but a correct interpretation of the meter readings will eliminate the need for chimping.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

Please explain what “chimping” means? Also, GAS? I should probably know these terms, but unfortunately don’t. Thanks.

ggenova64

Chimping is when you take a photograph and constantly looking back at LCD Screen on the back of your camera at the photo.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

Thanks!

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

A question that will help. What metering mode are you using?
--Bob

williejoha

I also use the Spyder 5 Elite+ calibrator. There is a setting that is used to adjust the brightness of the screen. There can be quite a difference in how the pictures look if this setting is outside the margins.
WJH