K3 Mk3 Histogram

bforbes
Posted 22/10/2023 - 13:31 Link
Is it possible to have a histogram showing in the viewfinder of a K3 Mk3 while shooting?
Lubbyman
Posted 22/10/2023 - 14:10 - Helpful Comment Link
In a word, no. That's because the elements that appear in the viewfinder are provided by an overlaid transparent LCD layer with pre-formed elements (for focus points etc.) that are illuminated as and when needed.

A histogram is only available in liveview which, of course, uses the back display with its lots of dots each of which can display whatever colour it's instructed by the camera's software in order to form the desired display (image on the sensor, histogram, superman flying to the rescue - no, hold on, scrap that last one, it's not in the manual ).

Steve
bforbes
Posted 22/10/2023 - 14:20 Link
Lubbyman wrote:
In a word, no. That's because the elements that appear in the viewfinder are provided by an overlaid transparent LCD layer with pre-formed elements (for focus points etc.) that are illuminated as and when needed.

A histogram is only available in liveview which, of course, uses the back display with its lots of dots each of which can display whatever colour it's instructed by the camera's software in order to form the desired display (image on the sensor, histogram, superman flying to the rescue - no, hold on, scrap that last one, it's not in the manual ).

Steve

bummer. I wonder how Nikon did it in the D500
rscoote
Posted 22/10/2023 - 15:11 Link
bforbes wrote:
Lubbyman wrote:
In a word, no. That's because the elements that appear in the viewfinder are provided by an overlaid transparent LCD layer with pre-formed elements (for focus points etc.) that are illuminated as and when needed.

A histogram is only available in liveview which, of course, uses the back display with its lots of dots each of which can display whatever colour it's instructed by the camera's software in order to form the desired display (image on the sensor, histogram, superman flying to the rescue - no, hold on, scrap that last one, it's not in the manual ).

Steve

bummer. I wonder how Nikon did it in the D500

Did they? I can’t see anything that says you can display a histogram in the D500 viewfinder. Mirrorless cameras, which use an EVF, can display a histogram in the viewfinder
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bforbes
Posted 22/10/2023 - 15:21 Link
I'll have to check. What started this was a friend with a D500 saying, when he shoots wildlife, he has aperture and shutter speed on manual control, ISO on auto with a limit and adjusts exposure using the histogram in the viewfinder
Lubbyman
Posted 22/10/2023 - 16:17 - Helpful Comment Link
Ah, now it might be making making more sense. If 'histogram' means just a simple bar that shows current exposure relative to what the camera calculates to be 'correct' exposure, rather than the full histogram for an image, then it can be done. The Pentax way is an 'EV bar scale' at the bottom RH corner of the viewfinder. The middle of the bar is what the camera thinks is 'correct'. A movable mark shows current exposure. Adjust shutter speed, aperture, ISO until the tick is in the middle and your exposure will be what the camera thinks is 'correct'. Of course, no camera can know whether its idea of what is correct exposure matches your own idea of what is correct - the poor thing is only a computer in disguise .

Come to think of it, I seem to remember a similar thing on the P30, my first SLR. There was a column of shutter speeds at one side of the viewfinder image, the current and 'correct' shutter speeds were illuminated, you set the aperture on the lens then adjusted shutter speed so it matched the 'correct' value. And all based on just a simple centre-weighted exposure value if I remember rightly. Nothing fancy in those days!

Steve
bforbes
Posted 22/10/2023 - 20:11 Link
I've tried it and see were you are coming from. Only ever used the EV scale as an EV scale before!!!
Posted 22/10/2023 - 22:09 Link
Thanks that EV scale is a really useful point, I'll make use that in the future!

Cheers
Mike
bforbes
Posted 23/10/2023 - 22:11 Link
Tried the manual mode/Ev scale today.

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But I'm not getting the advantage over using TVa

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