How does an electronic viewfinder preview exposure if shutter speed affects brightness?
Asked 9/6/2019
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On a mirrorless camera or in DSLR live view, the electronic viewfinder shows a brightened or darkened preview as you change shutter speed, aperture, or ISO. But when you actually take the photo, the shutter opens and closes for the selected exposure time. How can the EVF or live view preview reflect shutter speed if it isn’t literally exposing each preview frame for that exact duration?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
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It doesn't preview the shutter speed, but emulates the total amount of light received for the given aperture, speed and ISO. Shoot anything that moves (a fan for instance) and you'll see that it is not frozen in the preview as it should be if the display were also emulating the actual shutter speed.
Originally by user75947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75947
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
An EVF/live view generally does not simulate shutter speed as motion blur or freezing action. Instead, it simulates overall exposure: the camera adjusts the sensor readout and display processing so the preview looks brighter or darker based on the combined effect of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
So when you change shutter speed, the preview usually updates brightness, not the actual look of motion at that shutter speed. If it truly previewed shutter behavior, moving subjects would blur or freeze exactly as they will in the final image. In normal live view, that usually doesn’t happen.
In short: the camera is emulating the amount of light the final exposure would record, not reproducing the exact timing of the mechanical shutter for every preview frame.
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