topic Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request. in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

tobylong — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:48:30 GMT

Hi, just a R5 feature request to be able to allocate a button to preview ambient exposure when a flash is attached to the hotshoe. My current workaround/hack is to enable Expo. simulation and assign DOF preview button to Cropping/aspect ratio, I can then press DOF twice to simulate ambient exposure then 1/2 press shutter button to return to the normal viewfinder when flash is attached. Would be better to just be able to select it once and use the shutter 1/2 press to go back. Unless I am missing something? T

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Waddizzle — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:46:18 GMT

You cannot preview a flash exposure. The flash must be fired when the shutter is fired.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

tobylong — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:47:39 GMT

Thanks Waddizzle. Just ambient light preview, not flash.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Waddizzle — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 15:41:35 GMT

@tobylong wrote:
Thanks Waddizzle. Just ambient light preview, not flash.

Correct.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

tobylong — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 16:16:16 GMT

Yes that's what I meant in the original post.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Scott_Lanyard — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:53:59 GMT

Yes, that would be really helpful for all photographers using fill-flash or off-camera flash e.g. in portrait and product photography and so on.

It's really problematic as soon as there is a flash or a trigger attached to the hotshoe, the exposure simulation is turned off.

I know that it isn't possible to simulate flash exposure but that's anyway not what tobylong and me want. As I understand the original poster (and what my wish would be), we want to still be able to simulate ambient exposure e.g. in M, Fv, and other semi-automatic modes, before hitting the shutter button with the flash/trigger attached. With this ability we just have to dial in the fill-flash power as we like it and the ambient exposure remains as we set it before.

At the moment there's only one workaround to achieve this: 1) turn off the flash/trigger 2) set your preferred exposure 3) turn on the flash/trigger and set your preferred flash power and take the picture.

@Canon: Please allow for ambient exposure simulation even when a flash/trigger is attached... at least in M mode. Thank you!

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Waddizzle — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 11:56:30 GMT

I really do not understand this issue. What you appear to be asking for has already been implemented in the camera bodies.

If ExpSIM is disabled, then what do you think the camera is displaying, instead. The camera is displaying ambient light exposure. You can also set your camera to configure your EVF to behave like an OVF on a DSLR.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Scott_Lanyard — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 12:12:18 GMT

Hey Waddizzle, thanks for your reply.

Here is a video I uploaded to show you the issue we have:

https://we.tl/t-OY8sLnG3rF

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Waddizzle — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:01:06 GMT

Please start a new thread for your issue. Thanks, ahead of time.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

tobylong — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:03:23 GMT

Scott_Lanyard is asking for the same as the original post.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Bassam80 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 16:09:54 GMT

I have searched everywhere for a solution for this, but nowhere to be found. It is annoying having to turn off the flash in order to see the exposure simulation (in order to expose for the ambient light,and then set flash power accordingly). It would be great if we could set a button to toggle to exposure simulation when the flash is on. Please Canon, this should be an easy fix.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Bassam80 — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 16:17:04 GMT

Thanks for the workaround hint, I just set it and it works. Would be good if Canon just gave us this option through a firmware update.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Waddizzle — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 16:45:49 GMT

If you are describing a button that can toggle ExpSim on and off, then that feature is already available. Some photographers use a light meter to measure ambient light.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

Bassam80 — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 17:56:07 GMT

I dont want to use a light meter. I just want to be able to toggle to the exposure simulation when the flash is on. That is all.

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

jonathanhophoto — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:05:34 GMT

I've been using Exposure Simulation ever since the EOS R first came out then onto R5C (or R5). Only it was today I experienced a scenario that never occurred to me.

I'm thinking what the original post is really trying to ask is that they are using either Flash/Wireless Flash Trigger (E.g Pocket Wizard, Godox Wireless Trigger, Profoto Air Trigger) and when composing and focusing, the image goes dark despite turning off Exposure Simulation.

The Scenario occurred today made me realise that this was something photographers need a work around.

Scene: Shooting Single/Group Portraits in a office space and has large back lit windows behind the subjects.

Lights: Flash Speedlite off camera or Strobes (whatever flash you use doesn't actually contribute to the issue).

Issue: When framing up the shot, the View finder or LCD goes dark and have trouble focusing to see the subjects.

Camera Settings: 1/200 F11 ISO 100

Canon Mirrorless cameras have Exposure Simulation on by default and is useful as it is What you see is what you get (for Natural Light shooters)

When a flash speedlite or trigger is attatched to the hotshoe, Exposure Simulation turns off so you can see (during the metered time frame and can be set from 4sec - 30mins). Once past the metered time frame, Exposure Simulation "for the current exposure settings" will turn on automatically. However if the scene has a really bright background, the entire image will darken down making the subjects in the foreground very hard to see/compose and focus.

In this situation the work around would be:

1. Turn off Exposure Simulation

2. Choose Spot Metering, (a circle in the middle of the screen will appear) use the circle to point to the subject and the camera will automatically expose whatever is in the circle so you can see and focus but you will have to recompose the shot. (this will be difficult if you are in Servo Mode and trying to track a subject that is dark. Probably better in One Shot).

Alternatively use Modelling lights to brighten up the subjects.

So far that's what I was able to do in that tricky situation. I never noticed it as I was always using Modelling lights or simply the scene was overall very balanced and Evaluative Metering work generally quite well. It was only the backlit situation that made it difficult. I may of overcomplicated it with all the bracket explanations so if anyone wants to correct me please do so!

Thanks!

Re: Eos R5 Exposure simulation with Flash attached feature request.

jonathanhophoto — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:23:31 GMT

In some situations despite making EVF behave like OVF, the ambient light exposure is still effected by the metering mode chosen.
It happened to me today when doing portraits in front a lot a large window that ran across the entire wall. So the subjects went dark and the back window was exposed which made the subjects go completely dark. So I set the meter mode to spot and pointed the middle circle to the subjects and it brightened them up so I can focus. But then had to re-compose (haven’t used this technique for along time since we got 61+ focus points to use).