17mm ts-e shifting issues

[Jeffrey]

It's easy enough to shift this lens left and right and merge the images to create a panorama.  But, often the center and shifted images are vastly different in exposure, sometimes by a huge difference.  What's this about?

[Scatterbrained]

When you shift the lens you are changing the composition of the scene in front of the camera.  This will effect the metering and change the cameras setting. It's recommended to use manual settings so the exposure is the same across all the images.

[Jeffrey]

Yes, that's true. But even using an auto mode (I always use aperture priority) the camera should properly expose each frame. Often they are extremely dark or way overexposed. I can't figure that out.

[jfo]

Maybe its due to the type of metering are you using? e.g. spot metering picking up a really bright or dark portion of the frame?

[telstar]

Hi, its a very well known phenomenon of a tilt and shift lens that  a camera sets exposure incorrectly when using tilt or shift and you should always take a meter reading with no tilt and no shift and use manual settings.  I have never found an explanation as to why but its true.  If you google say 'tilt and shift exposure' you will find quite a few references to this, Incidentally I have found that the histogram in Live View mode gives an accurate indication of your exposure setting while using tilt and/or shift.

Also if you view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLJyBlYdi5g at about 58 seconds you will hear it mentioned, although he is using tilt rather than shift but the same advise applies 🙂

[Jeffrey]

Thank you.  Strange but true.  I'll change my exposure approach to the same one I use with other lenses for panos which is meter the center image and then set those values in manual mode.