How To Fix Random Exposure Changes on Sony a7s3?

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Exposure is an important part of good photography. Having the right exposure can substantially change how a photo turns out. It can mean a world of difference in differently illuminated scenarios.

Good things aside, some of the photos from a7s3 have slight color flickering in the green magenta spectrum. This happens because of sudden exposure changes. 

The difference is negligible and sometimes it’s unnoticeable after post-processing. But this is enough for professional photographers to make wary. Here is why this article will tell you how to fix random exposure changes on Sony a7s3. 

About The Exposure Triangle

The exposure triangle is made up of three variables that adjust and ultimately decide how a camera captures light. The three main settings that control exposure are 1. Aperture, 2.Shutter speed, 3. ISO.

These three variables together decide how much a shot is exposed and are dependent on each other.

As a newcomer begins to learn the various settings in a camera and steps into the world of manual mode, it becomes necessary to understand the three variables that control exposure.

These three together form the ‘Exposure Triangle. Here is an image that simplifies the exposure triangle.

(source: Photographylife)

Aperture is how much the window in the lens lets light pass through. It is measured in f-stops such as f/2.0, f/2.8, etc, and can be adjusted by changing the f-numbers. The larger the aperture, the more light passes through to the sensor and the higher the exposure and vice versa.

Shutter speed is how long it takes for the shutter to open up to let light pass to the sensor and then close. 

Faster shutter speeds mean less time to compensate for the light and more exposure and slower speeds result in a smoother and compensated light passing.

While aperture and shutter speed decides how much light is passed to the sensor, the ISO determines how sensitive the camera is to the light. 

A camera’s sensor can adjust its ISO and sensitivity to light depending on the available light of a shot. It is measured in values of 50,100,200,400 etc.

Why The random exposure changes Problem Occurs On Sony a7s3?

Since the three pillars are what control exposure in an image, random exposure changes occur because one of the three is not set properly or is causing problems.

One user on DPReview reported that the timelapse with the A7s3 had some small changes in exposure in some of the photos in all sequences. Some other parts of it had slight color flickering in the green-magenta spectrum. 

The differences were small and only noticeable in a timelapse. This happened due to the aperture blades creating slightly uneven exposures. 

The low temperature that the user shot the timelapse in caused the aperture blades to stick for a millisecond and that causes the exposure issue.

The random exposure changes that occur are due to auto exposure configurations in the camera. The firmware of the camera makes it so it changes the exposure value randomly even when the frame is fixed and there are minimal light changes to the sensor.

How To Fix Random Exposure Changes On Sony A7s3?

The camera comes default with the Exposure mode set to ‘Program Auto’. This can create shifts in exposures randomly. To get rid of this problem one very quick solution is to switch it to a manual setting.

Manual Exposure

To set the exposure method to manual. Press the Menu button(1) on the Sony a7s3. It will take you to the settings page no. 1. Click the right button(2) on the wheel to go to page no. 2. 

On top of this page, we will find the ‘Exposure Mode’ option. Simply press the select button (3) to go into the settings. A visual representation of that is shown below.

(source: AdventureMuse)

After going into the exposure mode settings, scroll down by pressing the down button on the wheel three times.

(source: AdventureMuse)

Now, there we will find the ‘Manual Exposure’ mode with a description that says, “Adjusts aperture and shutter speed manually”. 

(source: AdventureMuse)

Press the middle button inside the wheel to select the manual mode for exposure. With this, the exposure control will be set to manual and the aperture and shutter speed will not be automatic anymore.

By doing this, the exposure will not change until the user makes changes to the aperture and shutter speed values. This can potentially solve the issue with random exposure changes.

Auto Exposure in continuous shooting mode

The camera in continuous shooting mode exposes light too much and the exposure flickers a lot creating uneven light compositions in the images. There are two modes. AF-C and AF-A. Most camera models don’t support the AF-A setting.

If the AEL with shutter is set to auto or off depending on the situation, and the focus mode set to AF-S and AF-A this creates two distinct functions for the camera.

On AF-S the exposure is locked on the first shot and the camera continues to implement the same level of exposure during the continuous shots taken. 

On AF-A however, exposure is locked based on the scene that the camera is supposed to shoot so there is a variable exposure value among the images. 

The AF-A exposure changes can lead to random exposure changes in the Sony a7s3 when taking normal photos as well. So setting it to AF-S may fix the problem.

Exposure Compensation

Exposure compensation is the function that allows users to alter the exposure value selected by the camera. With positive compensation, the photo gets brighter and with negative compensation, the photo gets darker.

It is the camera’s exposure override button. Adding exposure compensation changes an image from top to bottom with the difference in how bright or contrasted it gets.

Let’s look at a sample.

(source: digital photography school)

The first photo is of a normal exposure level. The second photo shows underexposure by the camera and the third photo shows overexposure. 

These are some of the problems that are created by letting the camera decide how much exposure is needed on an image.

To use exposure compensation, auto ISO needs to be turned on as exposure compensation will do nothing in manual ISO mode. 

Exposure to an image is a matter of personal preference. If the camera adjusts settings for optimal exposure, it may not suit the style or needs of the photographer. 

An exposure brighter or darker than the one selected by the camera sometimes produce better-looking images.

So this can also be a good way to fix the random exposure changes in a camera.

How To Get Good Exposure from A Camera?

Good exposure in photography is generally the right combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. But depending on the photographers’ taste the final result may differ. So getting the right exposure can open up a world of new images to be taken.

To get the right exposure for an image, first of all, the three pillars should be properly adjusted and counted for. Only then will it bring out the best in an image.

Another key point is the camera meter. While shooting in manual modes, the camera meter is the way to help set the correct amount of exposure which has an internal light meter, and analyzes the scene to determine if the images will be properly exposed or not depending on the chosen settings.

The histogram is another cool feature that can help in setting the right exposure. It is a graphical representation of the tones in the image. This shows how balanced the light in the photo is along with when the shadows and highlights are being clipped.

FAQs.

What should my exposure be set to?

Manual Exposure. Exposure should be set to manual and the aperture should be set to first control depth of field.

How do I know if my exposure is correct?

Checking the histogram on the back after taking each photo. It seems like a hassle but it will save time in the long run.

How do you balance exposure?

To correct underexposed images, make the aperture larger, and for overexposed images make the aperture smaller.

Do you expose for highlights or shadows?

The golden rule of exposure is to expose for the highlights and not the subjects.

Conclusion

Exposure is an integral part of photography. To take the right photo with the right amount of light and details of highlights and shadows, knowing exposure values and how different values affect the image is quite important. 

The Sony a73s’ random exposure changing problem can be fixed by using manual exposure since it is of personal preference how much exposure a photographer is looking for from the photos they have taken.

I hope this article helped you find a solution on how to fix random exposure changes on Sony a73s.

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