E-330 Sensor: Blown Highlights?

[Hacker]

Seems to me that the highlights at the windows are blown.

[NMSS_2]

you were expecting other digital cameras to be better?

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by NMSS_2 you were expecting other digital cameras to be better?

Yes, like the E-500.

[ExplorerZ]

i find it very normal, guess you are expecting some dynamic performance like the fuji pro series (using super CCD)

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by ExplorerZ i find it very normal, guess you are expecting some dynamic performance like the fuji pro series (using super CCD)

I have taken many shots like these but find this puzzling for the E-330.

[tomcat]

There are so many variables in taking such shots that it would be difficult to say whether another camera could have taken a better picture unless both cameras were used at the same place and time. The light intensity through the stained glass windows might have been much stronger in this case than in previous similar shots so much so that it might have been beyond the dynamic range of most digital cameras to capture fully.

Since your concern is really whether or not the dynamic range of the E-500 is better than the E-330, this is easily addressed by arranging with one of the Oly E-500 users here to carry out a side by side comparison field test with your E-330 in an environment like the one above.

[Hacker]

I had no problems when using the E-500, but I must say that the shadow details are very good with the E-330. The camera should have captured the highlights quite easily, metering for it if the intensity was strong to begin with.

[ExplorerZ]

if im not wrong you get blown highlight becos your e330 try to get more exposure(reason why you get detail in shadow area). and becos of the more exposure, those bright place get blown up

[Raptor1]

is the image taken with a 7-14mm ?

[sehsuan]

easiest way to find out - buy the other camera in question too. so if one overexposes, use the other.

[Moonstone]

This is a difficult situation because the in-camera metering takes into the account of the vast areas of the low light interior and exposed it correctly thus causing the blown highlight of the stain glass window. If it exposes the stain glass correctly then you will have a dark room.

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by Raptor1 is the image taken with a 7-14mm ?

Yes it is.

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by ExplorerZ if im not wrong you get blown highlight becos your e330 try to get more exposure(reason why you get detail in shadow area). and becos of the more exposure, those bright place get blown up

I fully understand the relationship between the two.

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by Moonstone This is a difficult situation because the in-camera metering takes into the account of the vast areas of the low light interior and exposed it correctly thus causing the blown highlight of the stain glass window. If it exposes the stain glass correctly then you will have a dark room.

Actually, no. The metering was for the flags. When I use shadow/highlight to see what else I can recover from the pix, I noticed that the highlights are often clipped and very little information can be recovered. This is opposite for the shadow info. In fact, I have seen this on a number of pixs, not this particular one.

[VR Man]

Is taking 3-5 shots and using the HDR feature in CS2 viable?

[Moonstone]

Originally Posted by Hacker Actually, no. The metering was for the flags. When I use shadow/highlight to see what else I can recover from the pix, I noticed that the highlights are often clipped and very little information can be recovered. This is opposite for the shadow info. In fact, I have seen this on a number of pixs, not this particular one.

Then... that's the characteristic of that camera metering, will adjusting the exposure to (-0.3EV) helps since you have encountered this so many times. So far I realised that Nikon DSLR has the least highlights clipping than the rest of the DSLR.

[tomcat]

If you shot in RAW and have Capture One, you could try recovering for the lost highlights in the stained glass windows by using linear response during conversion.

[wind30]

Originally Posted by Hacker Yes, like the E-500.

actually I read the white papers for the sensors inside E500 and E1 and the E1 has better dynamic range due to its larger pixels. Dunno about the E330. If you want dynamic range, might as well get the E1 for olympus cameras.

[audiobean]

Hi Hacker, I just felt the urge to comment that your photos actually looks best (awesome, marvelous, etc.), when you was shooting with E-500 + 35-100mm. Period.

I offer no technical explanation to this. E-330 images doesn't appeal to me from day 1. While people from dpreview boost about E-1 and how good it is (and how one should 'ignore' the resolution), I still likes the image quality from E-500 after going through thousands of samples from each camera.

You have good hands, I hope you can get back your E-500 and show us the magic again.

[tao]

Originally Posted by audiobean Hi Hacker, I just felt the urge to comment that your photos actually looks best (awesome, marvelous, etc.), when you was shooting with E-500 + 35-100mm. Period. I offer no technical explanation to this. E-330 images doesn't appeal to me from day 1. While people from dpreview boost about E-1 and how good it is (and how one should 'ignore' the resolution), I still likes the image quality from E-500 after going through thousands of samples from each camera. You have good hands, I hope you can get back your E-500 and show us the magic again.

I am inclined to agree with your statement. Well, maybe it is just that Steve was more adapted or used to the E-500?