How important is Dynamic Range to you?

[Kit]

Some examples....

Shinning from behind (subjects facing the sun)..... not issues except for parts of the building which were not hit by sunlight due to orientation.

Shinning from the front (facing the photographer)..... now you can't expect the building to be brightly lit without blow out the skies.

 

[Kit]

I would love to learn this too. :embrass: I understand photoshop can help but I want to do the best with my camera if there is a way. Any tips?

This is all I know - spot metering at important highlight and shadow for optimal settings and expose to the right of the histogram but not to blow out the highlight. Maybe the camera can allow me to over or under expose slightly and recover the details at pp, but I have not tried to push it.

If ithe scene exceeds what the camera can handle, there's not much you can do. A camera with a wider DR than yours will not do wonders too.

 

[remynew]

quick check with kit bro, for the 2 shots was spot metering used for the buildings and the skies respectively? or got better technique?

thanks in advance

 

[LBL2009]

This is a picture taken when I have to go under to protect the highlight and raise the shadow during pp. The morning sun came from the side.

 

[Kit]

quick check with kit bro, for the 2 shots was spot metering used for the buildings and the skies respectively? or got better technique?

thanks in advance

Nope, evaluative metering and watch that histogram.

 

[Kit]

This is a picture taken when I have to go under to protect the highlight and raise the shadow during pp. The morning sun came from the side.

You are photographing a dark texture in shadow. I doubt any camera on the market can do any better.

 

[LBL2009]

Another picture with blown out highlight recovered by highlight protection with pp. I think if the camera has one stop wider DR, it would be ideal.

 

[Diavonex]

Is this okay?

 

[9V-Orion Images]

Spheron SpheroCam 360° full spherical HDR imaging digital camera with 26 stops of dynamic range capability FTW. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[LBL2009]

Some examples....

Shinning from behind (subjects facing the sun)..... not issues except for parts of the building which were not hit by sunlight due to orientation.

Shinning from the front (facing the photographer)..... now you can't expect the building to be brightly lit without blow out the skies.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[pinholecam]

Kit, thanks for the many examples.


TS, I personally don't think clipping high or low is a be all end all. Very often, the unimportant parts look better to be in shadows, or it adds to the mood. I'd just expose for what I want. If more dynamic range is needed, very often its beyond just 0.5 or even 1 stop. I'd use a GND or HDR to get back the dynamic range in such cases.

 

[Anthony Lee]

What about lenses, do they have a part to play in the DR as depicted in a photo?

 

[Kit]

Thanks for sharing.

Kit, thanks for the many examples.


TS, I personally don't think clipping high or low is a be all end all. Very often, the unimportant parts look better to be in shadows, or it adds to the mood. I'd just expose for what I want. If more dynamic range is needed, very often its beyond just 0.5 or even 1 stop. I'd use a GND or HDR to get back the dynamic range in such cases.

No problem. My point being..... currently, I believe no camera on the market can fulfill TS's requirement as far as DR is concerned.

 

[btlens]

Really? Or is it just to do with the fact that the difference between a "poor" camera at circa 10.6 stops, and a good camera, at 11.5 stops, is just not great enough to be worrying majorly about?

A quick analogy which might be flawed:

A camera with 11.5mp compared to a camera with 10.6mp. The 10.6mp is a 1D body and the 11.5mp camera is in a 350D body. The 10.6mp camera is considered by many to be a better camera and ranked higher. Would that lead you to the conclusion that mp is not that important?

(Let's leave aside the debate for now that it isn't actually that important ;p)

Coming from a user of both the EOS3 & The 5DMK2, I would say that I'd prefer the 5D to have a better DR, but great shots can still be achieved. A better DR is good to have, but i can compromise. So i agree with Jed, it isn't actually that important ;p

 

[Omega23]

The S5 Pro would be the cam you are looking for.. but it is very rare in the market now.. Next probably is the D3X which is currently in the top..

Some amazing DR of the S5 Pro

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carpeicthus/450812330/

http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2007/06/fujifilm-finepix-s5-pro-extend.html

http://www.art-photograph-gallery.com/dynamic-range.html

http://www.shadow.janikit.co.uk/fujinikondr.htm

 

[LBL2009]

The S5 Pro would be the cam you are looking for.. but it is very rare in the market now.. Next probably is the D3X which is currently in the top..

Some amazing DR of the S5 Pro

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carpeicthus/450812330/

http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2007/06/fujifilm-finepix-s5-pro-extend.html

http://www.art-photograph-gallery.com/dynamic-range.html

http://www.shadow.janikit.co.uk/fujinikondr.htm

Thanks. Very impressed with the S5 Pro. Fujifilm seems to stop making DSLR after this camera but good to know the technology is available.