Highest scored 'dynamic-range' questions

33 votes

5 answers

50k views

How does the dynamic range of the human eye compare to that of digital cameras?

According to DxO tests, cameras have 10 to 12 stops of dynamic range. Is that correct? Noise can completely screw some lowers values (easily resulting in loss of some stops). Also Norman Koren says ...

Paolo

2,791

asked Mar 22, 2012 at 12:04

31 votes

6 answers

4k views

How to cope with high contrast?

Many times (especially around midday), we encounter lighting situations where the contrast of the scene is too high to capture with a camera. What can we do to create a useful picture in such ...

che

13.3k

asked Jan 25, 2011 at 21:34

31 votes

2 answers

7k views

How does exposure fusion work?

I understand that "exposure fusion" is a method for combining different exposures into a single image. How exactly does it work, and how is it related to HDR?

coneslayer

7,426

asked Mar 5, 2012 at 15:40

29 votes

9 answers

9k views

Why don't cameras capture dynamic range as our eyes do?

When sitting in a room with no lights on, and I look out the window, I can easily see the interior of the room even if I focus on a tree outside. Why can a camera not capture a similar image to what ...

LifeH2O

411

asked Oct 1, 2012 at 9:34

29 votes

6 answers

4k views

When should I use graduated ND filters and when should I use HDR processing?

I'd really like to stop blowing out the sky and/or underexposing the ground in my pictures. The traditional solution would be to use graduated ND filters, but taking multiple exposures and applying ...

Matt Bishop

3,380

asked Jul 20, 2010 at 15:02

27 votes

5 answers

22k views

How to photograph a room showing both room & view out a window?

I sometimes find I want to photograph a room showing the view outside the window. This is tricky — either you adjust the shutter speed so that the the window is so bright you can see no detail, or ...

user19102

273

asked Apr 2, 2013 at 10:20

24 votes

2 answers

16k views

What is the Black Card Technique?

I have found interested comments on 500px: Non-HDR-processed / Non-GND/ND-filtered / non-blended● Black Card Technique and group on Flickr. Could somebody explain how to and cons and pros of this ...

garik

1,469

asked May 29, 2012 at 11:24

23 votes

4 answers

4k views

How can dynamic-range be larger than sensor bit-depth?

Found something that confused me and so I thought the crowd here can probably answer this one since its camera-related and technical at the same time. How can dynamic-range be larger than sensor bit-...

Itai

103k

asked Nov 9, 2010 at 14:30

22 votes

6 answers

8k views

How many stops can a digital camera capture?

How many stops can a digital camera capture? Additionally, does anybody know what the dynamic range is for negative and positive film, the human eye, computer monitor, the television, etc...

Aristos

1,506

asked Jul 22, 2010 at 17:40

22 votes

5 answers

23k views

What is dynamic range and how is it important in photography?

Wikipedia says that the dynamic range is the "ratio between the largest and smallest possible values of a changeable quantity". Ok, I get that. I suppose that's why HDR photos have a "high dynamic ...

Tom

3,149

asked Jan 25, 2011 at 2:22

21 votes

3 answers

2k views

What techniques do you employ to control contrast in your landscape shots?

Or to put it differently - how to keep the highlights from blowing and shadows losing details? I'm mostly interested in what can be done in the field to get me the optimal data to begin with, not ...

Karel

10.7k

asked Jul 16, 2010 at 10:14

19 votes

8 answers

20k views

What is the best way to handle overexposed sky in post-processing?

I'm new at photography and I have taken some pictures where the subjects in the foreground are exposed correctly but the sky is very overexposed. What is the best way to handle it in post production? ...

Kreker

743

asked May 23, 2011 at 18:12

19 votes

5 answers

4k views

Why is it called dynamic range?

I understand that dynamic range is the difference between the brightest and darkest lighting, but why dynamic? Why not static range?

Jossie Calderon

288

asked Jul 21, 2020 at 17:22

19 votes

6 answers

6k views

Is there a difference in dynamic range between film and digital?

daniel

361

asked Jul 22, 2010 at 23:00

18 votes

3 answers

2k views

How can I take a sun backlight portrait like these examples?

How can I take a photo like the ones below? The problem is that my photos (taken with a bridge, Sony H2) will get blown up at the highlights. Is it because I'm using a weak camera? Is it because I'm ...

dialex

2,246

asked Sep 10, 2011 at 11:23

18 votes

5 answers

10k views

Why does a bigger sensor have better dynamic range?

I already understand all the theory behind how a bigger sensor leads to better control of depth of field, and lower noise. But I've yet to find a place that can explain why a bigger sensor gives you a ...

erotsppa

3,308

asked May 14, 2013 at 20:55

17 votes

4 answers

2k views

What are the technical difficulties behind building a sensor with high dynamic range like the human eye?

Why do we not yet have high dynamic range sensors which have the right exposition in every part of a picture?

Andreas Hartmann

1,081

asked Dec 6, 2014 at 16:33

16 votes

3 answers

8k views

How does the GoPro achieve such high dynamic range?

Everyone who's used a GoPro knows that you can easily shoot a photo or movie with the sun right in the field of view and still get a very well exposed picture, including a blue sky. Such a thing is ...

Xavier

263

asked Dec 15, 2015 at 21:03

15 votes

8 answers

2k views

Why can't digital camera sensors expose each photosite individually?

Why is it impossible for camera sensors to function the way the human eye can? What I mean is, why does a certain portion of the image have to be over/underexposed if we compensate for dark and light ...

user7264

asked Jan 3, 2012 at 16:09

15 votes

5 answers

3k views

How can I handle two extremely different brightnesses in the same picture? [duplicate]

I am the fresh owner of my first DSLR (a Canon EOS 600D, as far as I know called Rebel T3i in the USA). I'm a total newbie, and the camera is a lot smarter than me most of the time. But I'm trying to ...

balpha♦

415

asked Jul 10, 2011 at 20:43

14 votes

11 answers

5k views

Why don't cameras record light data throughout the entire shutter?

Sorry if the question title is confusing, I don't know the best way to word this,so feel free to change it if you can think of something better. I learned electronic shutters can capture the image all ...

Ryan

1,135

asked Nov 27, 2017 at 21:24

14 votes

5 answers

5k views

Lighting up a subject during sunset without a flash?

I’ve recently been trying to experiment with sunset portraits but I keep encountering a problem where the sky is lit up exactly how I want it but the subject is under-exposed, with little to no ...

Christopher C.

141

asked May 24, 2018 at 20:42

14 votes

3 answers

8k views

Is 14-bit RAW better than 12-bit RAW?

A regular JPEG image has only 8 bits to store information about the tone of each pixel. When storing the image in RAW format (for example, DNG), we can store tone using more bits per pixel, which ...

Tomasz Blachowicz

995

asked Dec 2, 2011 at 15:00

14 votes

3 answers

2k views

What are physical causes of clipping?

What exactly limits modern digital camera sensors in capturing light intensity beyond certain point?

Gill Bates

181

asked Oct 29, 2018 at 7:26

14 votes

4 answers

1k views

Is there a dynamic-range reduction device (preferably passive, optical)?

When processing sound, one can use a Compressor to reduce the dynamic (DR) range of the signal. In photography, we often run into the problem of scenes with DR larger than the sensor's capture ability....

ysap

11.2k

asked Sep 14, 2011 at 14:38

14 votes

2 answers

2k views

When comparing sensor dynamic range, what are those numbers based on?

Dynamic range EV's are bandied about all the time and I get the feeling that a) they're not on the same 'scale' and b) they're misleading in what they're indicating so I'm hoping somebody can clarify. ...

Shizam

7,005

asked Jan 26, 2011 at 21:54

14 votes

3 answers

2k views

Which print medium has the highest dynamic range?

I am curious as to what dynamic range can be achieved with, let's say, glossy vs. matte paper or other media such as metal or acrylic prints.

Philipp

243

asked Mar 24, 2016 at 13:08

13 votes

2 answers

2k views

How do the 11+ stops of dynamic range from a modern DSLR fit into the 10 stops of the zone system?

Adams's Zone System uses 11 zones. Zone 0 is pure black in the print and zone X is the tone (or “pure white”) of the paper without any additional density. The distance between each zone is one stop / ...

Undistraction

2,037

asked Nov 21, 2015 at 10:25

13 votes

4 answers

23k views

What does a dynamic range difference of 2.7 EV really represent?

I am trying to choose between buying a Canon 5D Mark III or a Nikon D600, In the advantages posted in Snapsort it appears that the Nikon wins over the Canon because of the dynamic range. Then follows ...

Haizum Skallah

271

asked Feb 1, 2014 at 1:48

13 votes

5 answers

2k views

How to meter to clear subject details with a strongly backlit scene, as Elena Shumilova does?

Looking at the photos from Elena Shumilova on 500px, you can see a clear preference for backlighting and halo effects on many of her subjects. For example, this and this. How do you meter with the ...

Ana

133

asked Jun 5, 2014 at 21:56

12 votes

5 answers

5k views

How do I effectively photograph when the sun is in the frame?

I have been trying to get a good shot out of direct sunlight but my shots just turn out dark, even if I set my shutter speed to the 1000-4000 range at ISO 200. Another odd thing is that even if my ...

Ygam

1,609

asked Dec 1, 2010 at 22:23

12 votes

2 answers

3k views

How does Adaptive Dynamic Range work?

What does Adaptive Dynamic Range do to a photograph? How does it do its job? How does it affect the results? When should it be used? Nikon calls this "Active D-Lighting"; discussion of other systems (...

Craig Walker

11k

asked Aug 4, 2010 at 23:01

11 votes

5 answers

7k views

Sunny day in the shade - how to deal with white balance and exposure settings? [duplicate]

I was out doing an assignment about symmetric and asymmetric pictures (rule of third, golden mean, golden ratio). I could not figure out what is the best way to deal with the following setting: I am ...

Ely

469

asked Apr 2, 2017 at 18:50

11 votes

4 answers

937 views

How can I get the right exposure when parts of the scene are in the shade and others are in the sun?

Have a look at these snaps. On the first one the church has the right exposure but the tree is too dark. On the other hand in the second one the tree is perfect but the church is too bright. Is there ...

Abramodj

213

asked Aug 2, 2011 at 15:19

11 votes

4 answers

19k views

What are the dynamic ranges of commonly available 35mm film?

I searched on google for a good chunk of time, but I haven't been able to find a reliable source of the dynamic range of many, if any, color negative films. I'm curious about any/all 35mm films that ...

icor103

739

asked Oct 12, 2015 at 14:57

11 votes

1 answer

2k views

How can an electronic shutter reduce dynamic range?

I read a recent review of a camera which can use either its mechanical shutter or an electronic shutter. The review mentions a problem they noticed with the mechanical shutter, and then notes that the ...

mattdm

144k

asked Jul 8, 2015 at 5:52

10 votes

2 answers

4k views

What is the dynamic range comparison between SLR, DSLR, and point & shoot?

I'm a little curious on how different is the dynamic range in each kind of camera. I know the DR of the human eyes is quit high. But, how different is the DR in SLR, DSLR and P&S cameras? Or is ...

tomm89

3,231

asked Oct 30, 2010 at 3:51

10 votes

4 answers

1k views

If my histogram shows nothing at the ends of the scale, does it mean the dynamic range of my camera isn't reached?

If my histogram spikes in the middle and evens out pretty much evenly but not completely to the ends (0 & 255), does this just mean that my scene doesn't have the deep shadows or brightest ...

manda

101

asked Feb 21, 2012 at 6:50

10 votes

2 answers

783 views

Why is the earth not overexposed in this star photo from the ISS?

The NASA Image of the day on August 6, 2020, is this picture titled "A Starry Sky Above the Earth's Atmospheric Glow": (Source and full resolution Image) When looking at this photo, I ...

jng224

1,628

asked Aug 6, 2020 at 19:45

9 votes

2 answers

4k views

What is DRI? And how does it differ from HDR?

I recently came across the term DRI meaning Dynamic Range Increase. What exactly is it and how does it differ from HDR or High Dynamic Range (or is it the same thing just different terminology?

L84

3,578

asked Jul 28, 2012 at 23:03

9 votes

4 answers

982 views

How did film photographers deal with issues around dynamic range?

HDR and multiple exposure blending seems very popular these days. I wonder, what did film photographers do to solve dynamic range issues? For example, I know GND filters were common (and still are), ...

Jonathan Winters

975

asked May 2, 2013 at 2:18

9 votes

3 answers

2k views

Why don't cameras show an "accurate" histogram?

Why don't cameras show a histogram based on the RAW data rather than on the JPG preview? I know that a RAW file is not a viewable image and can't be displayed without applying curves and defining how ...

Jannik Pitt

213

asked Sep 4, 2016 at 22:55

9 votes

1 answer

209 views

Who publishes standardized camera specs?

Is there any online resource that provides camera specs that adhere to ISO standards? ISO has published many standards for camera specs: Tonal response ISO 14524:2009: Methods for measuring opto-...

Duvrai

200

asked Jan 27, 2016 at 19:56

9 votes

0 answers

363 views

How do I avoid a dark subject when there's bright sunlight from windows? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: How do you avoid a dim portrait with a bright background and no external flash? I recently shot some photos at a friend's wedding. The location was lovely with lots of light — ...

Franci

91

asked Nov 7, 2011 at 2:17

8 votes

3 answers

1k views

If, brightness → dynamic range... white balance → what?

Different things have different brightness levels. And with a normal camera, when we set more exposure to show details in the shadows, the already existing-details blow out. And vice versa — when we ...

user152435

1,515

asked Oct 28, 2016 at 13:28

8 votes

7 answers

22k views

How do I take a photo of people before a bright window?

How would you take a photo of people who are posing in front of a window? Ideally both the people and the background should be visible. I usually get either the background being overlighted or the ...

user2019515

475

asked Apr 16, 2013 at 11:01

8 votes

5 answers

3k views

How to avoid dark window when shooting from inside?

I am shooting a window with heavy sun light on it. When I get far enough from the window, the yellow curtain does not become too dark and is somehow visible (the second image). But as I get closer to ...

Meysam

793

asked Sep 14, 2012 at 9:29

8 votes

2 answers

400 views

Is there always a way to capture all the light ranges to get good HDR images?

Let me explain the question. I've been making a lot of HDR photos, most of them in places where the difference between darker and lighter zones is no to big, and the transition from one zone to other ...

tomm89

3,231

asked Oct 18, 2010 at 2:00

8 votes

4 answers

901 views

How can I mitigate bright spots in shaded, woodland settings?

I do most of my photography while hiking. I find open woodlands to be a very pretty setting, but have difficulty capturing it. While sunny spots are brighter than shady spots, they don't glare in the ...

orangejewelweed

208

asked Jun 25, 2014 at 13:39

8 votes

2 answers

6k views

Would scanning the same negative at different exposures give a better result?

For a while I have got developed and scanned my 35mm negatives by a lab/shop. The quality of the scans is not satisfying me (a lot of noise and images are not sharp). I was thinking of buying a film ...

user36897

83

asked May 24, 2015 at 1:12

Questions tagged [dynamic-range]

Related Tags