dynamic range - D700

can someone clarify exactly what dynamic range means? from my understanding its the number of stops between the

lightest reading in the scene and the darkest... is this true?

 

and are certain cameras only able to record well a certain dynamic range? if so, how many stops between light and

dark can the D700 record? what is the maximum number of stops between each that it can handle.? thank you

in 14 bit per channel NEF mode the D700, like the D3 has a 12 stop dynamic range --meaning less clipping of details in the deep shadows and top end highlights -- more separations of tones -- than cameras with smaller dynamic ranges. The D3 and D700 tend to favor highlighlight details over depp shadow details however. The Canon 1D 3 and 1Ds 3 have nearly the same dynamic range but favor the deep shadow tones.

 

yes different cameras have different dynamic ranges.

I have to admit that I am really confused about what dynamic range is as well.

 

This 12 stop that the D700 is said to have is meaningless to me.

 

I have a D300, and dpreview claim that this camera also has something around 12 stops. Well, I took a spot reading of

something sitting on my kitchen window and something really bright on the neighbor's house. The most I can get is

around 8 stops difference.

 

Now I know that a spot reading gives correct exposure on the subject so I could shoot it 2 stops lower and there

would still be enough details left in the shadows. Therefore, 2 stops below the darkest object and 2 above the

brightest (the

wall outside in full sun) gives 12 stops. 8+2+2.

 

However, there is no way known that the entire scene can show details both in the shadows and also in the

highlights with any exposure.

 

So, what does it all mean in the real world?

 

From my experience and from what I've seen from a number of landscape shooters (those using the 1DsMIII) there

are occasions when a 4 stop ND plus another 3 stop grad is needed to capture the entire dynamic range. In these

situations there is at most a difference of 12 stops between the spot reading on the shadows and the highlights.

Again, there is simply no way that the D300 (or the D700) can capture the scene without the aid of grad NDs or

bracketing.

 

I wish dynamic range would be defined more universally and something that I can understand.

I agree with Photo Girl's definition of dynamic range.

<p>

After reading the dpreview.com

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond700/page20.asp">

stuff about dynamic range</a>,

with all due respect, I would say it is primarily BS to sell

high-priced DSLRs. Especially as those of us who own digital cameras

lament the loss of highlight detail we used to get with C-41 film.

<p>

The 11-12 stops of dynamic range involve RAW files

that are contrast-manipulated. D700 out-of-camera

JPEG has dynamic range of 7.8 stops, better than slide film.

ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) default conversion is only 6.8 stops!

It's only when you diddle around with conversions settings

that you get 11 stops, and the samples shown look

fairly horrid due to low contrast and an underexposed look.

Maybe that's because the reviewer can't use ACR well, I dunno.

<p>

Nikon shadow enhancement (Active D-Lighting is

their marketing BS term) looks pretty good,

as it saves a lot of hand tuning of shadows.

I think the Sony A900 does better with highlights.

Sony A900 JPEG has 9.4 stops dynamic range, it says.

<p>

By the way, dcresource.com just issued their D700 review,

which is worth reading if you are considering buying one.

Check this out:

http://www.dxomark.com/

 

This is a test of DR based on RAW, not jpegs. Looks more useful than the dpreview tests.

Thanks Roger, interesting new site.

It is no surprise that Fuji DSLRs rank at the top for dynamic range,

but it is a surprise that the Nikon D90 does.

Have you found any way to present the data

so as to separate highlight from shadow dynamic range?

No. I'd still refer to the DPreview.com tests for that to see where the range is relative to middle gray.