D70 dynamic range, metering question

[aram_schiffman]

Hi, Very much new to photography here. I happen to have a D70, but this is a general

digital camera question.

 

It's about dynamic range. I wasn't able to find an answer from the archives -- perhaps you

can point me to the right threads.

 

I like to shoot landscapes. Now let's say I want to take a Zone-System-like approach to

this. (I realize there is a school of thought that says, for digital, don't bother!) Maybe I

want certain details to pop out and I'm ok with the setting sun looking saturated, or maybe

I deliberately want to lose some details so as not to saturate some specific thing. OK, the

display is helpful but doesn't always have all the detail I need to see. It would help to know

what the dynamic range of my printed photo is, more or less. How many digital zones are

there, anyway? I'm thinking this would also help in selecting which ND grad to use for

really contrasty shots, like sunsets. Set camera to spot meter, and check the bright and

dim features I care about, get them all on scale.

 

Is there a definite answer to the dynamic range question? Are there factors that make it

more ambiguous than I'm thinking? Is there a better overall approach -- like, say, lots of

bracketing + lots of experience?

 

Thanks. I'm new, so go easy. : )

 

Aram

[vivek iyer]

"How many digital zones are there, anyway?"

 

A whole lot less than the ones available for film.

 

Do not chase the unattainable.

 

Yes, you are on the right track with grad filters and the like.

[rustymadd]

You might want to check out this link.

 

http://simplifiedzonesystem.com/

 

 

C. Painter

[rustymadd]

If you really want to understand the Dynamic Range of DSLRs, then check out---

 

http://www.normankoren.com/digital_tonality.html

 

And read the whole page.

 

C. Painter

[vinh]

if you're shooting landscapes, and don't plan on merging bracketed exposures, just use the histogram instead. the majority of a digital camera's range is in the highlights, so shoot with a histogram as close to the right-side as possible without it actually slammed against the right-side, then adjust the gamma back down during post-processing if you want a darker photo.

[steakandale]

Compared to film I think digital has less latitude than slide film for sunsets. In fact digital almost suques in certain extreme contrast sunsets for holding detail in the shadows. Plan on two captures for extreme brightness shadow conditions, and merge them in PS and use grads.

 

You can also view histogram or the mode circling the blown-out areas where there is no value left (all white). Looking at histograms is something I would like to hear more on from the experts. I think you just want to aim for an even distribution of values across the range, but they always look a little one sided to me.

 

Also dont get too trash-can happy based on the LCD monitor, it just doesnt compare to viewing the scene on a real monitor.

[nsfbr]

One thing that gets missed - and it is the single thing I would change about my D70, or more accurately, it is the first thing I would change, there are a few others as well - is that the single histogram will lead to clipping of one or two channels well before the histogram tells you it will.

 

That is because you are seeing a grey scale histogram rather than what you need which is three histograms, one for each color.

 

Yes, the higher end cameras do that.

 

What I don't know is if the highlight screen will blink if you get any clipping of any channel, or if it also uses the grey scaled curve.

 

If you see that the brightest parts of an image are white in real life, then you are probably fine with just using the histogram. If they are blue or green or red then you WILL clip if you are not careful. The result is cartoonish, detail free areas of that color - not attractive in most cases.