Nikon D750 Overblown highlights ?

[hjoseph7]

I recently purchsed a Used Nikon D750. I got to admit it's a great camera. While testing the camera I noticed that in some high contrast scenes(not alll), the highlights seem to be over blown to the point where there is this eerie glow around them ? I have not noticed this from any of my other cameras including  my Nikon D7000. Take a look at the picture below and tell me if this is normal or not ? Please excuse the place my AC is getting repaired. I also noticed this eerie glow when I have the lamps shown in the foreground are turned on. On this picture I focused and exposed about 2/3 up on the pole holding the AlienBee strobe. 

 

Edited July 26 by hjoseph7

[ShunCheung]

Don't see anything particularly wrong with that image. You have a bright window and a pretty dark room with dark furniture. The D750 may assume you want some details for the furniture in the room. It is a scene with very high contrast that requires manual control and perhaps some fill flash to brighten up the interior.

[rconey]

Might also be some lens flair. Expose for the window and see what it looks like (the room will likely be too dark to recover)

[mike_halliwell]

3 hours ago, hjoseph7 said:

On this picture I focused and exposed about 2/3 up on the pole holding the AlienBee strobe. 

ISO? is it low enough to capture max DR?

[hjoseph7]

1 hour ago, rconey said:

Might also be some lens flair. Expose for the window and see what it looks like (the room will likely be too dark to recover)

I tried that the room turned out pretty dark. The ISO was at 640.  

[BeBu Lamar]

I guess you use matrix metering? I also think the meter did a good job. Why? I don't think there is much to see outside the windows if it were to expose correctly for the outside. Also in that case you would see nothing inside the house.

[mike_halliwell]

At ISO 640, you've lost about 3 stops of DR from base.

Muddy shadows and blown highlights....

[hjoseph7]

I took 2 pictures one with the Nikon D750 and another with the Canon 6D. The first picture is the Nikon. Both pictures were taken with the same parameters( iso, aperture, shutter speed). Notice how the eerie glow extends past the window on the Nikon. You really can't see too much diiference now because too much light is hitting the room. I would have to wait unit it gets a little darker outside.

[Ken Katz]

The Nikon of course had a different lens than the Canon (50 f1.8 vs 24-105L zoom), so I don't know what those 2 images can tell you about the performance of the D750.

How about shooting with the same lens, at the same settings using the D750 and your D7000 (or any other Nikon you want to test).   Differing FOV, unless you have another Nikon FF lying around.

[hjoseph7]

4 minutes ago, Ken Katz said:

The Nikon of course had a different lens than the Canon (50 f1.8 vs 24-105L zoom), so I don't know what those 2 images can tell you about the performance of the D750.

How about shooting with the same lens, at the same settings using the D750 and your D7000 (or any other Nikon you want to test).   Differing FOV, unless you have another Nikon FF lying around.

That's my D7000 in the background with a Nikkor 50mm f1.2 lens installed in reverse on a PB-4 extension bellows. I just hate to take the whole thing appart.. 

[Ken Katz]

1 minute ago, hjoseph7 said:

That's my D7000 in the background with a Nikkor 50mm f1.2 lens installed in reverse on a PB-4 extension bellows. I just hate to take the whole thing appart..

I hear you, but your post compared results from the D750 against the D7000, so you may have to bite the bullet to test that hypothesis.  Or just shoot with the D750 and not worry about it.

[hjoseph7]

13 minutes ago, Ken Katz said:

I hear you, but your post compared results from the D750 against the D7000, so you may have to bite the bullet to test that hypothesis.  Or just shoot with the D750 and not worry about it.

I might run it past the people at Nikon and see what they have to say... The thing is, I noticed this flare thing immediately after the first shots. I then took the camera out for a spin outdoors a few days ago and did not run into any problems. Then again I wasn't really looking for high contrast scenes.

Edited July 26 by hjoseph7

[mike_halliwell]

16 hours ago, rconey said:

Might also be some lens flair.

I agree, this looks more optical, than camera related.

Poorer lens coatings could account for it.... and I guess sensor coatings too.

Unless the 2 shots are mere seconds apart, the sun angle on the blinds is going to make a big difference to light entering the room.

Edited July 27 by mike_halliwell

[AlanKlein]

Try a different lens.

[hjoseph7]

1 hour ago, AlanKlein said:

Try a different lens.

The problem with trying different lenses is that the angle changes so I can't recreate the problem exactly. One work around is to switch to center-weighted metering which alleviates the problem all together. I did some research and found that some D750's had problems with flare, althought the flare they are talking about in this article seems a little different than mine: https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/12/25/nikon-d750-flare-problems-heres-why-and-what-to-do-about-them-its-not-lens

 

[rodeo_joe1]

Looks more like a lens issue than the camera sensor. Did the camera come with a new-to-you lens as well? 

The 'halo' could easily be due to a (very) dusty lens, or one with a smudge somewhere on an element. It also looks exactly like the flare you get when a cold lens gets slight condensation misting on it. It doesn't take much; just holding a hot hand in front of a cold lens can mist it up enough to take the edge off definition. That used to happen quite a lot with manual focussing on a small lens. AF has largely done away with that risk! 

[mike_halliwell]

10 minutes ago, rodeo_joe1 said:

Looks more like a lens issue than the camera sensor.

Agreed.

Doesn't apply here, but i get PF lens flair like this, but without the hard edge, so much so i've made black card 'cones' to extend the lens hood for my 300mm and 500mm PF

[hjoseph7]

This is what the folks at Nikon said about this issue.  I have not tried all of their recomendations yet. At this point, and since this rarely happens(I think ?), I'm just going to enjoy my new/used camera. If the issue becomes problematic, I'llcontact Nikon again.

 

[Thank you for contacting Nikon Support and your interest in our products. I understand you are having issues with the Nikon D 750 camera, blowing out the highlights in high contrast or backlit scenes.
 
Thank you for reaching out and providing detailed information along with sample images of the issue you're experiencing with your Nikon D750 camera.
 
Blown-out highlights in high contrast or backlit scenes can occur with any camera, including the Nikon D750 DSLR, but it is not considered normal behavior if it happens consistently and to an extreme degree. There are several factors that could contribute to this issue, including: Exposure settings, metering mode, picture controls or dynamic range.
 
In order to correct this, please consider checking the following steps mentioned in this article:
https://www.nikonimgsupport.com/eu/BV_article?lang=en_GB&articleNo=000044742
1. Enable auto ISO sensitivity control.
High ISO sensitivities can produce overexposure when lighting is strong. Enabling auto ISO sensitivity control in modes P, S, A, and M modes allows the camera to adjust sensitivity if optimal exposure cannot be achieved at the selected value. You can find proper instructions in the Nikon D750 User’s Manual, pages 136 - 138, section “Auto ISO Sensitivity Control”.
 
2. Check metering.
Matrix metering meters the entire frame, which may result in high-contrast subjects being overexposed. Matrix metering may result in overexposure if, for example, the background is darker than the main subject. Choose a metering option that suits your subject. To choose a metering option, press the Metering button and rotate the main command dial until the desired setting is displayed in the viewfinder and control panel. You can find proper instructions in the Nikon D750 User’s Manual, pages 139 - 140, section “Metering”.
 
3. Check the picture control
Currently your picture control is set to "Vivid." While this setting enhances the contrast, it may also cause blacks and whites to appear washed out. We suggest trying the "Neutral" or "Standard" settings. You can find proper instructions in the Nikon D750 User’s Manual, page 165, section “Picture Controls”.
 
4. Check the active D-Lighting:
 
While the Active D-Lighting is set to "ON" it is set to "AUTO." This setting helps in optimizing high contrast images to restore shadow and highlight details that are often lost when strong lighting increases the contrast between bright and dark areas of the image. However, you might get better results by experimenting with the manual options within this setting. Adjusting it manually can give you more control over the brightness and contrast levels. You can find proper instructions in the Nikon D750 User’s Manual, pages 175 - 176, section “Preserving Detail in Highlights and Shadows”.
 
You can download and access the Nikon D750 User’s manual from the following link:
https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/175/D750.html
 
I hope the information I have provided has addressed your question. Should you need further assistance, please let me know by replying to this email.


Med vennlig hilsen/Kind regards,]

[bgelfand]

If I understand correctly, you are shooting JPEG? If so, the simple answer is shoot in RAW and correct in Post (Lightroom).  

[mike_halliwell]

JPEG? Realy?

REALLY? 

 

[hjoseph7]

On 8/6/2024 at 1:52 PM, bgelfand said:

If I understand correctly, you are shooting JPEG? If so, the simple answer is shoot in RAW and correct in Post (Lightroom).  

Sorry bg but that's a cop-out...

[bgelfand]

18 hours ago, hjoseph7 said:

Sorry bg but that's a cop-out...

I disagree. It is what your camera is doing, but your camera does not have the "processing power" that you have. The camera takes RAW images then produces the JPEG from the RAW data  according to the process you set - Vivid,  Portrait, etc. but without the nuances that the human brain can make. 

Photographers have been doing this for years in the darkroom - we crop, we burn, we dodge, we use different grades of paper. Or at least we use to; now we do it all in Lightroom or another post processing program. Don't believe me? Read Ansel Adams book, The Print . If you are ever in Tucson, AZ, go the the Art Department at the University of Arizona. They have a large collection of Adam's prints and negatives and lab notes.

Eventually cameras will have enough AI build in to make perfect images every time. Until them we will have to use our "Real Intelligence".

[paddler4]

IMHO, there are a lot of red herrings in this thread. This appears to be flare, not a matter of ISO, DR,  or file format. I think the 6D and 750 comparison is missing the point: the difference isn't the bodies but rather the lenses. Any chance that there is a cheap filter on the lens that is on the 750? If so, take it off and repeat the test. If there is no filter, my bet is that this is simply a lens that is more prone to flare than the lens on the 6D.

As a general rule, this is precisely the sort of image that is likely to create flare: a very bright light source directly in front of the lens.

[hjoseph7]

5 hours ago, bgelfand said:

I disagree. It is what your camera is doing, but your camera does not have the "processing power" that you have. The camera takes RAW images then produces the JPEG from the RAW data  according to the process you set - Vivid,  Portrait, etc. but without the nuances that the human brain can make. 

Photographers have been doing this for years in the darkroom - we crop, we burn, we dodge, we use different grades of paper. Or at least we use to; now we do it all in Lightroom or another post processing program. Don't believe me? Read Ansel Adams book, The Print . If you are ever in Tucson, AZ, go the the Art Department at the University of Arizona. They have a large collection of Adam's prints and negatives and lab notes.

Eventually cameras will have enough AI build in to make perfect images every time. Until them we will have to use our "Real Intelligence".

After spending $750+ for this camera, I think that I deserve a shot at making sure that everything is working correctly before the Warranty period expires.

I remember when I was shooting Youth-Sports, first with film then with digital. Unfortunately when it came to digital, a lot of our photographers developed Exposure-Amnesia. They figured the guys at the lab would fix it using Photoshop(cop out).  Then we got a memo that this sort of behavior would not be tolerated...     

[Sandy Vongries]

I still have and enjoy a D750.  I have never experienced exposure problems.  I typically run on Aperture with a preset under exposure that varies from a third of a stop to half depending on light and  conditions.  A camera that produces fine results and worth the time with the manual.  Unless you have done a lot of customization, you might try a reset to factory specs and experiment from there. Best of luck!