D70s Histogram

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AlanW - 01 Jan 2007 13:08 GMT

I shoot in RAW with a D70s and tried a suggestion learned in this
group to use the camera histogram to improve image exposure. My goal
is to move the graph to the "right" without spiking the right most
access. When processing the RAW image in PSE3, most images appear to
be overexposed and the PSE histogram bears this out. I can back off on
the camera exposure however, I am curious if this is a problem with
the camera, PSE3 or me? Any other suggestions or techniques to improve
proper camera exposure will be appreciated. Thanks.

Alan

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Ed Ruf (REPLY to E-MAIL IN SIG!) - 01 Jan 2007 14:10 GMT

>I shoot in RAW with a D70s and tried a suggestion learned in this
>group to use the camera histogram to improve image exposure. My goal
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>the camera, PSE3 or me? Any other suggestions or techniques to improve
>proper camera exposure will be appreciated. Thanks.

First, what you are seeing is the standard ACR default behavior. ACR does
NOT use the in camera settings by default and takes a guess at auto
adjustment of most/all parameters. Note the vales of the adjustment
parameters change shot-to-shot. Change the settings to zero and you'll see
as it was shot.

Be aware that the D70s histogram is based on luminance and hence it is
possible to not clip this combined channel, but clip one of the individual
color channels. The easiest way to see this is to take a photo of a bright
red flowering plant, say a germanium.

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Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardGRuf.com)
http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html

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Ed Ruf (REPLY to E-MAIL IN SIG!) - 01 Jan 2007 19:29 GMT

>First, what you are seeing is the standard ACR default behavior. ACR does
>NOT use the in camera settings by default and takes a guess at auto
>adjustment of most/all parameters. Note the vales of the adjustment
>parameters change shot-to-shot. Change the settings to zero and you'll see
>as it was shot.

Seems more than my sinuses are plugged up by this cold.

At least in PSE3 .x check what the topmost pulldown "SETTINGs" menu is set
to in the raw conversion window. By default it is setup to use Camera Raw
Defaults. Pull down the menu and select Image Settings and process the raw
image. The next time a raw image loads ACR should use the Image Settings
instead of Camera Raw Default values.

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Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardGRuf.com)
http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html

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Alan Browne - 01 Jan 2007 18:04 GMT

> I shoot in RAW with a D70s and tried a suggestion learned in this
> group to use the camera histogram to improve image exposure. My goal
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> the camera, PSE3 or me? Any other suggestions or techniques to improve
> proper camera exposure will be appreciated. Thanks.

It's a mystery to me how PSE RAW import sets its parameters initially,
but it is usually close to the camera setting. I assume it uses the
recorded camera setting and then makes its own minor adjustments.
Usually seems to be within a stop or so on exposure. Or maybe it makes
no adjustments at all... and it doesn't matter much because your
exposure was reasonably close to 'perfect', but in the RAW import you
get to adjust the exposure again.

1) How are you metering?

2) How are you adjusting exposure in the camera? Exp-comp, manually?

Some camera Histograms are of one color channel only, so when you import
the "perfect" RAW image in PSE3 the other channels now show up. I don't
know how the D70s histogram is derived on camera so that is just
speculation.

Cheers,
Alan

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Ben Brugman - 01 Jan 2007 19:02 GMT

>I shoot in RAW with a D70s and tried a suggestion learned in this
> group to use the camera histogram to improve image exposure. My goal
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Alan

If you expose to the "right", you expose to get as much information as
possible in the 'file'.

But this does not mean that it is the right exposure, if the scene is a low
contrast scene with no whites in it, but for example only middle and dark
grays, then in postprocessing you should adjust for that.

So exposing to the "right" get the maximum amount of information in the
'file' of the picture, in postprocessing, this has the advantage that there
is more room to play with.
But compared with a 'normal' exposure, you will need to adjust for the
exposure to the right.

As others have said exposing the right gives the added risc that one (or
even two) colour channels can overexpose without this being visible on the
histogram.

Good foto hunting, and a happy newyear.
ben brugman

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