Maximizing Dynamic Range

Maximizing Dynamic Range

The more time I spend in my photography pursuits, the more I appreciate cameras that capture and photos that exploit their maximum dynamic range potential. Digital cameras have undergone dramatic improvements over the last 12+ years, but they still don’t come close to the human eye’s dynamic range capabilities. By some estimates, the human eye can distinguish up to 24 f-stops of dynamic range. Higher end DSLRs such as the Nikon D800 by comparison, can capture up to a theoretical max of 14.4 f-stops of dynamic range. The usable dynamic range of most DSLRs, however, is closer to 5-9 f-stops, considering the impact of noise, which can render some of the DSLRs’ f-stop range impractical to exploit. Thus your eyes – at least for now – are still far more capable than the best DSLR relative to recognizing various tonal gradations

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  1) Good Dynamic Range Starts With A Good Camera D7000 2) Variety Of Techniques 3) Assessment Of Lighting Conditions 4) Auto Adjustment In Lightroom 4 5) Boosting Exposure In Lightroom 4 6) Combining The Exposures 7) Final Modifications 8) Summary