G7 it's better to underexpose or overexpose ?

I have in my hands the G7 since 3 weeks. For my taste it's better to underexpose of 1/3 but I'm wondering if , as regards the number of information in the JPG file, it's better to under or over expose . I mean by that: if we need to postprocessing a file which file is better to handle ?
Thank's

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Cesaregiancarlo

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml
Expose Right

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Canon EOS 1D MarkII, Canon 70 200 f2.8, Canon 17-40, Canon 135 f2.0
Tokina 24-200, Sigma 20mm F1.8,

Canon G7

With the G7 being prone to blown highlights, expose for the highlights to avoid this. Check the histogram before you shoot to make sure you are not clipping the highlights, but don't overdo the cautiion. If the G7 had raw mode, you might not need to do this, but sadly, the G7 has no raw shooting capability, so you have to try that much harder to get it right in-camera.

--
Quentin
http://www.brightnewlight.co.uk
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/micropayment/
--
'Where have I been all my life?'

It depends. Most of the time I prefer to expose to the left for outdoor shots, especially for scenes with a large range of brightness levels. Here the issue for me is blown highlights, so I want to preserve hihlight information and don't have a S/N problem. Indoors I might go to the right as the article suggests. This is for a G6, which doesn't matter. I don't bother with raw or post processing.

Overall, I prefer the images a little darker anyhow. Probably a carry-over from my slide days.

Al

Good suggestion to read the L.Landscape article but what I meant is if it's right to expose for lights or better for dark .
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Cesaregiancarlo

as I'm an "old" slide fan and if I remember well it was better to expose for darkside instead of the lights si my question was exactly that: may I consider the digital file as a slide ?
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Cesaregiancarlo

Overexposure can't be saved. Underexposure brings more noise, especially with G7 which has more noise in dark areas.

I say: Tune the exposure to the subject. If you take picture of a person, make his face perfectly exposed. Ignore dark shadows or bright sky, but try to avoid 'white' sky.

Also lower in camera sharpening and contrast. If you take pictures of really colorful stuff, like flowers or birds, use lower saturation too.

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Cesaregiancarlo

but my question was not so specific but the way to leave the camera ready for general shots (like a default)
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Cesaregiancarlo

Hi Cesaregiancarlo,

Cesaregiancarlo said:

as I'm an "old" slide fan and if I remember well it was better to
expose for darkside instead of the lights si my question was
exactly that: may I consider the digital file as a slide ?

Click to expand...

;-)) I started digital with a G3, and found out that if I treated that beauty like I was shooting slides with my A1/EOS33, (a tad darker, and preserve highlights ;-)) I got the best results.

But as suggested before, don't shoot too 'cautious', because if you have to 'lift' the shadowparts a little in postprocess this can (not always) introduce (heavy) noise in those regions!

BTW: if you treat your 'digital' as a 'slide-shooter' you will have less problems when you switch to a DSLR also, IMHO.

...hope this helps, my €0.02 worth..

my kindest regards,

Max@Home
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Max@Home - Castricum - The Netherlands (see profile for equipment)



http://www.pbase.com/max_at_home (mind you, use underscores!)

thank's for all your suggestions except to switch to a dslr . the reason ? As I wrote in another post until 2004 a was an owner of two Eos bodies and 4 lens (24 - 28/135 IS - 75/300 IS - 17/35 ) but enough is enough ! I mean that I was an "unhappy" photographer , too many stuff, too weight . it was more and more often that I left my camera's bag in hotel room or in the car. So my decision was to have only one small camera (pocket size) to have always with me ...I'm not a professional photographer and the maximum size of my prints is 20x30 (cm not inches !!) . I know that instead to sell all my equipment for 850 Euro (!!!) I could change the body and hold my lens but the problem stay the same , to heavy stuff .

If I look at your equipment I think that you need a truck when you gon on journey and you like to take pictures ....
Best
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Cesaregiancarlo

I'd suggest bracteting the shot if needed, with the canon G7 its very easy to use the fast wheel adjustment.

Cesaregiancarlo said:

I have in my hands the G7 since 3 weeks. For my taste it's better
to underexpose of 1/3 but I'm wondering if , as regards the number
of information in the JPG file, it's better to under or over expose
. I mean by that: if we need to postprocessing a file which file
is better to handle ?
Thank's

--
Cesaregiancarlo

Click to expand...

I don't have the G7, but on all my digitals, I have the EC set to -1/3.

Watch for the histogram for BH. (Doesn't the G7 have the live histogram/preview to help you also expose more accurately?

Usually in photoshop, I can highlight/shadows/brightness/contrast/curves to make the picture to how I saw it. (most of the time)

Its better to underexpose than overexpose.
but if you can get it 'right' the first time, better yet.

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Cesaregiancarlo said:

I have in my hands the G7 since 3 weeks. For my taste it's better
to underexpose of 1/3 but I'm wondering if , as regards the number
of information in the JPG file, it's better to under or over expose
. I mean by that: if we need to postprocessing a file which file
is better to handle ?
Thank's

--
Cesaregiancarlo

Click to expand...

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----------------------------
My warmest regards,
sue anne

can some post some g7 settings as a starting point please
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ej

I have G6, which seems to behave in similar way. I use lower contrast always and sharpening always. I used lower saturation only once on flower exhibition, because the reds just came out strange (it was visible on preview).

With low contrast pictures looks mild right from the camera, so for punchy results you have to play with them, but on the other hand, you can.

I don't think you can handle all situations the same. If your'e primarily worried about blown highlights, you'll want to expose for the highlights, or** even "expose to the left" a little. In doing this, try not to clip information at the left (shadow) end of the histogram. But occasionally, you may even want to allow some clipping in the shadows, in order to avoid blown highlights. For example, you might decide to do this in a very high-key lighting situation, like photographs of skiers against sunlit snow.

However - this is very important - the above is only true when you can shoot at ISO 80, 100, and (perhaps) 200 with the G7. You will definitely see more noise when you "expose to the left". Also, remember that if you allow clipping in the shadows you'll be losing some data in the midrange. This isn't necessarily a terrible thing, as long as you know why you're doing it.

On the other hand, if you're worried primarily about noise, you want to "expose to the right" - be sure the histogram touches the right hand edge of the screen, without clipping if possible. You'll get the maximum of image data and the minimum of noise that way. The difference in noise can be dramatic. You may even choose to blow out some tiny highlights in order to minimize noise in some images, especially when you have to shoot at ISO 200 and 400.

So - look at what you're photographing, see what ISO you're forced to use, and make a decision about whether you're worried more about "blown highlights" or about "noise".

From what I can see, the issue of blown highlights with the G7 has been a little overblown itself. It's probably no worse than the great majority of digicams out there. The noise issue is also over done, as long as you can shoot at ISO 200 or below. If you have to use 400, be sure you use a good noise reducing program during processing. Use it selectively, most aggressively in the shadow areas and less aggressively in the midtones .

With the G7, I personally would forget about ISO 800 unless I was just desperate for some sort of primitive record.

Bill Hansen

lorange said:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml
Expose Right

Click to expand...

it says:

"On the downside the metering is easily fooled by very bright and/or contrasty scenes, and I found myself with a -0.3 or -0.6 EV compensation almost permanently dialed in to avoid the consistent overexposure and highlight clipping that shooting at the wide end of the zoom outdoors tended to produce. This isn't helped by the fairly steep default tone cure and limited dynamic range - this is one of those cameras that - at its default settings - is very sensitive to exposure errors, and one that benefits greatly from a little manual intervention. Turning down the contrast helps a little, as does using the histogram to expose slightly 'to the left'."

Phil

Great information on reading the histogram too.

-R. Martin

because my question was different: it's better to leave the camera as in default or live always the camera at - 1/3 ?
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Cesaregiancarlo

that you too set your camera at -1/3 . Obviously you prefere like me a darker result. Histogram ? Yeah I know... but probably I forgot to say that 90% of my shots are in reportage during my trips all the world around so I use the camera in fast way , no time to spend to adjust the exposure, look at histograms etc... (i.e. I remember when I was in Pakistan in September 1996 the date of the arrival of the talibans in Afghanistan, well thank's to a pakistanese friend I was driving to the Khiber pass and I was able to take few shots of the "secret" meeting , do you really believe that I could have the time to adjust the camera paremeters ? )

So in a word: my question was more simple : it's better to handle a file ouver or under exposed ?
That's all
Best regards from a raining and cold northern Italy
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Cesaregiancarlo