New Fuji user in need of advice on shooting settings.

JNR wrote:

Nothing stops me (or you) from dialing in what we believe is the correct amount of under- or sometimes over-exposure compensation in one-third stops - and still utilize the Auto DR to ensure that a blow out does not happen. I often do that. I agree that a full stop of lowered exposure (Auto never implements two stops) seems like it is a bit too much, but then again the loss of the full stop compared to the gain in avoiding blow out is a trade off I will always want to make - because you aren't getting a false trigger.

I always use DR100 and never blow any highlights that I don’t mind blowing.

As the OP indicated, he wants to know how well the system works on Fuji. I'm indicating that it very certainly works better than my experience with Pentax... where lenses (due to reliance on mechanical coupling variances, I suspect), as well as major inconsistencies in implementation from one body model to the next - made the entire exercise a lot of guess work. I haven't had that issue with the X-T20 and X-T2, and I'm pretty sure that the newer models work similarly well

My three Fujis - X-T2, X-T2, and X100V (and an X-T3 I had for a while) all work the same.

. I don't hear complaints about faulty metering, but you do hear many complaints about the histogram accuracy

I don’t recommend using the histograms at all for RAW shooting.

- and whether the warning system (which I find distracting)

If it ‘s blinking enough to be distracting you probably ought to do something about your exposure settings (which is kind of the point). In any case, the blinkies go away with a half-press of the shutter button (and can be disabled in the EVF with the DISP/BACK button on the all the small EVF Fujis that I’m are of).

is triggering after one channel or two channels are blowing out. That's clear guess work going on I don't get when using DR Auto.

In my testing, only one channel typically blows at “first blink”. If you want to avoid clipping altogether (generally a good idea) ,you really don’t want to see any blinking. One EC click below blinking will always yield a good, safe result and leave very little to no wasted DR on the table.

Finally, don't overlook the tonal curves implementation that comes along seamlessly in making the raw conversion from DR 200 (I don't use DR 400 so I can't say when it comes to two stops).

There is NO tonal curve being applied to the RAW files whatsoever when using the DR modes. Lightroom or Capture One simply add the necessary brightness gain to compensate for any exposure/brightness shortfall incurred when using the DR modes.

At least when using Capture One, you always get an excellent starting point that has me double-checking when DR 200 has been implemented because it looks just about as good as regular exposure. When relying on the underexposure solely, you usually have more post processing to be done to get the right look.

Nope, it’s the same either way.

By the way, I should mention how often I get into an action situation where the Auto DR does not trigger in one shot, but then a slight shift in my aim or field of view on a zoom causes a bright object, light sky or sun near the edge of the frame to show up and changes in the dynamic range results in the unexpected trigger. I don't have to worry about making exposure comp changes if the priority is to get that special moment. And believe me, you often are making those quick shifts at the time the ideal shot is coming into the frame.

I almost always shoot with Auto-ISO/SS which will automatically compensate for any sudden changes in available light in real-time. Other than an initial split-second tweak, very little has to be done on my part to compensate manually in any given situation. I have long stopped bracketing in tricky situations as I just don’t need to anymore.

I'm not saying that using DR modes is necessarily wrong for the RAW shooter, if it works for you, it works for you ...and it might indeed work for others. But my method works for me too - without me typically ever having to make any changes to my shooting settings (other than occasional exposure compensation tweaks with my front dial) when going from blazing sunshine to dark interior spaces, to extreme back lighting (or extreme front lighting). it's always fast, precise, and always results in an optimally exposed RAW file every time. It will also work well for others.

Erik