Dynamic range of mft cameras

[sean000]

I'm afraid I got too caught up in the details of comparing dynamic range in this thread. My original reply to the original poster was actually to ignore the differences between m4/3 and APS-C because the differences are small and with either camera you are going to have to learn how to compensate for scenes that have too much dynamic range.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1041&message=34415925

The discussion that followed certainly made me think about how different manufacturers and reviewers test for dynamic range more than I had ever thought about it before. Of course DPReview is a site about gear more than it is about photography, so I'm never surprised when discussions take a turn for the technical.

Personally I did not buy a m4/3 camera to get the most dynamic range or the cleanest ISO 1600. I have a whole cabinet full of DSLR gear if I need that, although in my experience so far the GF1 I have isn't too far behind my APS-C DSLR in these areas. I really just notice that I need to watch the highlights a bit more on my GF1, but so what? I bought a m4/3 camera to recapture the spontaneous joy of photography, and so far it has in fact been a joy to use the GF1. I've even been impressed by the image quality I can get out of the GF1 and 20mm f/1.7.

If someone is really concerned about dynamic range/RAW headroom, they should buy a full frame DSLR... but of course there are other tradeoffs and even one of those won't have enough DR for some scenes. No matter what camera you use, sooner or later you will have to learn some techniques for dealing with DR that is beyond what your camera can capture. It's just part of photography.

Sean

 

[sean000]

If you are going to make a measurement of a thing, then measure the thing. Don't do something else and then call it the thing. It's that simple.

And yes, I think people make too much of the DR issue. I found DR to be largely a non-issue when using 2/3" and 1/1.8" sensors. Good results are usually a matter of the photographer maintaining control over exposure.

Exactly! Dealing with limited dynamic range is just part of photography just as dealing with a lack of available light is. If DR is a primary concern for someone, a full frame camera will give a far more meaningful upgrade than APS-C over m4/3. But even with full frame you have to deal with scenes that have too much dynamic range from time to time.

Personally I didn't buy a m4/3 camera to get the most dynamic range possible (although it is nice to have much more DR than my previous compact P&S offered). I bought a m4/3 camera to recapture the joy of spontaneous photography. I don't think the ISO has a measurement standard for that either ;-)

Sean

 

[Daniel Browning]

I don't think there is any attempt to mislead,

Well, I think they are doing it on accident, but the end result is the same.

However DPReview is a camera review site, so the curves applied in-camera using various settings do matter.

Yes, they matter to the majority of web site visitors because they only use JPEG.

For RAW shooters there is the RAW overhead section, which provides more insight...

Not at all. The so-called "raw headroom" is a ridiculous convolution of the color balance of the light, Adobe's highlight guessing algorithm, white point differences with JPEG, and tone curves. For example, the number of stops "recovered" (ha!) with the Adobe highlight guessing algorithm depends on the color balance of the light. Whether or not it will turn out a grotesque caricature or a reasonable guess depends on subject matter and taste. This section is even more misleading than the tone curve plot.
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Daniel

 

[Jay Turberville]

Personally I didn't buy a m4/3 camera to get the most dynamic range possible (although it is nice to have much more DR than my previous compact P&S offered). I bought a m4/3 camera to recapture the joy of spontaneous photography. I don't think the ISO has a measurement standard for that either ;-)

I didn't even think about DR when making my GH1 purchase. The improved high ISO performance over previous 4/3s cameras was a nice bonus though. I also like the superimposed realtime histogram display option. Nifty.

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Jay Turberville
http://www.jayandwanda.com

 

[Jay Turberville]

Not at all. The so-called "raw headroom" is a ridiculous convolution of the color balance of the light, Adobe's highlight guessing algorithm, white point differences with JPEG, and tone curves. For example, the number of stops "recovered" (ha!) with the Adobe highlight guessing algorithm depends on the color balance of the light. Whether or not it will turn out a grotesque caricature or a reasonable guess depends on subject matter and taste. This section is even more misleading than the tone curve plot.

That's a good point. Highlight recovery is a nifty option to have in an "emergency", but how much you have will vary depending on the color temperature you shot the image in. After all, there is a reason why they typically use filters that have different degrees of transmission of white light.

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Jay Turberville
http://www.jayandwanda.com