Nikon D300 In-depth Review
Active D-Lighting
D-Lighting is a shadow & highlight enhancement feature first seen on Nikon's Coolpix range of compact cameras and later on the D200. On previous models it was an after-the-fact filter which you could apply to images in playback mode. With the D300 'Active' D-Lighting is a menu setting which is applied to all images if enabled. There are four levels available; Off, Low, Normal and High. Rather than only adjusting the shape of the tone curve (as most similar systems do) setting higher levels appears to apply a third of a stop negative exposure compensation (typically slightly higher shutter speed). Unlike the Sony DRO system Nikon's works best if you meter for shadows (apply some positive exposure compensation) and allow Active D-Lighting to maintain / recover highlight detail.
To demonstrate the difference Active D-Lighting can make we set up our simple 'shadow scene' and shot it at increasing exposure compensation levels with Active D-Lighting Off and also set to High. As you can see the High setting manages to maintain highlight detail with about +1.0 EV compensation, beyond that while it is better than Off even the High setting can't maintain full highlight detail.
Active D-Lighting: Off |
Active D-Lighting: High |
 |
 |
1/25 sec, F8 |
1/30 sec, F8 |
 |
 |
1/13 sec, F8 (+1.0 EV) |
1/15 sec, F8 (+1.0 EV) |
 |
 |
1/6 sec, F8 (+2.0 EV) |
1/8 sec, F8 (+2.0 EV) |
 |
 |
0.3 sec, F8 (+3.0 EV) |
1/4 sec, F8 (+3.0 EV) |
Gear in this story
Gear in this story
Highly Recommended
|
|
|
|
Mar 12, 2008
|
Aug 23, 2007
|
Mar 11, 2011
|
Feb 24, 2011
|
The Panasonic GH6 is the latest in the company's line of video-focused Micro Four Thirds cameras. It brings a new, 25MP sensor and 10-bit 4K capture at up to 120p. We've put it to the test, both in the studio and out in the field.
Is the MSI Creator Z17 the MacBook Pro competitor Windows users were hoping for? In our tests it delivers big performance and offers a few good reasons why you might choose a 12th-Gen Intel laptop over a Mac.
Canon's high end APS-C mirrorless camera has plenty of compelling features, but is it worth the price? Jordan took it on vacation to find out.
The Autel EVO Nano+ drone weighs less than 250g, includes advanced features, and gets extra points for privacy. But is it enough to outclass the competition? We dive deep to find out where it excels and what it's like to fly.
DJI has a new gimbal, and it's compatible with some of the revolutionary accessories from the Ronin 4D. Is this the gimbal to get?
What’s the best camera for around $2000? These capable cameras should be solid and well-built, have both speed and focus for capturing fast action and offer professional-level image quality. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing around $2000 and recommended the best.
What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.
If you're looking for the perfect drone for yourself, or to gift someone special, we've gone through all of the options and selected our favorites.
Most modern cameras will shoot video to one degree or another, but these are the ones we’d look at if you plan to shoot some video alongside your photos. We’ve chosen cameras that can take great photos and make it easy to get great looking video, rather than being the ones you’d choose as a committed videographer.
Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we've chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media.
Comments