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Dynamic Range
Introduction
Roughly speaking, dynamic range is the range of brightness that can be recorded with fidelity without blowing the highlights to pure white or turning dark tones to pure black. Dynamic range can be measured, but as a practical matter what counts is usable dynamic range: dark tones that aren’t usable if they also contain defects like blotchy or pattern noise.
Medium format cameras tend to have a wonderful dynamic range of 12 stops or a bit more, fitting into their 16-bit image files. The D3x has no quoted dynamic range but it does offer 16-bit internal processing stored as 14-bit files. Further testing should establish usable dynamic range for the D3x. It is clear that ISO 50 on the D3x does not have the dynamic range of a medium format digital back at ISO 50. Photographers who must have maximal dynamic range will need to use medium format digital, or HDR multi-shot techniques.
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Diglloyd DAP is DSLR-oriented, but also contains workflow and other topics. Much of the focus is on Canon and Nikon but also Pentax and Pentax medium format.
Special emphasis is placed on lens evaluation, focusing on Canon and Nikon and Sigma lenses, but with a few others like Rokinon/Samyang.
- Make better images by learning how to get the best results right away.
- Save money by choosing the right lens for your needs the first time, particularly some of the new Sigma Art lenses vs Nikon and Canon.
- Workflow discusses image organization, raw conversion and post processing. Many examples show processing parameters for direct insight into how the image was converted.
- Jaw-dropping image quality found nowhere else utilizing Retina-grade images up to full camera resolution, plus large crops [past 2 years or so].
- Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
- Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
- Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.
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