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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
Is there a significant difference between a typical consumer dSLR
(400D, D80, A100) and a midrange point & shoot camera? I've tried to find quantitative/statistical measurements of the dynamic range of these cameras, but haven't been able to find any. |
#3
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
wrote in message
oups.com... Is there a significant difference between a typical consumer dSLR (400D, D80, A100) and a midrange point & shoot camera? I've tried to find quantitative/statistical measurements of the dynamic range of these cameras, but haven't been able to find any. Yes. You get about a stop worth (YMMV) and if you use the RAW mode on the SLR, you can pull out an additional stop. Most P&S cameras don't have a RAW mode. I find many P&S cameras (and some dSLRs) are designed to expose for the shadows and tend to blow the highlights often. I find that using the exposure compensation setting and underexposing by a 1/2 to a full stop helps considerably. Also many compact cameras are set too contrasty as the average consumer likes the extra "snap" it gives the image. If the camera has a contrast setting, lower it to reduce the chance of clipping. John |
#4
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
JohnR66 wrote: Yes. You get about a stop worth (YMMV) and if you use the RAW mode on the SLR, you can pull out an additional stop. Most P&S cameras don't have a RAW mode. Some P&S cameras, like the Canon G6, do have RAW mode. I wonder how its dynamic range compares to dSLRs? I know that the dynamic range of the Digital Rebel XTi (400D) is measurably larger than that of the EOS 5D, even though the latter has a much larger sensor. With that in mind, I wonder how much more dynamic range a dSLR is capable of capturing than a decent P&S? Most people (including me) believe that dSLRs have higher dynamic range than point & shoots, but I've yet to see actual numbers to back it up. |
#5
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
wrote:
JohnR66 wrote: Yes. You get about a stop worth (YMMV) and if you use the RAW mode on the SLR, you can pull out an additional stop. Most P&S cameras don't have a RAW mode. Some P&S cameras, like the Canon G6, do have RAW mode. I wonder how its dynamic range compares to dSLRs? I know that the dynamic range of the Digital Rebel XTi (400D) is measurably larger than that of the EOS 5D, even though the latter has a much larger sensor. With that in mind, I wonder how much more dynamic range a dSLR is capable of capturing than a decent P&S? Most people (including me) believe that dSLRs have higher dynamic range than point & shoots, but I've yet to see actual numbers to back it up. Where did you read the XTi has a larger dynamic range than the 5D? The 5D is limited by the 12-bit A/D converter. The only way an XTi could beat that is if it had a 14 or 16 bit A/D, which I do not think it does. The answers to your questions are on these web pages: Data on sensors are he http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedeta...ensor_analysis Dynamic range of DSLR versus P&S are shown in Figure 7 at: Digital Cameras: Does Pixel Size Matter? Factors in Choosing a Digital Camera http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedeta...el.size.matter Another plot of sensor dynamic range is in Figure 3 at: Digital Camera Sensor Performance Summary http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedeta...or.performance (This page is new and is still a draft.) Roger |
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
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#7
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
wrote:
JohnR66 wrote: Yes. You get about a stop worth (YMMV) and if you use the RAW mode on the SLR, you can pull out an additional stop. Most P&S cameras don't have a RAW mode. Some P&S cameras, like the Canon G6, do have RAW mode. I wonder how its dynamic range compares to dSLRs? I know that the dynamic range of the Digital Rebel XTi (400D) is measurably larger than that of the EOS 5D, even though the latter has a much larger sensor. With that in mind, I seriously doubt you'll find anything that backs up this claim. Please cite your data, if you've found something would have to defy logic. -- Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at: www.pbase.com/markuson |
#8
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark) wrote:
Another plot of sensor dynamic range is in Figure 3 at: Digital Camera Sensor Performance Summary http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedeta...or.performance (This page is new and is still a draft.) Oops, wrong URL. See: http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedeta...rmance.summary I've added a lot to the page so it is now more complete. For low light performance, see Figures 6 and 7. Roger |
#9
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
Mark² (lowest even number here) wrote: I seriously doubt you'll find anything that backs up this claim. Please cite your data, if you've found something would have to defy logic. The EOS 400D review at DPreview claims that the 400D has a dynamic range that's roughly 5% better than the D80, 350D, and the Sony Alpha. The usable range is supposed to be around 8.4EV. In their EOS 5D review (same author), the measured dynamic range was around 8.2 EV. These were done in JPEG tests. Both cameras have about one extra stop of headroom in RAW mode. The difference in test results is so small, it's probably more accurate to say that neither the 400D nor the 5D has a real advantage in dynamic range --- at least based on this one test. Which is interesting, considering all the hoopla about the big bad full frame sensor having better dynamic range than a tiny sensoor in an entry-level digital rebel. Maybe I misunderstood the articles? Read for yourselves: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos5d/page22.asp http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/page19.asp |
#10
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Dynamic Range of Point & Shoots...
wrote:
Mark² (lowest even number here) wrote: I seriously doubt you'll find anything that backs up this claim. Please cite your data, if you've found something would have to defy logic. The EOS 400D review at DPreview claims that the 400D has a dynamic range that's roughly 5% better than the D80, 350D, and the Sony Alpha. The usable range is supposed to be around 8.4EV. In their EOS 5D review (same author), the measured dynamic range was around 8.2 EV. These were done in JPEG tests. Both cameras have about one extra stop of headroom in RAW mode. The difference in test results is so small, it's probably more accurate to say that neither the 400D nor the 5D has a real advantage in dynamic range --- at least based on this one test. Which is interesting, considering all the hoopla about the big bad full frame sensor having better dynamic range than a tiny sensoor in an entry-level digital rebel. Maybe I misunderstood the articles? Read for yourselves: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos5d/page22.asp http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/page19.asp Thanks for the response, and cites, which I may read later. However, you are disproving the claim you made, somehow not quoted here. [Mark squared's post is also missing on my spool in r.p.d., but the points made by Roger and me aren't contradicted.] -- John McWilliams |
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