Dynamic range and ISO

12 years 7 months ago #148260 by The Equalizer
So here's a new one for me. I was reading about a blogger who indicated that when he shoots with a lower ISO around 200 that he is able to get a wider dynamic range?

I wasn't aware that you gain a wider dynamic range with lower ISO? But then again you can't believe everything you read on line, or there is a good chance that I just don't know this rule. But is this true?

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs." Ansel Adams.
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12 years 7 months ago #148261 by bs3f
What does he mean by dynamic range? I never heard of that one.


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12 years 7 months ago #148269 by rmeyer7
Maybe that's true in the sense that you don't have as much noise in your shadow areas, so you can do more with them in post. Otherwise, I'm not aware of it being the case. Then again, there's a lot I'm not aware of ;)


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12 years 7 months ago - 12 years 7 months ago #148270 by MLKstudios
dPreview does testing of the DR at different ISO's. Check out your camera model there.

:)

An example:

www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond700/page20.asp

Matthew L Kees
MLK Studios Photography School
www.MLKstudios.com
[email protected]
"Every artist, was once an amateur"

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12 years 7 months ago #148272 by rmeyer7

bs3f wrote: What does he mean by dynamic range? I never heard of that one.

What more dynamic range means (and I'm over-simplifying this just because there are others here who can explain it in a technical way much better than I can!) is that you can see more color and detail in everything from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows. Look into HDR (high dynamic range) photography if you want to get a little more understanding of what dynamic range is all about.

Note: not suggesting you start doing a bunch of HDR photography. It's a technique that should be used with a healthy dose of moderation.


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12 years 7 months ago #148274 by MLKstudios
Another way to look at it, is how far your camera goes before clipping occurs.

A camera with a high DR, can handle more stops of light and dark in one shot, than one with a narrow DR.

Often, the more expensive the camera is, the better DR it has. When buying a DSLR, it is akin to buying the camera and film at the same time. A better DSLR has better film in it.

:)

Matthew L Kees
MLK Studios Photography School
www.MLKstudios.com
[email protected]
"Every artist, was once an amateur"

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12 years 7 months ago #148292 by bs3f

rmeyer7 wrote:

bs3f wrote: What does he mean by dynamic range? I never heard of that one.

What more dynamic range means (and I'm over-simplifying this just because there are others here who can explain it in a technical way much better than I can!) is that you can see more color and detail in everything from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows. Look into HDR (high dynamic range) photography if you want to get a little more understanding of what dynamic range is all about.

Note: not suggesting you start doing a bunch of HDR photography. It's a technique that should be used with a healthy dose of moderation.


Thank you for that explanation.


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12 years 7 months ago #149118 by Henry Peach
Dxomark.com also charts dynamic range by ISO in their camera comparisons.

The difference in DR between ISO 100 and 800 is usually slight. It's with ISOs higher than 800 or 1600 than the DR starts to drop off. For instance they rate the 5DII at 11 stops DR at ISO 100, that drops to 10 DR at ISO 1000, and 9 DR at ISO 2000
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