Digital cameras don’t capture ready-made images. The data captured by the sensor has to be processed first. This happens automatically and instantaneously if you set the camera to shoot JPEG images. Many cameras don’t give you any other option. However, more advanced models like high end compact cameras, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will also let […]
Highlight recovery
When you shoot RAW files there is often a little extra highlight detail in the data than is initially visible, and a good RAW converter will be able to recover this detail to correct any ‘blown out’ areas. There’s no much margin for correction, however – typically you might be able to recover 1EV of additional highlight detail, but rarely more.
Dynamic range and exposure
Dynamic range is the camera sensor’s ability to capture detail in very bright and very dark parts of a scene. Cameras (or sensors) with a low dynamic range record dark shadows as a solid black or bright highlights as a featureless white. In the days of film, this was known as a film’s ‘exposure latitude’. […]