Just a Simple Question About Dynamic Range

If you want to test your theory, you could shoot a series of shots from clearly underexposed on up at 1/3 stop intervals and then compare the RAW histograms to see where red/yellow clipping occurs in the exposure sequence. That should tell you if it's an exposure issue or color gamut issue (I think).

What we photographers need is a new, less saturated sunflower strain.

Anyone with connections at Monsanto?

KenjiS wrote in post #15046275
Correct me if im wrong but if its a gamut problem then wouldnt the only way to really correct it be to record more color data (IE to go from 14bit to 16bit RAWs?)

I don't think that would help. Gamut size depends on color space used, not on the number of bits of color depth. More bits will only increase the number of available color shades within the given gamut.

try desaurating the image all the way to a black and white image in your RAW editor and see if the details become visible. If they do, then use prophoto colourspace. If they dont then you will have to reduce exposure.

boerewors wrote in post #15046784
try desaurating the image all the way to a black and white image in your RAW editor and see if the details become visible. If they do, then use prophoto colourspace. If they dont then you will have to reduce exposure.

I just double checked and im using Prophoto RGB as my colorspace in lightroom already...

Good idea though on desaturating

As others have said, this is a very common issue. Both my 40D and my 50D completely blow out red flowers. Yellow not so much, but that might just be due to my inherent technique possibly being in step with the electronics / programming, not due to any conscious avoidance of the problem.

Not directly related to the OP, but worth mentioning here.

There is one more thing that contributes to problems with pure red (and pure blue) subjects, like flowers: only 25% available pixels carry image-forming data, therefore such subjects also need additional local sharpening (if you were successful at keeping detail at all).

Lowner wrote in post #15045052
Sorry, but thats the lab test nonsense Canon and others have been pushing and it really is just that - total nonsense. The truth is 5 stops or so, no more. I've tested my 30D and 5D2 and can get no more from them. Give me a real 11 or 12 stops DR and I'd be in seventh heaven.

Yes it is but if the 7D only has 5 stops of real life DR then so does the mkIII, all scores being scientifically tested should mean 2 cameras with the same score will have the same score be it real life or not.

That being said the 7D struggles with reds.

Neilyb wrote in post #15048655
Yes it is but if the 7D only has 5 stops of real life DR then so does the mkIII, all scores being scientifically tested should mean 2 cameras with the same score will have the same score be it real life or not.

That being said the 7D struggles with reds.

I honestly tested my 5DII alongside a pro tog who uses the same camera, we both agree that 5 stops is all we see.

Its an easy thing to check, we simply used shadow and highlights and used what the spot meter said to select the right nuetral grad filters to get a mid tone. Thats why I call foul on Canons (and all the others) lab methods, which do NOT stand up in real life. I would love 11 stops, but have never seen anything near it.

Lowner wrote in post #15048670
I honestly tested my 5DII alongside a pro tog who uses the same camera, we both agree that 5 stops is all we see.

Its an easy thing to check, we simply used shadow and highlights and used what the spot meter said to select the right nuetral grad filters to get a mid tone. Thats why I call foul on Canons (and all the others) lab methods, which do NOT stand up in real life. I would love 11 stops, but have never seen anything near it.

That, Richard, is errant nonsense. Do you think that in this image the range from the sunlit foam to the dark grey stones in the shade is 5 stops?

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Elie,

I normally bow to your better knowledge, but not over this. Thats simply you trying to bamboozle me with science my friend! Which is exactly what Canon would do if challenged.

When I can bring either the darkest shadow or a blown out highlight to a mid tone with at the most a 3 stop ND filter in the field, I think thats pretty conclusive. The day I need a 5 or 6 stop filter to do that is the day I start believing Canons nonsense.

I don't understand. How do you use an ND filter to turn the darkest shadow into a midtone? It must be a magic brightening filter. Bad news for the flash manufacturers.

Why are you messing around with ND filters? Spot meter your subject - if the meter reads f/8 and 1second for the darkest shadow and f/8 and 1/1000 for the brightest highlight, that is a 10 stop spread. Shoot at f/8 and 1/160, because medium grey (what the spot meter showed) is three stops below clipping so 1/160 should bring that highlight in just short of clipping. If the Raw histogram (not the jpg histogram on the back of the camera) shows data down to 7 stops below medium, you have captured the 10 stops.

Maybe your signature should be "Don't confuse me with facts."

agedbriar wrote in post #15046335
What we photographers need is a new, less saturated sunflower strain.

Anyone with connections at Monsanto?

They're too busy working on the man-eating corn hybrid.

tzalman wrote in post #15049382
I don't understand. How do you use an ND filter to turn the darkest shadow into a midtone? It must be a magic brightening filter. Bad news for the flash manufacturers.

Why are you messing around with ND filters? Spot meter your subject - if the meter reads f/8 and 1second for the darkest shadow and f/8 and 1/1000 for the brightest highlight, that is a 10 stop spread. Shoot at f/8 and 1/160, because medium grey (what the spot meter showed) is three stops below clipping so 1/160 should bring that highlight in just short of clipping. If the Raw histogram (not the jpg histogram on the back of the camera) shows data down to 7 stops below medium, you have captured the 10 stops.

Maybe your signature should be "Don't confuse me with facts."

You are talking about the actual DR of a scene. Thats got nothing at all to do with the the DR that the camera captures. And you and I both know how to manipulate captured tones in camera so don't get cute.

You have shown me an image that looks VERY low contrast. Thats NOT high DR to me.

Your last comment is unworthy of you. But I will admit that I am absolutely certain that my 5DII captures no more than 5 stops. A proper 11 or 12 stop range would be massive, an amazing image to see and if Canon are claiming that they have sensors capable of that, then you need to show me one. Because I've not seen one yet - EVER.

Some interesting tips on photographing bold colors, specifically yellow, at http://www.slrphotogra​phyguide.com/tips/vivi​d-colors.shtml