Histogram Display

A reminder if you are shooting in raw that the histogram is based on the embedded jpeg and not the raw image itself. Thus, depending on your picturestyle setting, the histogram may show clipping taking place even if the raw exposure is not clipped. This is why many people who shoot raw use the neutral picturestyle setting. I go even further and use a custom setting that is basically the neutral style but with the contrast set as low as possible. This allows the histogram of the embedded jpeg to more accurately reflect the raw file.

Primed to Zoom wrote in post #4012396
A reminder if you are shooting in raw that the histogram is based on the embedded jpeg and not the raw image itself. Thus, depending on your picturestyle setting, the histogram may show clipping taking place even if the raw exposure is not clipped. This is why many people who shoot raw use the neutral picturestyle setting. I go even further and use a custom setting that is basically the neutral style but with the contrast set as low as possible. This allows the histogram of the embedded jpeg to more accurately reflect the raw file.

Very good point,*goes off to check picture style*
In neutral

Mark Kemp wrote in post #4011476
RGB histogram is more info, since when is more info a bad thing ?

This is not exactly accurate. You can certainly have one channel clipping and still be well within the overall exposure range. For example, you might have a really bright saturated red automobile that appears to be clipping in the red, but the green and blue are well within range. It may be a tone of red that can't be reached unless the red histogram is virtually off the charts. Of course there will be less detail in that channel, but the blue and green channel may carry enough detail to save you. It can be very tricky using this 3 channel histogram, but can still be useful if you know how to use the information.

My point is simply that unless you REALLY know how to read the 3 channel histogram, it is much more useful for the majority of shooters to use the luminance histogram.

Bob

Primed to Zoom wrote in post #4012396
A reminder if you are shooting in raw that the histogram is based on the embedded jpeg and not the raw image itself. Thus, depending on your picturestyle setting, the histogram may show clipping taking place even if the raw exposure is not clipped. This is why many people who shoot raw use the neutral picturestyle setting. I go even further and use a custom setting that is basically the neutral style but with the contrast set as low as possible. This allows the histogram of the embedded jpeg to more accurately reflect the raw file.

To further clarify this point, the histogram represents what you'd get if you allowed the camera to process the image as a jpg using the cameras current settings. It is essentially accurate, even as it applies to the RAW image, if no other changes are made in CR. But of course the histogram will change drastically as you tweak the image further in CR.

PacAce wrote in post #4012225
I forget if it's on the 30D or the 1D (or both) but I do get blinkies of blown areas even when the LCD is in full display mode.

On my 30D I get the blinkies on the small display along with the histograms, but not on the full display.

Would anyone please confirm if the latter can be set on the 30D too?
Thanks.

Thanks to everyone reply !!!! I was relying on the LCD which showed my images were actually a little overexposed. After the import they looked underexposed slightly. I belive the historgram is going to help me a LOT !!!!

Thanks again !!

scorpio_e wrote in post #4012998
Thanks to everyone reply !!!! I was relying on the LCD which showed my images were actually a little overexposed. After the import they looked underexposed slightly. I belive the historgram is going to help me a LOT !!!!

Thanks again !!

You are absolutely right. Whenever I look only at the LCD on my 5D, I'm am completely amazed that they are not overexposed. I think this is universally true, at least with Canon's. But if the histogram is not jammed up against either side, you're okay.