Highlight Tone Priority?

Is anyone using the "Highlight Tone Priority" on the 40D?

Is there any real advantage to using it?

I've enabled it now and again but can't see much of a discernible effect at all! Then again I haven't really sat down and done any proper tests of it.

I'm interested to see what others think about this!

The disadvantage is the loss of 100 and 3200 ISO.

I have a 1D MkIII and use this when shooting towards "brighter light" it certainly helps to keep detail in the highlights and shadows.

My advice is that you take a few test shots with either setting of this kind of shot and compare the two next to each other.

By using this setting the lowest ISO defaults to ISO 200, not a major problem with the 40D and 1D MkIII.

Interested also in other users on this issue also

Chris Gill

From what I've seen it only benefits its use if shooting JPEG.

Read this testing of HTP

Tsmith wrote in post #5601412
From what I've seen it only benefits its use if shooting JPEG.

Read this testing of HTP

I am in the market for a new body, of which the Mark III was my choice. But it seems like there are quite a lot of issues with it. And like you stated, a majority of the vast improvements to it's capabilities seem to favor jpeg shooters and not RAW, which is what I shoot in. Kinda disappointed with the new body.

Also from what it sounds like, iso 50 and 100 are not accessible when shooting in the Highlight Tone Priority?

I have a 1-D Mark II without it, and a 40D with it. If you shoot a lot of high contrast light outdoor photography, like I do, and enough flash work indoors, like wedding stuff with white gown and dark suits and backgrounds, you'll really enjoy and respect this feature! It makes me pick up the 40D when I should be using the other body. You'll forget your at ISO 200, because post processing time drops not having to mess with highlight recovery.

The real difficulty is in post processing for RAW shooters using a non-Canon converter. If you use Highlight Tone Priority, you just have to use a Canon RAW converter instead of Brand XX for that workflow on that day.

If you need and benefit from the feature, it's worth it. If you don't, you don't. Don't ask us, evaluate how much extreme contrast photography you do, like light bird feathers on dark water on a bright sunny day, snow against trees, etc.

It does NOT help for true specular highlights, like insect wing reflections, reflections off car chrome, etc. A specular reflection is real, and belongs in the photo. It's not the same as an over-exposed wedding gown in a dark setting.

That's my take. I like it. Makes me want a 1-D Mark III (for that and other features).
Jack

In my experience, HTP does work on the 1D MarkIII in RAW.

On the 40D however I can't say as I have yet to accurately test it.

Too many web-tests and not enough shooting experiences in most of the threads about HTP. Thanks for the heads up J. Rabin.

Well if you use and it works for you that's all that matters. I don't and don't the Canon software either other than the basic stuff. I've tried it both ways in JPEG or RAW with DPP and ACR and see absolutely no distinguishing proof that its providing a wider dynamic range while having to give up ISO 100.