EN
10
AUTOMATIC OPTIMIZATION OF DARKER
AREAS
DYNAMIC RANGE
The contrast range of an object comprises all levels of brightness
from the brightest to the darkest point in the image. All levels of
brightness can be captured by the sensor, provided the contrast
range of the object is lower than the dynamic range of the camera.
In case of significant differences of brightness in the object (e.g.
recordings of interior spaces with bright windows in the back-
ground, recordings with subject elements in shadow or directly lit
by the sun, landscapes with dark areas and a very bright sky), the
camera with its limited dynamic range will not be able to map the
entire contrast range of the object. Information in ‘edge areas’ will
be lost (under and overexposure).
Contrast range of a
low-contrast object
Contrast range of a high-contrast object
Dynamic range of the camera
Underexposure
Overexposure
This effect is particularly severe in JPG recordings, as they have a
reduced dynamic range and their creation results in a part of the
image data contained in raw data (DNG) to be permanently lost.
Information specifically in the darker areas will usually be severely
reduced, while the contrast in brighter areas will be better
preserved in comparison. Unlike DNG files, which contain all
image information captured by the sensor, a reworking of JPG files
will not have much effect.