Info Needed: Exposure / Sensors / highlights and shadows

[uberbloke]

I am trying to track down some information I **think** I read here a while back, but my googling/searching skills are letting me down.


It was something along the lines of digital exposure / sensors being linear so that whilst you captured lots of data in the highlights you captured less data in the shadows (lots of bits at the top of the line, not so many at the bottom); and this was a common misconception...


Does this mean anything to anyone?


(Background; I am taking a UK digital photography course (NCFE level 2) and trying to delve further into digital photography; and my garbled memory of the above piqued my interest which is why I am trying to track it down...)

[neuroanatomist]

Don't recall the post you're seeking, but you're talking about dynamic range. For some detailed info, you might look HERE ("http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/digital.sensor.performance.summary/index.html#dynamic_range) or HERE ("http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/dynamic-range.htm).

[Daniel Browning]

It was something along the lines of digital exposure / sensors being linear so that whilst you captured lots of data in the highlights you captured less data in the shadows (lots of bits at the top of the line, not so many at the bottom); and this was a common misconception...


Found it: ISO 1600 vs correcting exposure in photoshop ("/forums/p/1742/13307.aspx#13307)


"The value of ETTR has nothing to do with the linear capture of sensors.
That was a myth made popular by a Luminous Landscape article, where
they said that it results in more levels being used (2048 levels in the
first stop, then 1024, etc.). That's totally wrong and has no benefit
whatsoever because of photon shot noise."

[uberbloke]

I **thought** you had been involved somewhere Daniel, but wasn't sure enough...


That's it, thanks very much!