Digital Card latitude

[SaundraU]

So I know that Film by brand had a latitude with it generally being able to underexpose by 2 stops and 5-7 overexposure - do digital cards have something similar?

[Wil_Bloodworth]

Maybe I am misunderstanding this question... but just in case I'm not...

The "digital cards" that store images on them having nothing to do with the actual images themselves. They simply store binary data like your computer does on a hard drive. Technically, these little memory cards are formatted just like hard drives so that when you connect them to your computer, they show up as a hard drive and you can access them just like one.

Now, IF you shoot in RAW, you have more underexposure lattitude than you do if you shoot RAW. I can remember exactly what that latitude is... but it's generally much more than if you shoot directly to JPG.

I know I will be correct if anything I've said above is even slightly off... and that's a good thing!

- Wil

[SaundraU]

Okay, so basically it has more to do with the format then with the card. So then how do you know how to compensate in extremes like you did in film? )ie in the case of Raw).

[Wil_Bloodworth]

Saundra,

When you "open" a RAW file in a "RAW Converter" on your computer, it basically has ALL the data that your camera sensor recorded when you took the photo. You can tell the computer HOW to interpret that data and thus... tell it to add or remove exposure (and a whole host of other details).

Most often (100% of the time), your RAW conversion software has a slider that you drag to the right (to add exposure) or left (to reduce exposure). It's quite simple really. NOTHING compared to dark room film techniques.

- Wil

[SaundraU]

True but the converter only has so much latitude, it can't get back lost details correct so I still need to get it as close in camera as possible right? So say I meter it and the sky is F22 and the shadows are F2 in film F4 or f2.8 would be best because of the latitude - but if digital doesn't have that can I set it anywhere?

[Wil_Bloodworth]

True, the converter only has so much latitude... and I believe it is less than with film... because film recorded more dynamic range than the current sensors. It's always best to get it as close as possible "in camera".

No, you can't set it anywhere. You should still apply the same basic photography principles. Set it the same way you would with film. Don't do anything specifically different just because you're shooting digital. Some may disagree with that but this would be a very lengthy discussion about the differences between shooting film and digital. You could learn the differences more quickly yourself.

One latitude that you have in digital that you didn't really have in film was the ability to change your ISO setting on the fly. In order to do that with film, you had to change your film. So, instead of only having to choose your aperature and shutter speed (once you've loaded your film), you now have the ability to choose your ISO at any time too.

This is a deep topic in general.

- Wil

[SaundraU]

Thanks ParkImaging

[Wil_Bloodworth]

You're welcome.