Histogram

[DarkHorse]

would someone show me what a good and bad histrogram would look like
on the back of the camera when im out takeing pics??

ive got the XTi and im trying to figure out how to find good settings,

i read a blurb about using the histrogram on the pic to get a good shot
but still dont understand it, then lost the webpage,grrrr

thanks
john

[Concisus Cognatus]

This site may be useful in your quest to understand histograms:

http://luminous-landscape.com/tutori...stograms.shtml

[Duffy Pratt]

a bad histogram would look like either:

_________l or

l_________ or

l_________l or

__________


Anything with some information in the middle might be fine, depending on the subject.

BTW, I'm not even sure if the last histogram is possible. And the third one might actually be the desired effect, for an extreme high contrast shot. So, let's say the first two are really bad.... Doh!

Really, all the histogram does is show the distribution of brightness accross the available levels. The histogram for a white fox in a snow field should look alot different than the histogram of a fireworks display. Having said that, you typically don't want spikes at either end of the histogram. If the you can fit the entire frame within the middle of the histogram, that is usually considered better practice.

And if that is possible, it is generally preferable to push the histogram info as far to the right while still keeping the right end at the bottom. Digital cameras record more data in highlights than in shadows. Thus if you can push the exposure towards overexposure, without blowing the highlights, you will have more information captured, and more room to work in post processing.

Hope this helps some.

Duffy

[DarkHorse]

thanks, between this and reading the link i was given i kinda understand it,
i braket most of my shots, both ways, anyways,

johnp

[z-monster]

Gotta keep in mind that the histogram will never lie. IMO, I really don't view a histogram being good nor bad histogram anymore.

Perhaps you desire a shot that has blown highlights or an over exposed shot. Maybe an under exposed shot, either way, the histogram will tell you if you achieved the desired effect you wanted in your shot.

Just my .02

[David_3]

Here is how Neil (of Planet Neil) uses the histogram.