[mccririck]

I find it really hard to "expose to the right" when there is high dynamic range in the shot, as the highlight blinkies go on very easily and I often have to dial down the exposure.

One thing I have noticed is even when the highlight blinkies go on, the historam might not show that there is overexposure. So without using the blinkies (ie when you dont switch to EVF mode) how are you supposed to get your exposure right?

[MetalUndivided]

What camera are you using? My K-70 sure shows me blown highlights with a red spike on the right end of the histogram.
-----EDIT-----
Just noticed it's in the K-70 branch.
Try going to Settings --> Photo 5 --> Instant Review
There set the display time you're comfortable with, check "Histogram Display" and "Highlight Alert". Now whenever you take a picture, it should pop up on the back of your screen with histogram and blinkies.
If you want to have them in playback some time after, press INFO whilst in playback mode and choose "Histogram Display". To turn the blinkies on, press Menu in playback mode --> LCD Display --> check "Highlight alert".

[biz-engineer]

One thing I have noticed is even when the highlight blinkies go on, the historam might not show that there is overexposure.

That's right. DoF preview in Live View mode (experience with K1), JPEG style = natural, give you the histogram that your image will have after exposure.

So without using the blinkies (ie when you dont switch to EVF mode) how are you supposed to get your exposure right?

Without using live view (or EVF), set the auto-exposure mode to sport metering, set exposure compensation to +2ev, point the center of the frame to the brightest part in your composition, press AE-L, recompose and press the shutter. This will give you a raw image exposed to the right without highlight clipping.

[RonHendriks1966]

You could turn on highlight protection.

[biz-engineer]

You could turn on highlight protection.

That also works well. Requires ISO set to auto.

[SteveinSLC]

Expose to the right is one of those rules that I pay less attention to these days. If you have one of the newer bodies(K-1, KP, K-70), the ability to recover detail from shadows in post is much better than the ability to save blown highlights. So I almost always go the opposite way and slightly underexpose.

[normhead]

Expose to the right is one of those rules that I pay less attention to these days. If you have one of the newer bodies(K-1, KP, K-70), the ability to recover detail from shadows in post is much better than the ability to save blown highlights. So I almost always go the opposite way and slightly underexpose.

Especially smart since you can be over exposed and it may not show in the histogram, so I always show a small cushion to the right when I can. Also like film, slightly under exposed leads to better contrast, slightly underexposed leads to low contrast flat images. Since I have always favoured higher contrast, I've away slightly under exposed, even going back to film.

[mccririck]

Expose to the right is one of those rules that I pay less attention to these days. If you have one of the newer bodies(K-1, KP, K-70), the ability to recover detail from shadows in post is much better than the ability to save blown highlights. So I almost always go the opposite way and slightly underexpose.

But shadows will always have less detail because of the way sensors work. Exposing to the right and then correcting in post will always give you more shadow detail.

[biz-engineer]

But shadows will always have less detail because of the way sensors work. Exposing to the right and then correcting in post will always give you more shadow detail.

That supposes working at base ISO, ISO100 or so. At ISO200 there is already 1 stop additional headroom at the right of the histogram. That said, I've been wondering why digital camera don't have an ETTR exposure mode where the exposure time is just the time needed to reach the max of the sensor, and then level back the file to recenter the histogram, that would be cool , especially when on tripod.

[normhead]

But shadows will always have less detail because of the way sensors work. Exposing to the right and then correcting in post will always give you more shadow detail.

A lot of images don't use more than about 7 or 8 of the 13 EV dynamic range. Exposing to the right will kill the contrast. As long as you have your shadow detail covered, you don't need to be to the right. Just don't be off the left side.

Detail will not be affected, colour depth will, as long as you have enough colour depth to maintain accurate colour, you are fine exposing a smidge off the left. Leave as much of the histogram as you want to the right.

[biz-engineer]

I've been exposing to the right using spot meter. But the problem is, when the dynamic range exceed the sensor capability exposing to the right isn't the best exposure if the high light area of the frame contains no detail. And so, actually, matrix metering often give better overall result than avoiding blown pixels and pulling shadow details. Unfortunately, the dynamic ranges found in nature can exceed sensor dynamic range and if it is so, then the only solution is to capture multiple frames and merge them into some kind of HDR image.

[reh321]

'Blinkies' and histograms are based on what a JPEG will show. The photographers I know of who talk most about ETTR become very familiar with their cameras, and almost don't need a light-meter to guide their decision-making.

[SteveinSLC]

But shadows will always have less detail because of the way sensors work. Exposing to the right and then correcting in post will always give you more shadow detail.

I can only cite my personal experience with the K-1, KP and Lightroom. I have better results in post with those two bodies for high dynamic range photos(i.e. sunrises or sunsets) when underexposing than over. You probably will get more shadow detail with ETTR, but you'll also have more blown highlights that in my experience, can't be completely fixed in LR.

[normhead]

I can only cite my personal experience with the K-1, KP and Lightroom. I have better results in post with those two bodies for high dynamic range photos(i.e. sunrises or sunsets) when underexposing than over. You probably will get more shadow detail with ETTR, but you'll also have more blown highlights that in my experience, can't be completely fixed in LR.

Exactly...


There are few places in the image that are blown out , I'm -1 EV on my exposure, I've managed to maintain shadow detail, I have a few blown highlights, but they are small enough to look natural. I'm looking for the exposure that fits that criteria. How does it look. Exposing to the left or right really has nothing to do with it. I bracket and pick the best, which in this case saved shadow detail by not eliminating all blown highlights, but finding the right amount of blown highlights. I could have had less shadow detail and completely eliminated any blown highlights, but it looks more natural because I didn't do that. I was concerned about the left side of the curve more than the right. But, bracketing, I just pick the best image. I have no need to be involved in any ideology one way or the other. But what I do comes closest to keeping the left side of the curve where I want it.

[mccririck]

I can only cite my personal experience with the K-1, KP and Lightroom. I have better results in post with those two bodies for high dynamic range photos(i.e. sunrises or sunsets) when underexposing than over. You probably will get more shadow detail with ETTR, but you'll also have more blown highlights that in my experience, can't be completely fixed in LR.

Exposing to the right does not mean blowing the highlights! If you're blowing the highlights you're going too far!