Understanding the BLINKING areas

BBear · 05-21-2008, 08:18 AM

Is it normal to use AUTO mode or even under MANUAL mode but accepting the metered values to have highlights/dark areas blinking?

I thought it was pretty weird to take a photo under auto mode and still have blinkies.

How does the blinking work?

TIA!

Jodokast96 · 05-21-2008, 08:23 AM

No matter what the mode, there will always be circumstances where it's impossible to have everything properly exposed.

joefru · 05-21-2008, 08:28 AM

Right. Any time there are a combination of extreme light and extreme darkness, there is no way to expose them both properly. I suppose it would even be possible to have white blinkies and black blinkies in the same image, though I have not encountered it. Well, I guess in that case the auto would compensate on one end (probably the highlights).

Jodokast96 · 05-21-2008, 08:36 AM

I would think it would depend on exactly what metering mode and what you were metering on. Certainly possible

tybeck · 05-21-2008, 12:56 PM

Blinks are intensities outside of the dynamic range of the image sensor (overexposed or underexposed) and thus losing detail. Sometimes it's okay to overexpose. For example I will be willing to lose so sky detail if I'm more interested in the foreground. Prevention? Outside of exposure tweaking their's ND gradient filters (not experience here, but I see them work wonders) and HDR (played with a little, can work well if you plan ahead).

**Canada_Rockies** · 05-21-2008, 07:07 PM

Originally posted by joefru

Right. Any time there are a combination of extreme light and extreme darkness, there is no way to expose them both properly. I suppose it would even be possible to have white blinkies and black blinkies in the same image, though I have not encountered it. Well, I guess in that case the auto would compensate on one end (probably the highlights).

Both will show up under certain back light situations. I don't worry about the yellows, it's the reds that I watch. On tiny, single pixel flashing red seems to be the exposure I prefer. Poor man's ETTR, I guess.

PentaxPoke · 05-21-2008, 07:10 PM

I wonder if the "blinkies" work just on brightness. I guess it would be even better if they went off if any of the RGB channels were saturated.

05-21-2008, 08:18 AM	#1
BBear Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: CT / NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 822	Understanding the BLINKING areas Is it normal to use AUTO mode or even under MANUAL mode but accepting the metered values to have highlights/dark areas blinking? I thought it was pretty weird to take a photo under auto mode and still have blinkies. How does the blinking work? TIA!

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05-21-2008, 08:23 AM	#2
Jodokast96 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Erial, NJ USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,134	No matter what the mode, there will always be circumstances where it's impossible to have everything properly exposed.

05-21-2008, 08:28 AM	#3
joefru Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: South Louisiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 210	Right. Any time there are a combination of extreme light and extreme darkness, there is no way to expose them both properly. I suppose it would even be possible to have white blinkies and black blinkies in the same image, though I have not encountered it. Well, I guess in that case the auto would compensate on one end (probably the highlights).

05-21-2008, 08:36 AM	#4
Jodokast96 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Erial, NJ USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,134	I would think it would depend on exactly what metering mode and what you were metering on. Certainly possible

05-21-2008, 12:56 PM	#5
tybeck Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 452	Blinks are intensities outside of the dynamic range of the image sensor (overexposed or underexposed) and thus losing detail. Sometimes it's okay to overexpose. For example I will be willing to lose so sky detail if I'm more interested in the foreground. Prevention? Outside of exposure tweaking their's ND gradient filters (not experience here, but I see them work wonders) and HDR (played with a little, can work well if you plan ahead).

05-21-2008, 07:07 PM	#6
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by joefru Right. Any time there are a combination of extreme light and extreme darkness, there is no way to expose them both properly. I suppose it would even be possible to have white blinkies and black blinkies in the same image, though I have not encountered it. Well, I guess in that case the auto would compensate on one end (probably the highlights). Both will show up under certain back light situations. I don't worry about the yellows, it's the reds that I watch. On tiny, single pixel flashing red seems to be the exposure I prefer. Poor man's ETTR, I guess.

05-21-2008, 07:10 PM	#7
PentaxPoke Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,411	I wonder if the "blinkies" work just on brightness. I guess it would be even better if they went off if any of the RGB channels were saturated.