Nikon D70: Histogram

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info,
unless I missed something.

Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should
have all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I
have no idea what to adjust.

Question 1: Is everything I need to know about D70 histograms in the
manual and I'm just missing it or don't understand it?

Question 2: If not, could someone direct me to a source of more info
about D70 histograms?

Any help would be appreciated. My pics aren't bad, but if I could pep
them up a little, I wouldn't mind.

Thanks in advance for your help.

BBFoto

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 21:53:34 GMT, BBFoto <bbfoto2001@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info,
>unless I missed something.
>
>Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
>following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should
>have all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I
>have no idea what to adjust.
>
>Question 1: Is everything I need to know about D70 histograms in the
>manual and I'm just missing it or don't understand it?
>
>Question 2: If not, could someone direct me to a source of more info
>about D70 histograms?
>

Start with a more general overview of histograms.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

There are several book specifically on the D70 and histograms but
don't know if they are any good.

Just google. "D70 histograms"


**********************************************************

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Now that the living outnumber the dead.
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Across an ocean. Down a river of red.
Now that the living outnumber the dead. I'm one of many."

"Speak My Language"
Laurie Anderson from
"Bright Red"

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

BBFoto <bbfoto2001@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info, unless
> I missed something.
>
> Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
> following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should have
> all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I have no
> idea what to adjust.
>
> Question 1: Is everything I need to know about D70 histograms in the
> manual and I'm just missing it or don't understand it?
>
> Question 2: If not, could someone direct me to a source of more info
> about D70 histograms?

It's not specific to the D70, but the topic of histograms isn't specific
to D70s, either:

<http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/histogram.html>

> Any help would be appreciated. My pics aren't bad, but if I could pep
> them up a little, I wouldn't mind.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.

The left-to-right axis of the histogram shows you dark to bright. The
vertical axis shows you amount. So if your picture has lots of bright
pixels, it'll show a spike on the right side. If your picture is dark or
low-key, the spike will be on the left side. You can guess what would
put the spike in the middle.

If you want a dark picture, then a spike on the left side isn't a
problem. Shoot for the image, not the histogram.

(The obvious exception to this is the expose-right technique, which
might require post-processing.)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

BBFoto <bbfoto2001@yahoo.com> writes:

> I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info,
> unless I missed something.
>
> Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
> following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should
> have all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I
> have no idea what to adjust.

What I'm giving here is generic information, not specific to the D70;
I don't have a D70 (I have a Fuji S2). But histograms mean the same
thing on every camera and most bitmap editing programs I've looked at
them on.

The x axis (bottom) of the histogram goes from darkest at the left to
lightest at the right. The y axis of the histogram is a count of
pixels at that brightness; the more pixels, the higher the line.

All the spikes on the left for a normal scene means severe
underexposure. (For a very dark low-key scene it might mean mild
underexposure or even correct exposure, perhaps.) That is, the
histogram doesn't make artistic decisions, it merely summarizes the
information captured in a way many of us find useful. *You* then use
that information to make artistic decisions.

The histogram display in Photoshop or other editing programs is also a
very useful thing to learn how to work with.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd-b@dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/>
RKBA: <http://noguns-nomoney.com/> <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/>
Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/>
Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>

 

[Jim]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"BBFoto" <bbfoto2001@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fclh21dps62ms3abqr85784i5v7hi74tlq@4ax.com...
> I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info,
> unless I missed something.
>
> Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
> following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should
> have all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I
> have no idea what to adjust.
This condition in the histogram indicates that your photos are underexposed.
So, do what one usually does to correct underexposure.
>
> Question 1: Is everything I need to know about D70 histograms in the
> manual and I'm just missing it or don't understand it?
>
> Question 2: If not, could someone direct me to a source of more info
> about D70 histograms?
D70 histograms are just like all others. A histogram shows the distribution
of the light levels in a photograph.
>
> Any help would be appreciated. My pics aren't bad, but if I could pep
> them up a little, I wouldn't mind.
Better exposure would help with the photos.
Jim

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Try here:
http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/guides/digital/histogram_101/index.html

"BBFoto" <bbfoto2001@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fclh21dps62ms3abqr85784i5v7hi74tlq@4ax.com...
>I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info,
> unless I missed something.
>
> Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
> following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should
> have all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I
> have no idea what to adjust.
>
> Question 1: Is everything I need to know about D70 histograms in the
> manual and I'm just missing it or don't understand it?
>
> Question 2: If not, could someone direct me to a source of more info
> about D70 histograms?
>
> Any help would be appreciated. My pics aren't bad, but if I could pep
> them up a little, I wouldn't mind.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> BBFoto
>
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"BBFoto" <bbfoto2001@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fclh21dps62ms3abqr85784i5v7hi74tlq@4ax.com...
> I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info,
> unless I missed something.
>
> Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
> following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should
> have all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I
> have no idea what to adjust.
>
> Question 1: Is everything I need to know about D70 histograms in the
> manual and I'm just missing it or don't understand it?
>
> Question 2: If not, could someone direct me to a source of more info
> about D70 histograms?
>
> Any help would be appreciated. My pics aren't bad, but if I could pep
> them up a little, I wouldn't mind.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> BBFoto


Also I advise you try the setting where blown highlights are shown - just to
learn little.

If histogram is weighted to the L (dark) but you like the picture dark)
leave it alone. If the picture looks dark you can set exposure compensation
to +1 (or what ever number you choose). Some say the D70 underexposes some
to avoid blown highlights - but you can adjust for this if you like.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

BBFoto wrote:

> I just bought a D70. I have read the manual but I need more info,
> unless I missed something.
>
> Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was. But from
> following comments on this NG, I get the impression that it should
> have all the spikes near the middle. All of mine are on the left. I
> have no idea what to adjust.
>
> Question 1: Is everything I need to know about D70 histograms in the
> manual and I'm just missing it or don't understand it?
>
> Question 2: If not, could someone direct me to a source of more info
> about D70 histograms?
>
> Any help would be appreciated. My pics aren't bad, but if I could pep
> them up a little, I wouldn't mind.
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> BBFoto
>
>
>
>
I don't have a D70, nor any familiarity with it. However, it is not
true that a histogram should have all the spikes in the middle. Such an
image would be a very low contrast image. If you want a foggy, low key
image, fine. But if you want an Ansel Adams style image, you want a
broad range- the histogram should have considerable amplitude everywhere
from left to right. The position of the 'spikes' is not really
important, it is the amount of the 'background'. That is, any spikes
should grow out of 'high elevation terrain,' not spikes rising from a
zero level. The later image would be a posterized image.

 

[steve]

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

David Dyer-Bennet wrote:


>>Until I got this camera I didn't know what a histogram was.

Have a look here:

http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

--
Steve

The above can be construed as personal opinion in the absence of a reasonable
belief that it was intended as a statement of fact.

If you want a reply to reach me, remove the SPAMTRAP from the address.