 Olympus E-10 contrast control  Index Publications
Outline I produced this page in order to illustrate the effect of the in camera contrast setting and secondarily to determine the approximate available dynamic range of my Olympus Camedia E-10 digital camera when capturing images under full sunlight. Method The three test images were captured, the first was made with the cameras contrast adjustment set to low, the next with it set to medium and the last with it set to high. All the images were captured within a minute under a clear sky in full sunlight. The Olympus Camedia E-10 was fixed to a tripod, its exposure mode was set to auto-program, metering mode was set to ESP (similar to a full field matrix meter), the cameras colour temperature was pre-set to 5500 DegK and the output files were saved as 24bit JPEG files with embedded sRGB colour profile. The three image files directly below were not subjected to any post processing which would alter colour, gamma or level. Shortly after the images were captured I recorded EV at several key highlight and shadow areas of the scene with my I used my Minolta Spotmeter F for reference. Sample images Clicking on a thumbnail will yield a magnified view, use your browser back button to return to this page. The graph and dialogue displayed below each test image is a copy of the Adobe Photoshop density historgram for each image file.
Image optimisation The images below display the effect of limited post processing as applied to the low contrast image using Adobe Photoshop. Firstly the levels of the image were adjusted to maximise the histogram spread, secondly curves were applied in order to increase shadow detail and overall brightness whilst maintaining highlight detail and colour accuracy.
If you would like to learn a little more about histograms then check this Luminous Landscape link http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-histograms.shtml Conclusion: The low contrast setting on the E-10 allows images to be captured with near optimal saturation at the black and white points of a bright sunlit scene. My spot-meter registered a range of 7 stops between the trunk of the left most tree and the white clothing so since the image histogram shows no saturation we can assume that the E-10 can capture a dynamic range of approximately 7 stops. Disclaimers and other information The text contained in this document represents my opinions only, and as such I will not be held liable for detrimental consequences that arise from the application of any information within or relating to this document. All references to trade marks and or trade names are acknowledged as belonging to their respective owners. Digital Image Studio or its associates are in no way associated with the owners of the trade names Photoshop or Adobe. This complete document may be copied, re-posted, linked-to or used within other publications providing that permission from the author is sought and granted and that there exists a visible reference to Rob Studdert as author in any referring text. I am not a camera technician nor do I represent Pentax or their affiliates. Rob Studdert Design & Copyright © - Digital Image Studio 1998 |
