DSLR as lightmeter??

[mandoman7]

I carried a "DSLR" a couple of times, and decided I'd rather carry 2 more lenses, which is about the same weight. If you're only getting out once a month, the meter can be a life saver. If you're shooting every day, you begin to get the sense its telling you something you already know.

[roteague]

Totally. Highlight detail is hardly a strength of transparency film.

While not a great strength Velvia still holds more detail in the hightlights than digital does.

[mandoman7]

Transparency film has a longer tonal range than a good digital camera?

[roteague]

Transparency film has a longer tonal range than a good digital camera?

What I said was that Velvia holds more details in the highlights than digital. I didn't say anything about tonal range.

[Greg Miller]

What I said was that Velvia holds more details in the highlights than digital. I didn't say anything about tonal range.

But most decent digital cameras have much more exposure latitude than Velvia. For example, the D700 has 9 stops of dynamic range (as reported by Thom Hogan). But let's go with 8 to be conservative. Velvia has 5 stops of exposure latitude. So if you shot a D700 and Velvia and expose for the highlights, the D700 will have an extra 3 stops on the shadow end. Even lower end DSLRs have 7 stops of exposure latitude. If you really wanted to protect the highlights, you could lower the D700 exposure by a full stop and still have 2 more stops to pick up shadow detail compared to Velvia. So the idea that Velvia holds more highlight detail doesn't really hold up in the real world. I have never had a situation with any of my DSLRs where I regretted not having Velvia because of loss of highlight detail.

[roteague]

But most decent digital cameras have much more exposure latitude than Velvia.

You missed the whole point. I wasn't speaking about latitude at all. I was addressing one point: there is more detail in the highlights with Velvia than digital.

[Greg Miller]

You missed the whole point. I wasn't speaking about latitude at all. I was addressing one point: there is more detail in the highlights with Velvia than digital.

And you missed my point. Because of the additional exposure latitude, you have the flexibility to expose you highlights where you want them. They don;t have to be pushed to the edge like with Velvia. I shot Velvia for many years. I did not sacrifie highlight detail with digital.

[Drew Bedo]

Did I miss something?

Why not just use a meter?

[Jack Dahlgren]

Did I miss something?

Why not just use a meter?

Looks like you missed the point.
A good number of people new to LF have DSLR's and don't have meters.

[domaz]

And you missed my point. Because of the additional exposure latitude, you have the flexibility to expose you highlights where you want them. They don;t have to be pushed to the edge like with Velvia. I shot Velvia for many years. I did not sacrifie highlight detail with digital.

I think the main problem with the Digital and highlights is it's tendency to clip them to pure white. Film rarely if ever does this so even when you blow the highlights they don't go paper white.