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D3 - caution with ISO 100

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Panopeeper

Guest
I have just seen the proof, that there is no real ISO gain on the D3 for the setting 100 (and probably neither for 125, 140 and 160). When ISO 100 is selected, the effective gain is at ISO 200. The raw data reflects this higher exposure, i.e. the camera does not adjust the raw data (in contrast to the fake high ISOs).

The consequence is, that using ISO 100 with auto metering overexposes the shot by one stop.

The overexposure will be compensated for in raw processing automatically (in ACR as well). However, the compensation won't help on clipping caused by the overexposure.
 

harmsr

Workshop Member
ISO 200 is the lowest real setting on the D3. ISO 6400 is the highest number it shows in the menu selection also. Anything below these 200 or above 6400 is listed a LOW or HIGH .3, .7 etc...

This news doesn't surprise me at all.
 

Lars

Active member
It's no news at all, that's why. Sounds like trolling to me, this guy did the same Nikon-bashing on a D300 thread.

The LO and HI settings on Nikon cameras are purely multiplications factors applied to the lowest/highest gain. The advantage of using HI and LO settings instead of over/underexposure are that you get properly exposed JPEGs, and that the preview/histogram is corrected and properly exposed as well. I believe this is properly documented by Nikon (can't quite remember where I saw it though).

Sure, you lose a stop of overexposure latitude at L1. But you gain on the other end, i.e. you use the same data as at ISO 200 so nothing is really lost. The opposite - adjusting the values in the raw file - would have meant clipping off a bit dynamic range on the low end.

Lars
 
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