Editing Dynamic range (section)

== Photography ==
{{multiple image|align=right|total_width=400|image1=Central Park New York May 2015 007 original.jpg|image2=Central Park New York May 2015 007.jpg|footer=A scene demanding high dynamic range, taken with the [[Nikon D7000]] digital camera, capable of 13.9 stops of dynamic range per [[DxOMark]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Nikon/D7000 | title=Nikon D7000 : Tests and Reviews | publisher=[[DxO Labs]] | access-date=December 30, 2017 }}</ref> The unedited version of the digital photo is to the left, while the shadows have been [[push processing|pushed]] heavily in [[Photoshop]] to produce the final image on the right. The better the dynamic range of the camera, the more an exposure can be pushed without significantly increasing [[image noise|noise]].}}

[[Photography|Photographer]]s use ''dynamic range'' to describe the [[luminance]] range of a scene being photographed, or the limits of luminance range that a given [[digital camera]] or [[photographic film|film]] can capture,<ref>{{cite book | title = High Dynamic Range Video | author1 = Karol Myszkowski | author2 = Rafal Mantiuk | author3 = Grzegorz Krawczyk | publisher = Morgan & Claypool Publishers | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-1-59829-214-5 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PVPggnBIC-wC&q=photography+luminance+dynamic-range+film&pg=PA15 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140108014216/http://books.google.com/books?id=PVPggnBIC-wC&pg=PA15&dq=photography+luminance+dynamic-range+film#PPA16,M1 | archive-date = 2014-01-08 }}</ref> or the [[opacity]] range of developed film images, or the [[reflectance]] range of images on photographic papers.

The dynamic range of [[digital photography]] is comparable to the capabilities of [[photographic film]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://petapixel.com/2015/05/26/film-vs-digital-a-comparison-of-the-advantages-and-disadvantages/ |title=Film vs. Digital: A Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages |author=Michael Archambault |date=2015-05-26 |access-date=2016-07-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617102152/http://petapixel.com/2015/05/26/film-vs-digital-a-comparison-of-the-advantages-and-disadvantages/ |archive-date=2016-06-17 }}</ref> and both are comparable to the capabilities of the human eye.<ref name=cambridge>{{cite web |url=http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/cameras-vs-human-eye.htm |title=Dynamic Range in Digital Photography |publisher=PetaPixel |access-date=2016-07-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708040146/http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/cameras-vs-human-eye.htm |archive-date=2016-07-08 }}</ref>

There are photographic techniques that support even higher dynamic range. 
*[[Graduated neutral density filter]]s are used to decrease the dynamic range of scene luminance that can be captured on [[photographic film]] (or on the [[image sensor]] of a [[digital camera]]): The filter is positioned in front of the lens at the time the exposure is made; the top half is dark and the bottom half is clear. The dark area is placed over a scene's high-intensity region, such as the sky. The result is more even exposure in the focal plane, with increased detail in the shadows and low-light areas. Though this does not increase the fixed dynamic range available at the film or sensor, it stretches usable dynamic range in practice.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Magic of Digital Nature Photography | author = Rob Sheppard | publisher = Sterling Publishing Company | year = 2006 | isbn = 978-1-57990-773-0 | url =  https://books.google.com/books?id=P39ysk_UwZcC&q=graduated+neutral+density+filter+digital+image+sensor&pg=PA70}}</ref>
*[[High-dynamic-range imaging]] overcomes the limited dynamic range of the sensor by selectively combining multiple exposures of the same scene in order to retain detail in light and dark areas. [[Tone mapping]] maps the image differently in shadow and highlights in order to better distribute the lighting range across the image. The same approach has been used in chemical photography to capture an extremely wide dynamic range: A three-layer film with each underlying layer at one hundredth (10<sup>−2</sup>) the sensitivity of the next higher one has, for example, been used to record nuclear-weapons tests.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/mctl98-2/p2sec05.pdf ''The Militarily Critical Technologies List''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615151105/http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/mctl98-2/p2sec05.pdf |date=2010-06-15 }} (1998), pages II-5-100 and II-5-107.</ref>

Consumer-grade [[image file format]]s sometimes restrict dynamic range.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slrlounge.com/workshop/dynamic-range-and-raw-vs-jpeg/ |title=RAW vs. JPEG Overview |access-date=2016-07-14 |publisher=SLR Lounge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817061358/https://www.slrlounge.com/workshop/dynamic-range-and-raw-vs-jpeg/ |archive-date=2016-08-17 }}</ref> The most severe dynamic-range limitation in photography may not involve encoding, but rather reproduction to, say, a paper print or computer screen. In that case, not only local tone mapping but also ''dynamic range adjustment'' can be effective in revealing detail throughout light and dark areas: The principle is the same as that of [[dodging and burning]] (using different lengths of exposures in different areas when making a photographic print) in the chemical darkroom. The principle is also similar to gain riding or automatic level control in audio work, which serves to keep a signal audible in a noisy listening environment and to avoid peak levels that overload the reproducing equipment, or which are unnaturally or uncomfortably loud.

If a camera sensor is incapable of recording the full dynamic range of a scene, [[high-dynamic-range imaging|high-dynamic-range]] (HDR) techniques may be used in postprocessing, which generally involve combining multiple exposures using software.

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Dynamic ranges of common devices
|-
! scope="col" | Device
! scope="col" | Stops
! scope="col" | [[Contrast ratio]]
|-
! scope="row" | Glossy photograph paper 
| 7 (7–{{frac|7|2|3}})<ref name="rogerandfrances"/>
| 128:1 
|-
! scope="row" | LCD
| 9.5 (9–11)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/work-life/high-dynamic-range-the-quest-for-greater-image-realism/ |author=Terry Relph-Knight |date=July 16, 2018 |title=High Dynamic Range: The quest for greater image realism |publisher=ZD Net |access-date=2022-12-25}}</ref>
| 700:1 (500:1{{snd}}2000:1)
|-
! scope="row" | Typical cellphone camera
| ~10<ref name="CellStops">{{cite web |url=https://luminous-landscape.com/of-phones-pixels-and-photons-why-a-100-mp-cell-phone-is-not-a-gfx-100/ |title=Of Phones, Pixels and Photons – why a 100 mp cell phone is not a GFX 100 - Luminous Landscape |date=2021-04-27}}</ref>{{fv |reason=Source talks about a 108 MP phone and claims it is not useful. Makes some statements about useful resolution for phones but what we really need is a survey and summary of current phone capabilities. LMK if I've missed something.|date=April 2023}}
| varies
|-
! scope="row" | Negative film ([[List of motion picture film stocks#VISION3 color negative (ECN-2 process 2007–present)|Kodak VISION3]])
| 13<ref name="Kodak v3"/>
| 8000:1
|-
! scope="row" | Human eye
| 10–14<ref name=cambridge/>
| 1000:1{{snd}}{{val|16000}}:1
|-
! scope="row" | [[OLED]] or [[Quantum dot display|quantum dot]]
| 13.2-20.9<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archivalworks.com/blog/hdr-nits-are-a-lie-embrace-the-stop |title=HDR Nits are a Lie: It's Time to Embrace the Stop |author=Brian Wagner |date=July 2, 2020 |access-date=2022-12-25}}{{sps|date=December 2022}}</ref>
| 9500:1{{snd}}{{val|2000000}}:1
|-
! scope="row" | High-end DSLR camera ([[Nikon D850]])
| 14.8<ref name=DXOMark/>
| {{val|28500}}:1 <!-- Calculated from formula: Contrast Ratio = 2^(Dynamic Range) -->
|-
! scope="row" | Digital cinema camera ([[Red Digital Cinema Camera Company|Red Weapon 8k]])
| >&nbsp;16.5<ref name="Red8k">{{cite web |url=https://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/RED-Helium-8K-DxOMark-Sensor-Score-108-A-new-all-time-high-score2 |title=Red Weapon 8k Rating by DxOMark |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619041130/https://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/RED-Helium-8K-DxOMark-Sensor-Score-108-A-new-all-time-high-score2 |archive-date=2017-06-19 |date=2017-01-10}}</ref>
| {{val|92000}}:1
|}