Raw histogram and why does it matter

... and it's not a contradiction to do both; it can just be the skill of re-arranging priorities for different situations. I shoot 98% of my photos with M and auto-ISO, with no "EC" (ISO setting bias, in this case). That's because most of what I shoot can instantly change from shade to sun and back again where it is plenty of work just keeping the subject in the viewfinder. As I mentioned in another post, it can really make small pixels much more sharpenable (without adding too much high-frequency noise) when you expose base ISO for something 25% to 50% of the nominal ISO value, when subject highlights permit. With 3.2 micron pixels, I find ISO 32 exposures much easier to sharpen than ISO 100 exposures, as these numbers fall on a steep practical tradeoff gradient.

You can't use these things all the time, but it's good to know that they exist, and good to recognize when they will be of assistance.

Perhaps you could edit your original post and add a PS that explains that this has already been addressed. Otherwise, people in 5 years will still be replying to that post when they find this thread.

I turned off the settings and it made no difference. also could you explain to everyone what the value EV"0" as no one seems to know 🙄

No one? You asked that before, and I said it's three stops down from clipping.

Could you please post or e-mail us the screenshots of the preferences pages and of the export dialogue. support@rawdigger.com

We have it in the manual, page 26:
"The zero is located at the level that is 3 stops (8 times) lower than the maximum pixel value rounded up (ceiling) to the nearest power of 2. For example, if the maximum value of all pixels in the photo is 3000, then the nearest power of two greater than this value is 4096 and the EV0 value for this photo will be automatically set to level 512."

-3EV down from saturation is about 12.7%.

Further, page 51, referring to RawDigger Preferences - Histograms, adds:
"Set Histogram EV0 by – sets the choice of the maximum value that is used for automatic calculation of midpoint (EV0). EV0 is calculated as 3 stops below the chosen maximum:
• Current frame data – maximum value found in the currently opened frame is used.
• Camera data range – maximum value is determined by the raw data bit width (theoretically possible range). (Some cameras will not use the whole range; for some cameras the range changes with the change of ISO speed setting)."

You can set EV0 to your liking right in the histogram view, under "Show EV grid".

Jim
I think that was me
Sherm

please take this image and process it 3 stops higher exposure please and post the reasult

1drv.ms/i/s!ArStsPjQ301PmQmy3Ml4nYHRCcEq?e=E4TrGy

so are you saying my image is 3 stops underexposed ? is that correct !

so this image is 3 stops underexposed 🤣😂🤣

EV0 isn't the highlights, it's midtone in raw. It is the supposed sensor midtone calibration, 12.7% of the full exposure. Full exposure is 100%, or, in this case, +3EV.
If one sets midtone calibration to 18%, as it was, say, with Nikon D2X, full exposure is close to +2.5EV
The image you've sent us reaches close to +3EV in the green channel at ISO 320. Base ISO is 100, so the possible exposure given you are using the base ISO is about 1 2/3 EV higher.

thank you im glad my image is very well exposed.
i just did a test shoot in my studio at iso 100 and 320 and found your findings do not match up with my camera settings ,their is no way setting iso 100 is getting 1/2/3 highlight head room or recording more information. even setting exposure 1/3 stop higher at iso 100 is clipping a white dress.

I meter with digital the same as with film, and have never had occasion to look at a histogram.

exposure or metering ?! if you spot meter @ ISO100 and @ ISO320 off white dress you still most probably need to dial the same exposure compensation (might be camera model specific exceptions) - but total exposure (aperture x exposure time) with ISO100 will be more ( again unless your camera model is not common )

thank you thank thank you. it all makes sense now. i understand expactly how you have set the program up. I have learnt a lot from this thread and was going round and round in circules with everyone elses posts, but you have discribed it very well.
cheers Don
i will not delete the program now and continue to experiment with its options.

studio strobes sony a74

Hmm, what exactly are 'the rules' for qualifying as an artist then? ... and who exactly approved them? 😜

I would suggest that if you can produce photos/images that other people are willing to pay for that qualifies you as an artist. All the same design principles that apply to other forms of art also apply to photos/images.

I'm having flashbacks to the arguments we had in art school over whether or not Andy Warhol was a 'true' artist.

I didn't say that, sorry.

Headroom at ISO 100 will appear if the exposure (light, aperture, shutter speed) are the same as you used at ISO 320.

I totally understand that, but im shooting live with multiple 24 inch monitors to a crowd and clients and need the images to be as close as posable to being perfectly exposed. but thanks for the other info setting that "0" is middle grey is all i needed to know
cheers Don