Active D-Lighting & Washed Out Photos

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iceisles

New member
I'm familiar with what Active D-Lighting is designed to do but have found the overwhelming majority of my pictures to be "washed out" when this is enabled. This is easily correctable in Lightroom, etc., but I'm wondering if this should be happening? I've done a fair amount of research on the Active D-Lighting feature and it certainly doesn't seem like a gimmicky function; in fact, many articles show side by side pictures demonstrating the before and after improvement. I thought that perhaps setting a -0.7EV compensation while shooting might offset the washed out look, but so far, it really hasn't

My question is, should I not keep this on "Auto", or perhaps even off altogether? If I can get a general idea on how everyone implements Active D-Lighting (of if they don't use it at all), it would definitely be most appreciated. I don't mind making the adjustments in post, but if I can get a perfect shot right off the best, that's absolutely the way to go. Thanks!
 
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gqtuazon

Gear Head
Hello and welcome to the forum. I shoot RAW + jpg and I don't use ADL. I have more control when post processing a RAW file. The jpg portion is what I use to preview the image file once they are transferred to the computer. You can always adjust the contrast on your choice of picture control if that helps.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
iceisles said:
I'm familiar with what Active D-Lighting is designed to do but have found the overwhelming majority of my pictures to be "washed out" when this is enabled. This is easily correctable in Lightroom, etc., but I'm wondering if this should be happening? I've done a fair amount of research on the Active D-Lighting feature and it certainly doesn't seem like a gimmicky function; in fact, many articles show side by side pictures demonstrating the before and after improvement. I thought that perhaps setting a -0.7EV compensation while shooting might offset the washed out look, but so far, it really hasn't

My question is, should I not keep this on "Auto", or perhaps even off altogether? If I can get a general idea on how everyone implements Active D-Lighting (of if they don't use it at all), it would definitely be most appreciated. I don't mind making the adjustments in post, but if I can get a perfect shot right off the best, that's absolutely the way to go. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum

Try shooting the same shot with it on and then off and see which you like better.

If you fill out your profile we can better answer any questions that you might have.
You can do that at http://nikonites.com/profile.php?do=editprofile

Some useful links
Nikon Product Manuals available for download
Nikon | Imaging Products | Digitutor


Thanks
 
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iceisles

New member
Thanks, gqtuazon. I probably should start shooting in RAW for a number of reasons, but until then, perhaps bumping the contrast +1 or +2 in the picture control settings would work? I'm guess that would essentially be making the same adjustment I would normally do once the images are loaded on my computer? There have been enough positive things said about Active D-Lighting with regard to JPEGs that I'm not in a rush to disable it permanently.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I would suggest putting your camera on a tripod and shooting a series of test shots with the only variable being your Active D-Lighting setting. When I shoot .jpg instead of RAW I have ADL set to "Normal" (versus "Auto") personally, and have found that setting seems to work well enough for me; it's a subtle adjustment at that level and that's my preference. To really come to grips with, understand how the ADL setting is going to affect your shots specifically, though, I think you're going to have to run some tests and find out.
 
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pistnbroke

Banned
I shoot thousands of photos every week with the D lighting at max and have no problems.......I shoot inside outside flash low light black people white people No problem ........RAW no no .... 1000 photos in raw to process no chance mate Large basic JPEG for me....
 
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Eye-level

Banned
How do you work with the ADL function Steve? What is your basic protocol? I have never really played with it...what exactly is it doing for you in your pictures? Just gaining you stops or making your snaps pop or what?
 
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pistnbroke

Banned
Frankly I dont have a very good eye when it comes to side by side photo comparisons but I think it lifts the shadows and details the whites ..and with so many wedding dresses and sometimes shots with cross light I cannot avoid I just leave it on at full ....we always shoot 1 stop under and adjust in lightroom .....sharpness +9 contrast -1 iso 100-6400 A at F8 or F11 and off we go .....
 
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Eye-level

Banned
sharpness +9 contrast -1...is that because of the D7000? Would you do the same with a D90/D5000?

I am going to start playing with the ADL...
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Eye-level said:
sharpness +9 contrast -1...is that because of the D7000? Would you do the same with a D90/D5000?

I am going to start playing with the ADL...
Click to expand...

I run the sharpness up on my D5100. I just like the look it gives. As far as contrast I think that depends on your personal shooting likes and dislikes.

Remember that you have 6 or 7 different Picture controls and you can set it different for each one. RAW shooters can just ignore this part of the thread.
 
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Eye-level

Banned
I can manipulate the heck out of image with GIMP which is why I haven't fiddled with many of the in camera controls...guess I have a lot of ground I need to cover...but I am sort of liking the results I am getting straight out of the camera nowadays.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Eye-level said:
I can manipulate the heck out of image with GIMP which is why I haven't fiddled with many of the in camera controls...guess I have a lot of ground I need to cover...but I am sort of liking the results I am getting straight out of the camera nowadays.
Click to expand...

I have tweaked my camera to the point that it gives me a good middle ground to work with in PhotoShop. I generally have to bump the contrast and brightness up or down to get exactly what I want.
 
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Eye-level

Banned
My work flow if you will lately has been using the out of the can jpeg and Windows Photo Gallery (gasp!) to usually boost the contrast, adjust the exposure level, saturate, and warm them up...

Man I am so lazy! LOL
 
SkvLTD

SkvLTD

Senior Member
Haha, lately I only ever play with settings at RAW > 'shop and that takes care of just about everything I could imagine to do w/ a pic.
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
Extending this old thread, if I enable Active D Lighting, the camera requires only one exposure for it to fully apply it each time, right?

I want to ask this because I learned yesterday that if I enable bracketing, I need to press the shutter button three times. I just want to be sure that Active D Lighting does its thing once and independently with each exposure. Thank you.

(As an aside, I wonder if Active D Lighting affects buffer capacity? If the camera must think through Active D application, perhaps it might slow its processing ability a bit?)
 
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