Hi there Photrio forum,
I've read up on the subject of dynamic range and the limitations of the REC.709 format but have not come across anything which addresses this question directly -
Say I'm filming a scene which presents an arbitrary 18-stops of dynamic range to the camera;
I'm using a typical DSLR with a sensor capable of registering 13-stops of dynamic range;
I use that camera to record video in a REC.709 format H.264 codec, which is limited to displaying 8-bits/stops of dynamic range.
Does the image recorded by the camera a) compress the full 13 stops of information registered by the sensor into the effective 8-stop range of the 8-bit codec, or b) does it just discard any information seen by the sensor which falls outside an 8-stop range of the codec even if the sensor is capable of registering it losslessly?
I'm leaning toward the answer B and that this is why we shoot with a flat curve picture profile to better achieve scenario A; it would be nice if somebody could confirm what's going on?
Thanks, Ben.
I've read up on the subject of dynamic range and the limitations of the REC.709 format but have not come across anything which addresses this question directly -
Say I'm filming a scene which presents an arbitrary 18-stops of dynamic range to the camera;
I'm using a typical DSLR with a sensor capable of registering 13-stops of dynamic range;
I use that camera to record video in a REC.709 format H.264 codec, which is limited to displaying 8-bits/stops of dynamic range.
Does the image recorded by the camera a) compress the full 13 stops of information registered by the sensor into the effective 8-stop range of the 8-bit codec, or b) does it just discard any information seen by the sensor which falls outside an 8-stop range of the codec even if the sensor is capable of registering it losslessly?
I'm leaning toward the answer B and that this is why we shoot with a flat curve picture profile to better achieve scenario A; it would be nice if somebody could confirm what's going on?
Thanks, Ben.