D-lighting when shooting RAW?

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Gil
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I'm finding in Africa particularly with the bright conditions - when I take portraits without flash - the subject is far darker than the background and when shooting Matrix Metering I end up with photos of people with descernable features lost in shadow. I'm shooting RAW so normally I would just lift the shadows and exposure to get the desired result in PP. My question is should I be using D-lighting or is that more a feature for jpg shooters who want the desired result upon shooting with no PP? I'm wondering if applying D-lighting reduces the ability to make selective changes later by 'flattening' the dynamics of the image? I would imagine for landscapes you would have D-lighting always off when shooting RAW for that reason.
 
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D-lighting will affect how the meter responds but its affect will mainly be seen on jpeg (e.g. rear lcd) ... can you not use fill flash?
 
Fill flash, or either spot metering, exposure compensation or manually expose?
 
Would you be better off spot metering for the face if it's a portrait and the backgrounds not important?

Using spot metering would completely blow out the background, matrix metering would be my choice with some + exposure compensation to get something in-between with the rest performed in PP controlling the shadows and highlights.

My question is more towards the correct use of the D-lighting feature as using it gives much nicer results when reviewing the photo taken. Is it correct to use it when shooting RAW or is it a feature intended for shooting in jpg?
 
Fill flash, or either spot metering, exposure compensation or manually expose?

No flash with me and the built in flash at full power is only effective at close range. D-lighting gives the desired effect, just wondering if it's the same as lifting the shadows in PP?
 
No flash with me and the built in flash at full power is only effective at close range. D-lighting gives the desired effect, just wondering if it's the same as lifting the shadows in PP?
Sorry, I don't use Nikon so have no idea. I'd say the only way to balance the bright B/G and underexposed faces is to use FIF, anything else is going to be a compromise or something done in PP. I can't see how the D light can improve this, unless it artificially lightens dark areas. Anyway, I'm sure someone much more knowledgeable than me will be able to help you out.
 
as using it gives much nicer results when reviewing the photo taken.

Presumably on the rear screen ... hence jpeg.
If it works as you wish on the rear screen try shooting in jpeg (fine).
 
Gramps is correct in saying that active d-lighting alters the camera's metering. It doesn't change the raw data but does alter the jpg image produced in camera to protect highlights, boost shadows and even out mid-tones. All of the Nikon training videos I have seen on this feature says to avoid it if you are shooting in raw.

Personally, I would try it and see what the results are like. Pixels are free after all :)
 
Take photo as normal in raw, In tricky situations I might use spot metering and balance tones.

Open image in camera. Open edit menu. Apply D-Lighting. You'll see the effects.
 
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Take photo as normal in raw, In tricky situations I might use spot metering and balance tones.

Open image in camera. Open edit menu. Apply D-Lighting. You'll see the effects.

That seems like a good idea, to shoot in raw and apply it after if a jpeg is required when I don't have access to a computer. Hopefully next year I'll have solar equipment able to sustain my laptop
 
D-lighting doesn’t affect the raw photo BUT the photo you see on the LCD is the embedded jpeg so if you shoot raw only with d-lighting on your final image will look different to what it does on the camera.

Also if you use the Nikon software to pp your images it will add the d-lighting to raw (you can turn this off though), but if you use any other software it won’t add the d-lighting.
 
Fill flash will never look right unless the modifier is BIG and you also balance the WB - so forget it

Just add +1 (maybe even as high as +2, test) to the exposure and shoot your subjects backlit, assuming you can't put them in shade, and it'll be fine, the DR of any modern camera will easily cope

Dave
 
In that situation I would find something white to reflect as much light as possible on to the subject and expose to the point that there is a little highlight clipping.
Raw files do have one stop or more headroom to pull back the highlights and as much data in the shadows as possible to pull up
 
Using spot metering would completely blow out the background, matrix metering would be my choice with some + exposure compensation to get something in-between with the rest performed in PP controlling the shadows and highlights.

My question is more towards the correct use of the D-lighting feature as using it gives much nicer results when reviewing the photo taken. Is it correct to use it when shooting RAW or is it a feature intended for shooting in jpg?


D-Lighting is for in camera JPEG conversions and has nothing to do with the RAW image - remember the image on the rear screen has your JPEG settings applied and D-Lighting is designed to make the image look better, use it all the time

Mike
 
There are a lot of responses here that are basically wrong...
Active D-lighting alters the metered exposure, which affects the exposure settings used; and that affects the raw file as well as the jpeg. At the maximum setting it will cause a raw file to be underexposed by as much as 1 stop in order to save highlights, just like in the jpeg; but the raw data is not processed to recover the underexposure in the shadows, unlike the jpeg.

Using ADL should be avoided with raw files.
 
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