Ideal Historgram

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GIZTO29

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Philip
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This may be the wrong heading but what should an ideal histogram look like? Im busy working out how many stops my welding glass gives me on my D5000 and am looking at the histgram. My thought was that the peak should be central with aeach side falling to the bottom corners in a gradual manner. Would i be right? Heres the photo at just over 12 stops (5 seconds exposure) from 1/1000.
P1040935-1.jpg

This is the one with the peak in the centre and the photo looks the best by eye even though on the photo it looks bright. I think the light from the spot in the kitchen is to blame as its shinging down on the camera screen. For the record from 1 stop onwards the histogram went from blank to the point where the peak went across until it hit the centre and then went past and the photos were blown out right up to 30 seconds.
8 Seconds didnt look to bad either but the peak is off centre. I dont really understand histograms and would like to...
Thanks in advance, Phil
 
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I'll have a look now, thanks for the feedback guys.
Heres the histogram off ACR.
Untitled-3.jpg

Why are they different?
Phil
 
There's no such thing as an 'ideal' histogram.
If you're trying to reproduce the standard curve then you may as well stick the camera on program mode and be done with it.
The histogram reflects the light values of the scene as shot and that depends on many factors: quality and strength of the lighting, subject luminance range (how much light the subject reflects) all of which are subject to personal preferences.
You might want only the highlights to register, or you may want lots of shadow detail and stuff the highlights...

Every scene is different.
Every histogram is different.
 
... as Arkady says. (y)

Its just information about the light ...no such thing as a good or bad histogram.

Ian’s idea about pushing to the right (the bright side of the histogram) is correct because digi sensors can render more detail at the brighter end over the darker end.

So putting whatever shaped histogram that an image may make, closer to the right side without blowing the highlights is preferable. .... BTW. The light meter in your camera is also calibrated to provide this accurate and preferred exposure, although you might think it is slightly under occasionally, that’s simply because it avoids highlights at all costs ..where as you, the photographer, may want to override it a tad and push it further right still. ..the choice is yours.
 
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I don't know where the idea of the ideal historgram has come from, but it's going to be very limiting to anyone who follows this idea
 
As above, no such thing as ideal but check that you have detail in shadows and highlights.
 
Reminds me of some of the stuff I've had to endure over bell-curves and business models.... one size that fits all is never bespoke tailoring.
 
That all makes sense. My reasoning is im trying to find the ideal exposure for my shade 9 welding glass and how many stops it is. I thought the 5 second exposure looked the best out of the stops i took.
Phil
 
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