D300 Histogram

Is there a way to display a full size composite histogram on the top of the lcd image like I could on my D70? Can't find any reference to this. The 1/4 size histogram with 1/4 size image is too small to see clearly.

Yes, but my camera is not here at work.

So don't give up it is in there.

In fact I have set up my D300 to show the full size histogram when you push the centre command button during image review.

Paul C

wondering what is the "best" histogram to aim for?

Aim to use as full a range of the CCD as you can.

In general display histogram should be as wide you can without data points reaching either end.

I.E no burning out of highlights or plugging of the shadows.

There are exceptions - specular highlights will most often burn out which is fine as no valid data is in there.

There are lots of books and web material that covers this, a quick search came up with :-

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/histograms1.htm

http://www.workshopsforphotographers.com/p...ading-histogram

But there is loads of data out there.

Paul C

I find the two most useful screens for review are the Full Image with Blinking Blown Highlights as my primary screen, followed by the screen with smaller image and blinking highlights and the triple channel histograms. Underwater particularly, the single RGB histogram may mislead you. If you think about it, the blinking blown highlights screen gives you a lot of instant important information. If you have minimal blinking areas, and then only in the parts of the image where you are OK with some specular highlights, then you are going to be spot on with your exposure. If you have too much blinking highlights you have to decrease exposure. The only time you need to shift to histogram screen view is if you have no blinking at all and you want to be sure you are exposed to the right of the histogram as far as possible. At that point you want to see all three histogram channels to make sure that by increasing exposure you do not blow out one channel.

I'm not sure there's that much more to reading histograms.

The easiest way to view this is to make the multi-selector center button "Show Histograms"

My D300 is loaned out at the moment, but it is C. Fn. f2 on D700.

Some housings don't have a center multi-selector button, and on those this can be actuated by pressing left and right or up and down simultaneously.

On my D300.

Custom Setting Menu ( pencil icon )

Option f 'controls'

'F1' 'multi selector centre button'

Playback mode

Select view histograms.

There are probably other display options.

Paul C

I can set histograms in menu but they're only 1/4 size, which my eyes have trouble seeing. So I've been using "Hightlights" mode which is ok. I accidently discovered during a dive that if I press 2 mult-selector buttons simultaneously full size histogram displays, but its hard to repeat this operation. The histogram was only displayed while both buttons are held down. Kinda hit & miss u/w.

Just played with camera again. If I press center of multi-controller (not the 4 normal positions) I get full size histogram, as Ryan stated. But no control on housing to do this. Guess I just check highlights display.

[Just played with camera again. If I press center of multi-controller (not the 4 normal positions) I get full size histogram, as Ryan stated. But no control on housing to do this. Guess I just check highlights display.]

You just press left and right buttons simultaneously to achieve the same thing.

Understand the procedure. Rather awkward for me to do u/w. 2 handed operation (sometimes) & I can't just take a quick look down from the viewfinder window, leaving the housing in shooting position. Overall I really like the 300 over the 70, but there's always something you have to give up on an upgrade it seems.