Tag: technology

Dynamic Range is Just Not That Important March 2026

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It is not very often I share a third-party video, but this one from David Bergman (for Adorama TV) on why Dynamic Range is not nearly as important as most people think just hits the nail on the head. Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a really great photograph with 12 or more stops of dynamic range? The answer is you probably haven’t, and the reason is that most great photographs actually have quite a limited dynamic range because they are taken in soft light. Just as an aside, I have long said that we should not measure cameras by their dynamic range but instead by their ISO performance (signal-to-noise ratio).

Contrary to some beliefs, dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio are not the same, although both measure camera performance in decibels and are closely related. Dynamic range is the ratio between the maximum signal a sensor can handle and its lowest detectable signal (noise floor), while signal-to-noise measures signal quality at any given specific intensity.

In layman’s terms, dynamic range measures the span between the brightest highlights and darkest shadows a camera can capture in a single exposure without losing detail (clipping). In effect, it defines the camera’s ability to handle high-contrast scenes. The signal-to-noise ratio measures the ratio of signal strength to noise at a specific brightness level. SNR is highest at full-scale output and decreases in lower light.

There are some important key differences between the two. Dynamic Range describes the range of intensity, while Signal to noise describes the quality of the signal at one point. A camera with a high dynamic range may still have poor signal-to-noise if the noise floor is high or high SNR with low dynamic range.

Final Update on the Helicopter Polar Bear Incident in Svalbard 26th April 2025

Posted in Workshops and Expeditions1 Comment

Earlier today I finally received an update from the Governors office in Svalbard on their investigation into the harassment of the Polar Bear from helicopter by the Norwegian Polar Institute [NPI] in April last month (Full Story with Update and Podcast). A screenshot of my follow up email and their full response as received today is included below:

As is abundantly clear from the brevity of the email received from the Governors office they have found that the NPI did not violate their permit in the harassment and darting of this Polar Bear. This leaves some very big unanswered questions: The first of which, is, was an investigation even undertaken? and if so, where is the documentary evidence of this investigation?

What about the time-stamped photographs that were submitted to the Governors office that demonstrably demonstrate that the harassment of this Polar Bear went on far longer than NPI’s claimed ‘2-3 minutes’? Additionally, and to date, (and to my knowledge), none of the 12 passenger witnesses, the captain or the first mate of M.S Freya (who all witnessed this event first hand) have been contacted and/or interviewed by the Governors office. How can a thorough investigation be conducted without interviewing the first hand witnesses?

 ‘If’ this behaviour and methodology employed by the NPI did not violate the terms of their permit, then the requirements of the permit are seriously broken. NPI needs to be held accountable for their actions. They cannot continue to act with impunity.

It is worth noting that the Sysselmestern environmental office is directly under and controlled by the environmental ministry in Norway. The environmental industry effectively owns the NPI. This shabby cover up by the Governors office is nothing more than corruption at the highest level. Norway and the NPI should hang their heads in absolute shame at allowing this to continue.

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    Optimally Calibaring Apple Liquid Retina XDR Displays for Photography

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    Those who know me know I always advocate for the highest quality photographic display you can afford. It should be the first purchase you make after a digital camera. A wide-gamut, high-quality, calibrated photographic monitor is the difference between optimally processing your RAW files and standing blindfolded, throwing darts at a board. But what do you do while in the field on a laptop? Or, how do you otherwise make do if you have an Apple Liquid Retina XDR display and have neither the budget nor space for an external display? I should footnote this: If you can afford an Apple Liquid Retina XDR display, you have no excuse not to own a significantly better photographic display such as those from BenQ (Read our Recent review on the new BenQ 4K display).

    Jeremy Daalder over at Image Science recently published the best piece I have read to date on optimally calibrating an Apple Liquid Retina XDR Display. If you own an Apple laptop with a Liquid Retina XDR display or one of Apple’s hugely over-priced external displays then you owe it to yourself to take five minutes out of your day, and read his article. This is the first piece I have read on the internet that accurately documents the process for a successful calibration of these displays.

    INTRODUCTION

    Apple’s newest XDR Liquid Retina displays, such as is seen inside the new 14” and 16” MacBook Pro (and the XDR Pro Display) are a completely different ball game when it comes to calibration. The new XDR Liquid Retina displays (hereafter referred to as XDR displays) are different than their predecessors in that they employ a full array local dimming miniLED backlight. The issues at play here are essentially two-fold. Because of Apple’s decision to implement:

    1. A miniLED backlight (which older calibrators just weren’t designed to calibrate), and
    2. the forced usage of Reference Modes (both their clunky implementation of them and specifically the inability to NOT use them)…

    …both the required calibration technologies and the process for calibrating them is completely different to ALL older Apple displays (including all older external displays, any iMacs, any Intel-based Laptops, any Macbook Air’s, and even the newer Apple Silicon based 13” and 15” MacBook Pros).

    READ ON HERE

    Canon EOS R3, EOS R5MK2 and More Firmware Updates September 2025

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    During my last few days in Greenland (I am currently in Iceland wrapping up the extension trip), Canon updated firmware for the EOS R3, EOS R5MK2 and many other cameras in the line-up. Most of the updates are bug fixes, although some cameras got support for the new LP-E6P. You can download firmware updates through the Camera Connect app or directly from a Canon website. Personally, I find the Canon Camera Connect app to be the easiest and fastest. I updated my R3 in the field in less than ten minutes with my iPhone while waiting for the clouds to gather after the morning shoot here in Iceland.

    Firmware Updates:

    Canon Release New Firmware for Big RF Glass April 2024

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    Canon has released firmware updates to five RF-mount telephoto lenses.

    Even with fast zoom operations, it is now easier to focus (RF 100-300 f/2.8L IS USM Only). The electronic shutter system has improved the control of the panning assist after the second continuous shot.

    I am unsure exactly what ‘easier to focus’ means in Canon’s vernacular. Perhaps they mean quicker or better to focus? Or Both? In any case, that comment only applies to the new 100-300mm f2.8L IS RF lens. The other note concerns all the telephoto lenses noted above and panning assist – a feature I have only begun to dabble with so far. Nevertheless, it is always recommended that the firmware be updated to the latest.

    Iceberg in Antarctica