Which digital SLR handles backlighting and overexposure the best?

Question

I found that only film handles backlighting well, but I'd really like to start using digital exclusively--is this just not possible at the moment?

Answer 1

If you are only used to a standard digital camera, a DSLR will really change your notion of how well digital works. The core difference is that the sensors of a DSLR, while typically smaller than a 35mm frame, are around 5-10X larger than a standard sensor on a normal digital camera. Since resolution is basically the same, the individual photoreceptors on the sensors are much larger and are thus more light sensitive and less subseptible to noise.



DSLR's also typically include a RAW mode which is the unprocessed and uncompressed data from the camera sensor. From a RAW file you can more effectively postprocess the image to adjust exposure. I'm not sure what you mean by "handles backlighting well", as digital SLR's are just as prone to backlighting problems as film cameras. If you're consistently overexposing your shots, DSLR's have more effective metering modes (or you can just underexpose all your shots and fix them afterward if it's a consistent problem) than most digicams as well.



Bear in mind that an overexposed shot is an overexposed shot, neither film nor digital will be able to recover detail from overexposed areas. What digital can give you is the ability to view a histogram of your shots which allows you to see a chart of the frequency of various brightness levels in the shot. That can also be a useful tool in determining proper exposure.

Answer 2

I think you can handle backlighting effectively with digital SLRs, and I think they are all pretty much the same in terms of dealing with that challenge. You need to get comfortable with checking the histogram, and switching into manual exposure mode occassionally. The key is not to "blow your highlights" and you can tell when that's happening if the histogram is bunched up to the right.