p.1 #1 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
I have never been satisfied with Nikon’s explanation of Active D-Lighting, nor what internet pundits have had to say on the matter, so I dove into testing and compiled a definitive run-through here.
What is Active D-Lighting?
Active D-Lighting is a software feature on all mirrorless Z and some DSLR Nikon cameras that will evaluate a scene and work to bring up shadows and bring down highlights to better balance high-contrast scenes.
How it is enabled and set up?
You enable this feature in the Camera menu within settings, or you can assign it to your i menu. There are 6 settings: Off, Low, Normal, High, Extra High, and Auto. The current setting will be reflected in your EVF/LCD if you have “detail” view enabled.
As you step through the various “strength” settings from Low to Extra High, your photo will lose contrast and gain overall exposure, about 1/4 to 1/2 of a stop depending on the scene.
When and why should I enable Active D-Lighting?
If you are shooting JPEG in high contrast situations and are not particularly interested in working with the RAW file, you should consider enabling Active D-Lighting.
The main thing you stand to gain is your highlight-rich areas will not appear as white blobs, but more of faded beige areas, more even in tonality and more pleasing to the eye. Harsh contrast transitions are also smoothed out in a more filmic way.
Note: Nikon recommends shooting in Matrix Metering while using Active D-Lighting.
Should I enable this if I’m shooting RAW files?
Contrary to what many on the internet wrongly say, Active D-Lighting will affect your RAW files, and not in the way you’d expect! When opening the files in a program like Lightroom, you’ll notice that the stronger the Active D-Lighting setting, the DARKER your photo has become, reaching -1 EV when you reach Extra High. Read below to understand why.
Is this similar to Fuji’s DR100, DR200, and DR400 settings?
Yes! The cameras are exposing to the left roughly .33 stops for each setting and then pulling the total exposure back up in the JPEG output.
Does Active D-Lighting affect video?
Yep, you bet it does, all in the same way as stills. The one feature that is NOT available for video is the “auto” setting.
So what’s your conclusion, Scott?
Active D-Lighting is a very powerful tool when combined with Nikon Picture Controls to really dial in how your JPEG output looks, and as Nikon continues to surface more controls to us via Flexible Color Picture Controls on newer Z cameras, an understanding of when and how to apply Active D-Lighting is ESSENTIAL if you’re a JPEG only shooter.
p.1 #2 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
It's also a useful post-processing operation if you use Nikon software to convert the RAW files.
I use Active D-Lighting for some backlit forest scenes as one of the options for manage high scene contrast. In some cases it is the easiest way to solve a problem.
Also, when shooting video in bright daylight, I find it to be an easy way to get good footage out of the box even when sometimes shooting into the light.
p.1 #3 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
ilkka_nissila wrote:
It's also a useful post-processing operation if you use Nikon software to convert the RAW files.
I use Active D-Lighting for some backlit forest scenes as one of the options for manage high scene contrast. In some cases it is the easiest way to solve a problem.
Also, when shooting video in bright daylight, I find it to be an easy way to get good footage out of the box even when sometimes shooting into the light.
The one thing I did not test it with yet is RAW or NLOG video, have you?
p.1 #4 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Hm I think some of the wording is a bit misleading.
Active D lighting applies negative exposure compensation which is then compensated for by brightening darker parts of the image when shooting jpg (or using Nikon software to convert RAW files). It does not really alter RAW files per se beyond introducing a metering bias resulting in less exposure.
If I remember correctly each step applies -0.3 EV (hidden) exposure compensation. Tested it some time ago but forgot where I noted the results, maybe in this forum
I think the comment that Fujis approach affects exposure and Nikons does not is incorrect. Both are essentially doing the same thing and lower exposure. I think every major manufacturer has a function like that. Canon calls it Auto Lighting Optimizer iirc.
I do agree that it’s useful, esp when shooting jpg
p.1 #5 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
fjablo wrote:
Hm I think some of the wording is a bit misleading.
Active D lighting applies negative exposure compensation which is then compensated for by brightening darker parts of the image when shooting jpg (or using Nikon software to convert RAW files). It does not really alter RAW files per se beyond introducing a metering bias resulting in less exposure.
If I remember correctly each step applies -0.3 EV (hidden) exposure compensation. Tested it some time ago but forgot where I noted the results, maybe in this forum
I think the comment that Fujis approach affects exposure and Nikons does not is incorrect. Both are essentially doing the same thing and lower exposure. I think every major manufacturer has a function like that. Canon calls it Auto Lighting Optimizer iirc.
I do agree that it’s useful, esp when shooting jpg...Show more →
Gotcha, that's helpful, thanks. What's interesting is OFF and Low have 0 EV difference in my tests. However the differences between each step from there is indeed -.33 EV.
p.1 #6 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Found my notes from July (posted in another thread on the topic):
Test setup: a strongly backlit scene where normal metering would blow highlights.
My quick & dirty test results :
Low setting: no exposure compensation (matches what I read elsewhere, in this mode it just lifts shadows / alters contrast, not exposure)
Normal setting: -1/3 EV
Stronger setting: -2/3 EV
Strongest setting: -1 EV
p.1 #7 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
fjablo wrote:
Found my notes from July (posted in another thread on the topic):
Test setup: a strongly backlit scene where normal metering would blow highlights.
My quick & dirty test results :
Low setting: no exposure compensation (matches what I read elsewhere, in this mode it just lifts shadows / alters contrast, not exposure)
Normal setting: -1/3 EV
Stronger setting: -2/3 EV
Strongest setting: -1 EV
Yeah exactly what I just found looking at the RAWs, updated the OP, thanks for confirming.
p.1 #8 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Been using it sparingly since my D2H days. I used to photograph a great deal of amateur alpine ski racing from youth right up to FIS level and sometimes based on safety or race course position on the hill you have no choice but to photograph from the shadow side of the racer. In cases like this and on very overcast days Active D Lighting can be your saviour.
p.1 #9 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Interesting, thanks for pointing this out. I must try it when I next use the in-camera timelapse which generates an 8 bit .MOV file. I assume it would apply d-lighting in that scenario.
When d-lighting is activated, does it reduce actual exposure i.e. reduce shutter speed or close the aperture compared to when not activated? Thanks.
p.1 #10 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Nikon and Canon have had a version of this over 15 years. Canon calls it ALO and Nikon ADL.
We have far better software to process raw files now and there is less value in underexposing more than a very small amount.
p.1 #11 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
EB-1 wrote:
Nikon and Canon have had a version of this over 15 years. Canon calls it ALO and Nikon ADL.
We have far better software to process raw files now and there is less value in underexposing more than a very small amount.
EBH
You can get JPEG output in a unique way with these features, which was the entire point.
p.1 #12 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Alistair1 wrote:
Interesting, thanks for pointing this out. I must try it when I next use the in-camera timelapse which generates an 8 bit .MOV file. I assume it would apply d-lighting in that scenario.
When d-lighting is activated, does it reduce actual exposure i.e. reduce shutter speed or close the aperture compared to when not activated? Thanks.
Looking at my samples, the shutter speed increases to make the underexposure happen. My guess is that if Auto ISO wasn't pegging base ISO it would start with lowering ISO first, but just a guess.
p.1 #13 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
I have only used ADL with SDR video (typically 422 Prores HQ if available). I shoot SDR in bright daylight as with ISO 64 it allows me to avoid ND filters at least at 60 degrees latitude. For evening and indoor light I use N-Log and don't in that case use ADL. I don't use N-RAW.
p.1 #14 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Given how good DR is on modern cameras, I'd argue there is very little that speaks against using ADL even when shooting RAW. Outside of scenarios where I'm pushing high ISOs to the limit of what's tolerable, I'll happily "invest" -1/3 or even 2/3 EV of DR as insurance against blown highlights*. Also gives you a nicer-looking preview as that's based on the JPG.
(*although blown highlights don't automatically ruin an image either)
Trying to squeeze the absolute maximum DR out of a camera is something that may have been more relevant 15 years ago (although tbh I also happily underexpose the D700 by 1/3 of a stop..). Also seems to be one of these things that's mostly important to forum enthusiasts and maybe Youtube reviewers and nobody else
p.1 #15 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
fjablo wrote:
Given how good DR is on modern cameras, I'd argue there is very little that speaks against using ADL even when shooting RAW. Outside of scenarios where I'm pushing high ISOs to the limit of what's tolerable, I'll happily "invest" -1/3 or even 2/3 EV of DR as insurance against blown highlights*. Also gives you a nicer-looking preview as that's based on the JPG.
(*although blown highlights don't automatically ruin an image either)
Trying to squeeze the absolute maximum DR out of a camera is something that may have been more relevant 15 years ago (although tbh I also happily underexpose the D700 by 1/3 of a stop..). Also seems to be one of these things that's mostly important to forum enthusiasts and maybe Youtube reviewers and nobody else ...Show more →
The use of ADL as described isn't necessarily to squeeze DR out more than shooting RAW (that's WHY you shoot RAW), it's to give JPEG output an extra degree of processing to achieve a look that a standard picture profile can't provide, specifically for folks that just want to shoot JPEG.
p.1 #16 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
RoamingScott wrote:
The use of ADL as described isn't necessarily to squeeze DR out more than shooting RAW (that's WHY you shoot RAW), it's to give JPEG output an extra degree of processing to achieve a look that a standard picture profile can't provide, specifically for folks that just want to shoot JPEG.
Yeah I meant *not* using ADL when shooting RAW as a means to maximize DR. That has been the narrative for a long time in all kinds of guides, forums, etc: don’t use ADL, because it negatively impacts image quality.
p.1 #18 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
RoamingScott wrote:
Looking at my samples, the shutter speed increases to make the underexposure happen. My guess is that if Auto ISO wasn't pegging base ISO it would start with lowering ISO first, but just a guess.
Curiosity go the better of me this morning so I took another look at this. Yes, the camera does reduce actual exposure when d-lighting is activated. Using shutter priority, the aperture closed from f6.3 to f9 when d-lighting was set to the highest level.
p.1 #20 · Nikon's Active D-Lighting explained - required reading if you shoot JPEG
Alistair1 wrote:
Curiosity go the better of me this morning so I took another look at this. Yes, the camera does reduce actual exposure when d-lighting is activated. Using shutter priority, the aperture closed from f6.3 to f9 when d-lighting was set to the highest level.
If you get doubly curious, a lad on Reddit made the following claim:
Great info! I agree with you that more people should know about this feature.
If it’s okay with you, I’d like to expand on this a bit since I use this feature a ton the past few years in my professional work.
-I actually mostly use the high to extra high settings almost always unless I really want the blacks to fall off for some reason like at a college/ pro basketball game or during a conference keynote with great lighting. Then I’ll stick to normal. The trick is to dial back your exposure a full stop and even more at times. It will fill in the shadows and give you a correct exposure and will even help balance exposure differences between shots a little bit. I also add just a bit of contrast in the picture profile depending on the lighting situation I’m in. This also means it will add noise to shadow parts of the image so iso 3200 is now the absolute limit for a clean image but since you dialed it back a stop it’s still roughly equal to 6400.
-Also, you can have Lightroom read those settings by using the camera presets profile. In capture one you would use the apply prior editing in the import section. It will apply similar edits that the camera would to get you to what you see on the back of the camera. It’s not exact but it’s close.
-Lastly, dlighting has actually improved quite a bit with each camera. It was a big jump from my d780 to z6ii and an even bigger jump to my z9. The z8 seems to be the same as the z9 but I kind of expected that.
I would mostly like Nikon to improve the live view of the settings with the dlighting. Since I am dialing back a stop or more, the live view is too dark. There is work arounds but it’s cumbersome and annoying. Still I use it all the time.
After I asked him to elaborate a bit, he said:
So, I never use anything but Manuel so I don’t know how it would be effected using exposure compensation. But, yes, because dlighting at the higher settings doesn’t just raise the shadows. It also raises the midtones all the way up to highlights. So when you take the image roughly 1-2 stops under exposed, it’s raises the whole image up to be properly exposed.
Which also goes to your point about nobody really fully understands it. I have never met someone that uses it more than I do. I am not someone that will give you a specific recipe. I very much am constantly taking the picture and changing exposure. I end up with way more images than what whoever is intaking my images would like but that’s my process and it works great for me.
I encourage you to grab your camera and try it and you can see what I mean. You can make a good picture at any of the dlighting settings by adjusting your exposure properly.
I then made the point to him that if he was shooting fully manual, there would be no setting the camera should be allowed to change to use ADL. I'm not saying he's wrong, but his methodology seems extremely counter-intuative.
