Highlights button doesn't show the full amount of recoverable highlights

Submitted by FRV-Learner on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 05:11
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General discussion

Hi, when using FRV I'm often checking to see if highlight details are recoverable, but I just noticed that it doesn't give the full recoverable details. Shown here is FRV with no settings, FRV with highlight button activated (which I thought would show all the recoverable highlights) and Capture One with just the exposure slider -2 stops. Yes I'm aware I shouldn't be blowing out my images like that but the light was moving around erratically! This was shot on a Sony A9ii. 

lexa

Fri, 07/14/2023 - 06:44

FRV's Highlights inspection is not about 'recoverable highligts' (reconstruction/simulation of missing details in some channel(s) based on channels with details) but about inspection without any extra assumptions.

It is just:

  • gamma change (so more contrast in highlights, by reducing contrast in shadows)
  • Optional exposure decrease
  • Optional UniWB white balance

We do not make any assumptions about the ability of the RAW converters to restore highlights.

It might be strange, but 'Overexposure display' can give a better estimation of recoverable highligts area:

  • If only a single channel is overexposed (usially the green one, so magenta overlay in Overexposure display)
  • And the overexposed area are near-neutral in color (clouds as a good example)
  • then this area is probably recoverable in HL reconstruction.

If overexposure detector shows completely black area (all channels are over-exposed) this means unrecoverable highlights.

--

Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

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