What does a histogram tell me?

My Canon A40 has a histogram. How do I interrpret the chart it shows? What
does the D and H on each side of the horizontal line mean? Please keep it
simple I am a photo dummy.

In article
, wolfee
wrote:

My Canon A40 has a histogram. How do I interrpret the chart it shows? What
does the D and H on each side of the horizontal line mean? Please keep it
simple I am a photo dummy.

Learn the basics of photography and you won't have to worry about
looking at graphs.

In article
, wolfee
wrote:

My Canon A40 has a histogram. How do I interrpret the chart it shows? What
does the D and H on each side of the horizontal line mean? Please keep it
simple I am a photo dummy.

Learn the basics of photography and you won't have to worry about
looking at graphs.

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 18:20:48 GMT, wolfee wrote:

My Canon A40 has a histogram. How do I interrpret the chart it shows? What
does the D and H on each side of the horizontal line mean? Please keep it
simple I am a photo dummy.

A histogram shows you how much of your image is black, white, and all the
intensities in between. I don't have an A40, but I imagine "D" refers to
the black end ("dark") and "H" refers to the white end ("highlights").

If your histogram has a peak at each end and not much in the middle, like 2
humps on a camel, then the image is lacking in mid-tones and will look
contrasty.

If there's a peak in the middle, and not much at the ends, then it lacks
contrast and will look flat.

Hope this helps.

--

Peter
For the best in image resizing software, try
JpegSizer at www.tangotools.com/jpegsizer

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 18:20:48 GMT, wolfee wrote:

My Canon A40 has a histogram. How do I interrpret the chart it shows? What
does the D and H on each side of the horizontal line mean? Please keep it
simple I am a photo dummy.

A histogram shows you how much of your image is black, white, and all the
intensities in between. I don't have an A40, but I imagine "D" refers to
the black end ("dark") and "H" refers to the white end ("highlights").

If your histogram has a peak at each end and not much in the middle, like 2
humps on a camel, then the image is lacking in mid-tones and will look
contrasty.

If there's a peak in the middle, and not much at the ends, then it lacks
contrast and will look flat.

Hope this helps.

--

Peter
For the best in image resizing software, try
JpegSizer at www.tangotools.com/jpegsizer

Randall Ainsworth wrote in
:

Learn the basics of photography and you won't have to worry about
looking at graphs.

What method you use to meassure light is a matter of taste.
Pros often used a Polariod camera as a "light meter". And
although I am an oldie from the manual era, I still appreciate
histograms. Earlier I used a digital spotmeter and an incident
light meter a lot - or I used the center weighted meassuring
in my 35 mm camera; all depending on the situation. Now - I tend
to use the histogram a lot. All works.

Here is the generic link about those histograms:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...understanding-
series/understanding-histograms.shtml


/Roland

Randall Ainsworth wrote in
:

Learn the basics of photography and you won't have to worry about
looking at graphs.

What method you use to meassure light is a matter of taste.
Pros often used a Polariod camera as a "light meter". And
although I am an oldie from the manual era, I still appreciate
histograms. Earlier I used a digital spotmeter and an incident
light meter a lot - or I used the center weighted meassuring
in my 35 mm camera; all depending on the situation. Now - I tend
to use the histogram a lot. All works.

Here is the generic link about those histograms:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...understanding-
series/understanding-histograms.shtml


/Roland

Well this is a most interesting post. I too own a canon A40 and have
done so for over 2 years. If there is anything related to a histogram on
this camera I've yet to find it. Not in the manual index, just did a
search of .pdf manual on histogram and nothing showed up, so please
clarify. Are you referring to a photo editor interpretation on the image
file?
Dave Cohen

Roland Karlsson wrote:

Randall Ainsworth wrote in
:


Learn the basics of photography and you won't have to worry about
looking at graphs.


What method you use to meassure light is a matter of taste.
Pros often used a Polariod camera as a "light meter". And
although I am an oldie from the manual era, I still appreciate
histograms. Earlier I used a digital spotmeter and an incident
light meter a lot - or I used the center weighted meassuring
in my 35 mm camera; all depending on the situation. Now - I tend
to use the histogram a lot. All works.

Here is the generic link about those histograms:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...understanding-
series/understanding-histograms.shtml


/Roland

"Randall Ainsworth" wrote in message
...
In article
, wolfee
wrote:

My Canon A40 has a histogram. How do I interrpret the chart it shows?
What
does the D and H on each side of the horizontal line mean? Please keep
it
simple I am a photo dummy.

Learn the basics of photography and you won't have to worry about
looking at graphs.



Any advice taken seriously from Ainsworth is something to worry about.



Patrick

"Randall Ainsworth" wrote in message
...
In article
, wolfee
wrote:

My Canon A40 has a histogram. How do I interrpret the chart it shows?
What
does the D and H on each side of the horizontal line mean? Please keep
it
simple I am a photo dummy.

Learn the basics of photography and you won't have to worry about
looking at graphs.



Any advice taken seriously from Ainsworth is something to worry about.



Patrick