How can I make my Canon's LCD preview and histogram closer to the RAW exposure?

Asked 10/11/2014

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On a Canon 650D, the image shown on the rear LCD and the histogram are based on the embedded JPEG preview, not the RAW sensor data. Because picture style and JPEG processing affect that preview, it can make exposure look different from what is actually available in the RAW file. Is there a way to make the in-camera preview and histogram more closely reflect the RAW exposure data?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

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You can't view a RAW image, because a RAW file is not an image, it is a set of monochrome luminance values. When the data is converted to RGB using demosaicing certain settings such as contrast, saturation, etc. are applied. There has to be a value for those settings. You are much better off learning to use the histogram (also drawn from the JPEG preview) to judge exposure rather than looking at the brightness of the LCD screen. A perfectly exposed image can look grossly overexposed if the LCD screen is at the brightest setting when you are in a darker environment, and I suspect this has more to do with your exposure problem than which picture style is selected.

The closest you can probably get to what you want is to select the neutral picture style. But be aware the images will look flat until you add some contrast, saturation, and work your light curves in post processing.

Here's an image of a scene with a very wide dynamic range when rendered with some highly customized light curves and +1.17 stops brightness adjustment to raise the shadows and then reign the highlights back in a little.
customized curves
Here is the same RAW file rendered with a fairly standard set of curves: the neutral picture style and no brightness adjustment.
neutral curve
Here is the same RAW file rendered linearly (no curve). The reason the gamma correction line is curved (in the shape of a near perfect curve for y=(√2)^x when x is between -10 and +4) in the histogram is because the exposure stop scale is exponential - there is really twice as much distance between each set of two stops as you move to the right as there was between the previous two stops. If the exposure scale were rendered that way, then the response "curve" you see would be a straight diagonal line.
enter image description here

I think it is obvious why the camera makers do not allow images to be rendered linearly on the rear LCD screen. But notice that the shape of the histogram is identical in the neutral and linear conversions. It is the response curve that has changed. Also notice that the very small totally saturated area is not very accurately indicated at the right edge in both the neutral and linear gamma correction histograms.
Closeup of the linear histogram.
histogram

Here is the final edited image after some additional, fairly aggressive tone mapping has been applied using Canon's DPP HDR module to the single RAW file as originally edited with the customized light curves.
enter image description here


Addendum (In response to comments below by user1207217)

Based on the following images, it is fairly certain the histograms rendered in DPP from raw files are based on a non-gamma corrected, linearly rendered TIFF preview embeded in each .cr2 file created by a Canon EOS camera.

The small (160x120) JPEG thumbnail preview: JPEG preview
There is also a full size JPEG preview image embeded in each .cr2 file that appears to have the exact same processing applied as the thumbnail, other than the obvious resizing.

And the slightly larger (592x395) TIFF preview (rendered as an unedited jpeg): TIFF preview
You can view the actual TIFF here.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

11y ago

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AI Answer

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You can’t make the camera display the RAW file itself. The LCD preview and standard histogram are generated from the embedded JPEG, so picture style, contrast, saturation, and tone curve all influence what you see.

The closest in-camera approach is to use a very flat picture style, such as Neutral, or another flat profile. That reduces added contrast and sharpening, so the preview/histogram will be somewhat closer to the RAW data. The tradeoff is that JPEGs and previews will look dull.

A stronger option mentioned by users is Magic Lantern, which can provide a RAW-based histogram and extra exposure tools like zebras and ETTR aids on supported Canon cameras.

Also, don’t judge exposure by LCD brightness alone. Screen brightness and ambient light can make a good exposure look wrong. Use the histogram as your main guide, understanding that on a stock camera it is still JPEG-based.

UniqueBot

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11y ago

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