Anyone have optimal settings for MAXIMUM Dynamic Range?

[nedcam]

I have a gripe with the 300's limited dynamic range. I mainly notice it after shooting with the big dogs: HPX2700, HDX900, etc. Of course there is a major price difference...

So short of sending it to Macie's on the east coast, are there any real techies on this board that have figured out how to expand the range to it's maximum, besides turning the DRS switch on?

And if DRS is on, does auto knee help or hurt? Dialing in a scene file to me is too coarse, I'd like to tweak the settings for maximum dynamic range. One of my clients is a bridal fashion show so I noticed the runway models sometimes blow out at venue with narrow spot beams. Anyone have a secret recipe?

Thanks!

 

[Mark Smith]

Just playing around inside the menu settings, one thing that helps extend range into highlights is setting knee to "low". That way knee starts coming in at 80 units and that effect can add some detail to highlights in the frame.
Just thinking about it a good combo might be gamma low & knee low in your scene file setting. Its all right there you just need to set something up and try it out. I;ve had a few tough situations lately, dark skinned actors wearing white, pastel yellow, pastel pink etc. My first thought is who the F___ in wardrobe made these choices , but taking a moment to dive into the menu once the shot is set can make a difference in terms of where highlights start to blow away.
The 2700's & 3000"s have much finer control over knee point slope, gamma, etc so they have an advantage there over the 370, but all in all I find the 370 pretty forgiving in terms of what dynamic range it can handle.