HTP (Highlight Tone Priority) Please someone explain???

J. Odoms

J. Odoms

Well-known member
I've briefly read several posts about 7D users mentioning using HTP, but no one has yet to delve into the specifics of why anyone uses it, or what it does. i could go into the manual but I figured i'd ask shooters first.

Also it would help to have reasons as to what would be the results of not using this feature vs. using it.

And if you have any screen grabs or video displaying a with HTP, and a W/O HTP that would be AWESOME as well.

Thanks, in advance.
 
HTP gives priority in the exposure to the highlights. It basically drops your ISO in half, and then applies gain to the lower half of the curve to bring the overall brightness back up to where it's comparable to the original ISO. The net effect is to squeeze out another stop of dynamic range in the highlights, at the expense of noisier midtones and blacks.
 
So seemingly this feature would be used in lowlight indoor situations if I understand correctly. And not something that one would just set and use at all times while filmming.
 
Outdoors...or where highlights are easily blown out i would think. This feature helps preserve your highlights.
 
I can't find this setting anywhere, is it automatically off in full manual mode?
 
mtan said:
I can't find this setting anywhere, is it automatically off in full manual mode?
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Neither its actually in the section when you go into the Menu button, scroll over to the Camera/Orange one, and go into the C.FN:Image selection and its under the 3rd tab.

But for some reason I still haven't got, why and when to use it. I hear what Barry said, but haven't been able to visualize the difference of the selecting it on or off. I'll just have to do some tests later today to see the difference.
 
So I just performed an extremely non-scientific test with HTP both ON/OFF, and I must say it makes a difference to have it on. I found out that the detail in the subject remained distinguishable when on, that when I took the same shot and had it off. I took a snapshot of my mousepad, which has a sorta grainy surface, and found that when I compared the HTP pic to the counterpart HTP showed more detail than the other. I was indoors so I'm gonna take this puppy upstairs where i have more available light and do the same.
 
OK So pics on the way, and lemme just say I will never turn this off. I mean NEVER. thats how much of a difference HTP makes. These are only stills, but I can imagine if HTP makes this much of a diffrence in the still sector, how much more will it do with our videos.
 
J. Odoms said:
OK So pics on the way, and lemme just say I will never turn this off. I mean NEVER. thats how much of a difference HTP makes. These are only stills, but I can imagine if HTP makes this much of a diffrence in the still sector, how much more will it do with our videos.
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You should try it with video before you come to a conclusion. They're two very different images, although from the same camera.

Also, take a look-- as Barry mentioned-- at your mids and blacks with HTP on and Off.

Ian-T's suggestion for daylight material is accurate. HTP + ISO 320 when you can't really control the light is fine in Daylight, where there may be less shadow to deal with even in a controlled environment. Indoors, that's a different story.
 
I'm having an issue uploading the pics . the sizes i guess are to big, anyone know what to do, to get all four of the here, without loosing to much detail.
 
I personally didn't like what HTP did to my video in available light at ISO 650 and 1250...I chose not to use it indoors in low light.
 
In the shot taken of my wife upstairs you can clearly see the blurred result of her black tank top from the HTP being off. But as soon as I turned it on, alot of the significant detail came back.

Same with the shot of my MousePad. When HTP is off you can see the blurred nature of the grainy surface. But once I turned it on that grainy texture/pattern becomes more discernible.

I used a stock pic setting (Portirat) and used my Canon 35mm f2 lens. it was wide open at an iso of 800 for both pics. *thats why the Backfground in the shot of my wife is blown out. I kinda wanted to leave the cam on the same settings both downstairs and upstairs.

Just have a look at them on Flickr and download the Originals. Also the one that says available light has HTP OFF

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28292298@N04/
 
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That's strange but you're right. I see it in the strands of her hair and in the box she's holding etc. Hmmm....try it in video mode. If you look at here dangling hair in the light when it's "On" you can see the whole strand not blown out...but in the other it's blurrier and blown out.

Cute baby by the way....
 
Ian-T said:
That's strange but you're right. I see it in the strands of her hair and in the box she's holding. Hmmm....try it in video mode.
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I know told you, for some weird reason it looks better. I'm in the process of doing the video test as we speak, give me a little bit and I'll upload to maybe vimeo or something.
 
What ISO were you at? Although these are stills and the results do no tnecessarily apply to the video, check your metadata to see what ISO you were at.

The only thing I can contribute to the "resolved detail" is that your ISO switched due to the fact HTP cannot be utilized under 200ISO, and you may have had it at 100 or 160? So, when you switch to HTP it kicks the ISO up to 200.

ALso try it in video and study the results.
 
That's not possible Kholi cuz when I took these stills I was in Manual video mode. I shot them at ISO 800 just picked a random ISO and took the pics downstairs first, so I figured I'd keep it there even though upstairs had alot more avialable light. So I'm not exactly sure why the detail increased but in both pics it obviously did, even though I changed not one setting.

I had to run to the store so video tests have to wait a bit. If someone else can do it, sooner rather than later have at it.
 
I would recommend turning this on ONLY on strong daylight.
It increases the noise dramatically on the mid-dark areas like barry said.
 
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