jkm757 Loc: San Diego, Ca.

I've never used it in camera, but I use it regularly in post editing.

elee950021 Loc: New York, NY

You have the option to use or not, Nikon's Active D-Lighting and if you don't use this setting in-camera, you can apply any of its effects while editing when using Nikon's free NX Studio software.

The first screen capture is a photo from a series shot on October 15, 2022, taken of a model at the annual NYC
Pin-Up Meetup group's American Airpower Museum Shoot with late afternoon lighting around 4:30 PM. Using a Nikon D810 full-frame camera set on Auto exposure, the image came out pretty normally with contrastly lighting. On the capture's right are the buttons and sliders; you can see the setting of "Auto" set under "Picture Control."

The "Picture Control" menu is usually used hand-in-hand with "Active D-Lighting." It appears in the camera's "Photo Shooting" menu: "Auto, Standard, Neutral, Portrait, Landscape, Monochrome and Flat." With the sub-menus, you can further adjust the degree of "Sharpening, Clarity, Contrast, Brightness and Saturation" depending on your subject or not! With "Picture Controls" the differences between "Auto, Standard, Neutral, Portrait, Flat, etc." are subtle while the "Vivid" setting is noticeably contrasty!

With ADL, you can also change any of the settings later. One advantage of doing so in the software is you can actually see the effect(s) of your image on a monitor. At first, most users will not have any idea of what the various choices do. It is very helpful to see the changes on a "normal, average, evenly lit and exposed" image to get an idea of the results possible.

Using "Active D-Lighting affects the relationship of highlights and shadows. There is another drop-down menu of "Active D-Lighting" settings (with the screen capture, the menu disappears but it is there to pick from): "Auto, Extra High, High, Normal, Low or Off." Again, you have a choice of setting one or none when you are shooting or later when editing, choose the setting that you prefer. In the second screen capture, you can see that the original value was "Normal" and is now set to "Extra Hi 1." Shadows are opened but the highlights are also slightly affected. The highlights would have to be slightly darkened or an in-between setting chosen.

The third screen capture shows the effects of "Extra High 2."

These are just two of Nikon's camera and software tools to help the photographer.

Be well! Ed

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Free software is worth what you pay for it ...

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

OutBack Loc: North Central Florida

I like it.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Two important comments:

The effects seen on the underside are what Active D is intended for.

Used knowledgeably and properly, Active D will allow you to accomplish the same effects in a camera-generated JPEG. That's also what Active D is intended for.

Suitability of Active D Lighting for you will depend on your needs and your willingness to devote the effort to learn to make it work for you. If yhere had been clouds visible, you would also have been able to see (or capture) detail in those clouds while also rendering the shadow detail. It's very helpful to me. Saved a lot of time. Perhaps not for you.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If most people refuse to shoot with a D500, you've got to figure they don't want ADL either ....

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Their loss. Doesn't bother me.

Ok. It bothers me a little bit. But not enough to change anything.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

So why even respond when someone asks a Nikon specific question?

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Essentially it’s what cellphone cameras do. Since I shoot raw I’ve never used it.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

I’m not sure what your point is here. I see brand specific questions here for pretty much every brand. Well maybe not so much Pentax, since there are so few geezers hanging onto that brand.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Sometimes it isn’t even worth that.

srt101fan

I read that the Canon equivalent to Nikon's Active D-Lighting is called "Auto Lighting Optimizer (ALO)".

tcthome Loc: NJ

I have it on NORMAL in camera & have used in the NX Studio software on the computer before when wanting to raise the shadows some. If remembered correctly, (don't use NX Studio that often) i raise the number to 1 & was satisfied with the result. You have it on in camera via the shooting menu (D810) or try using it in Nikons NX Studio?

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

Because that is what trolls do