profbowman wrote:
Sure, post processing will change the output from the photographer. I should have made clear that I was meaning that the same camera, make, model, and year must give the same result out of the camera with the same setttings, or tthe world of electronics is non-existent. --Richard
Of course straight out of camera will be the same, assuming that both photographers have the same body and lens. No one is questioning that. I was only explaining Bob's reasoning why the in camera data will potentially be misleading to another photographer. The reality is that post processing or lack thereof needs to be taken into account when making exposure decisions.
I used to do some HDR, when shooting for personal use rather than for work, because I like to shoot in situations that have more dynamic range than my camera can capture. More recently I have started using exposure blending in those situations and gone away from HDR. The results look more natural. The decision on how I am going to blend photos needs to be already made before I take my initial shots. So, I am shooting deliberately with the final post processed result in mind. Giving someone else the exposure information for my shots without also taking the time to explain the post processing that I plan to do will just lead to them taking a badly underexposed image to maintain highlight details, likely also a badly overexposed image to preserve details in the shadows. There may also be an image in the middle exposed for the midtones.
That means that giving someone else who has no intent of doing exposure blending the information on the shots I am taking, or even on the finished results will be very misleading to them, and will lead to that individual taking photos that they will have no use for.
Bob regularly exposes to the right, knowing that he can accomplish his desired vision through post processing. Telling someone else his exposure information will only lead to them taking a shot that they will be extremely unhappy with.
That doesn't mean that I don't give people that information when they ask. But, it does mean that if I am going to give them a reasonable answer that I had better also explain that my exposure choices may well not work for what that individual is trying to do.
I regularly have kids from the yearbook staff at the high school that I cover most frequently for the local newspaper ask for advice on exposure and shutter speed at sports events. What I have found is that if all I do is tell them what settings I am using that is of no benefit to them as I am using a 2.8 or in some cases even faster lens and they do not even have that option. So, no matter how badly they would like to they are unable to use my settings.
You will find that in many real world situations even with the same make of camera because of different lenses, or because of other limitations you and I may well get very different final results even with the same basic initial settings. Because how or if you are going to post process dramatically impacts what settings you should be using when you take your initial shot or shots as does what lens or lenses you have available. As a result basic exposure information without an explanation of the entire process may well be very misleading.