Wide Dynamic Range Imaging - dispelling myths

By standard definition, dynamic range is a ratio between the largest and the smallest value of a variable quantity, such as light or sound. In particular, a scene with a given dynamic range but a lower average luminosity (or a smaller aperture) would produce more noise even if the dynamic range is fully supported by the camera, while the scene where the range is shifted upwards (or the aperture is larger) may produce clipping, and potentially additional noise in the mid-range, specific to WDR cameras.

Wide dynamic range cameras are quickly becoming mainstream in video surveillance. However, there are many myths and misconceptions about the very concept of Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). This paper explains what dynamic range is, how it affects image quality and discusses the advantages and limitations of WDR cameras.

What's inside?

• What is dynamic range?
• Why is dynamic range limited?
• It’s the ratio, not the absolute range
• The popular approach - Multi-exposure method
• Limitations of WDR imaging
• Displaying WDR video on a TV monitor
• Comparing performance of WDR cameras
• Panoramic WDR