Dynamic range

The ratio between the largest and smallest light intensities a camera or imaging system can capture without distortion. Higher dynamic range preserves detail in both bright highlights and deep shadows.

  • Traditional camera systems (DSLRs, mirrorless) typically outperform smartphone camera apps in dynamic range, along with video capabilities and low-light performance
  • Smartphone camera apps have surpassed point-and-shoot cameras in convenience, larger viewfinders, and on-device editing/sharing capabilities
  • colin-smith (founder of photoshopcafe) introduced Adobe Project Indigo—a new camera app for advanced mobile photography—noting that while traditional cameras excel in dynamic range, smartphones lead in user experience and workflow
  • Critical for professional photography, especially in high-contrast scenes like landscapes or portraits with mixed lighting
  • 2026 04 14 Colin Smith founder of PhotoshopCAFE introduces Adobe Project Indigo

Source Notes

Source Notes

  • 2026-04-14: [[lab-notes/2026-04-14-Optimizing-AI-Costs-and-Privacy-with-Local-Open-Source-Models-and-Hybr|“But OpenClaw is expensive…“]]