Canon T4i Digital Camera Review

Dynamic Range

Dynamic range performance with the Canon T4i was essentially on par with the earlier T3i at conservative sensitivity settings, which was expected given that they have very similar sensors. The T4i captured more than six stops of dynamic range up to ISO 800, with results quickly deteriorating beyond that point. They actually deteriorated a bit more quickly than the T3i's, which we'd attribute to less aggressive noise reduction on the T4i's part.

In general, the T4i seems pretty well in line with other cameras we've used in its class, though it does have an unfortunate tendency to meter for the shadows rather than the highlights. This often leads to overexposed skies and very bright shots in general. Some may like this tendency, since it makes shadowy forests and the interiors of houses look pretty good straight out of the camera; those who like to post-process their shots, however, will find it annoying since the blown-out areas cannot be recovered.

There are a number of in-camera capture modes that can help increase dynamic range. Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimizer each let the camera use software trickery to prevent blowing out highlights and keep shadows from turning into inky blackness. The HDR Backlight Control mode, accessed via the mode dial, combines three separate shots to greatly expand the overall dynamic range, though it can sometimes go overboard in the process. Another way to increase dynamic range is to shoot with RAW capture enabled, which gives you the camera's pure sensor output. More on how we test dynamic range.