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[Robert T Higaki]

In Martin Evening's book - The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book(page 255),- "If you shoot using raw mode, the histogram display on a digital camera is misleading because it is based on what a JPEG capture would record, and the dynamic range of a JPEG capture will always be less than that available from a raw file."
   "In other words , don't let the camera histogram unduly sway your judgement if you have good reason to believe you are shooting with a correct camera exposure."
    How do you- guys feel about this?

                                                          Bob-the slide shooter at heart

[MarkNicholas]

If you shoot RAW it is recommended that you neutralise all the camera output settings. Zero sharpening, contrast, brightness etc. By doing this you are supposedly getting a more accurate histogram for the RAW file.
 
This is not much good if you shoot RAW + Jpeg but ok if you only shoot RAW. You need to remember to change the settings back if you ever take Jpegs .

[sizzlingbadger]

The histogram is a guide only.

[Victoria Bampton]

The histogram's still a good guide - if the histogram looks good for the jpeg, you'll be about right for the raw file too, except you'll have a bit more latitude at either end.  What he's saying is that if shadows or highlights look slightly clipped on the histogram of the jpeg, they can probably still be pulled back on the raw file.

[sizzlingbadger]

I agree, it's certainly accurate enough in camera to know when you have pushed it too far.

[Braders]

The histogram is good guide. Expose to the right. If all the info on camera is to the right and still visible, then in LR, in theory, the graph will shift a little to the left, away from the highlights. I find it touch and go when nearing overexposure, to see a difference though.

[b_gossweiler]

I think where you have to be careful is if you have any auto adjustments (e.g. Auto Lighting Optimizer for Canon) switched on in your camera, which changes exposure for your JPEG (and for your histogram).

I think these mechanisms are bad anyway when using RAWs afterwards, as you're not able to really see if you screwed up with your exposure.

Beat

[Victoria Bampton]

That's an excellent point Beat.  Well remembered!

[Robert T Higaki]

I thought that was an interesting comment by Martin Evening. I have been using slide film for about seventeen years. And, as you know, the slide film is unforgiving. If you screw up the exposure, it shows on the slide film. So, I will continue as I have always done with exposures.  But, I will take sneak peak at the histogram to make sure I my adjustments are within the latitude of the scene dynamic range. I do have Photomatix which is a whole another story.

                                                            Bob- the slide shooter at heart