Maximum Dynamic Range

The
Pentax K-5 has the largest dynamic range we've seen of any camera at 14.1 EV.
Dynamic range refers to the maximum range a camera can capture from lightest to darkest. Cameras with more dynamic range can capture more variation in tone from light to dark, and can capture detail in lighter and darker parts of the image. This is especially useful when shooting RAW, the more range you have to start with, the more easily you can pull detail back from over or under exposed parts of the image.
Snapsort uses measurements from DxOMark for dynamic range. DxOMark recommends having a lot of dynamic range for landscape photography. These measurements are only available for cameras that shoot RAW which includes all DSLRs and a few high-end point and shoots.
Great Dynamic Range

An incredible black & white portrait taken with a
Leica M8 rangefinder. Photography by
Astragony via Flickr. ISO 320, 1/125s, unknown aperture and focal-length.
RAW Measurements
Dynamic range is measured by DxOMark based on the RAW images produced by the camera, not the final JPEG images. If you normally shoot in RAW, then you can be confident that these measurements will affect the dynamic range you'll see in your images. If you shoot JPEG though, there is further processing done by the camera once the image has been captured, which is not measured by these numbers, which may mean some cameras JPEG images are slightly worse or better than you'd expect.
Digital Cameras with Great Dynamic Range
Compact Cameras
The following compact cameras the largest dynamic range we've seen, keep in mind that only a few compact cameras are measured.
Mirrorless Interchangeable-lens Cameras
The following mirrorless interchangable lens cameras have the largest dynamic range we've seen.
Entry Level DSLRs
The following entry level SLRs have the largest dynamic range.
Pro DSLRs
The following Pro SLRs have the largest dynamic range.
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