see also:

• the Olympus OM-D system and how to make the most of it
• Picture Modes on Olympus cameras

• each of the Picture Modes in the jpeg rendering options of Olympus cameras allows you set a parameter called “gradation”

• the Olympus image processing engine attempts to get as much dynamic range (range of brightness from very dark to very bright) as possible squeezed into the jpeg file
• best used for high contrast scenes where you want both highlight and shadow detail
• the modern Olympus cameras can achieve a remarkable dynamic range:

Comparison jpeg results of dynamic range from dpreview.com

• no gradation algorithms are applied

• Gradation is applied that best suits a dark subject that NORMAL gradation would process to be lighter.
• It can be used to make images that have a somewhat somber mood and are darker but retain shadow detail

• Gradation is applied that best suits a bright subject, such as silhouettes on a foggy day.
• It processes images so they are bright with slightly higher contrast in the brightest areas.
• Gives a transparent and fresh look