HDR 5/7 images

<p>I'm using 20D/40D and 5DmkII bodies and am trying to shoot 5 and 7 image HDR shots. I have been trying and trying without success.<br>

If anyone knows how to do this or has links that I can read and use, I would really appreciate your help</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>Where, exactly, is the problem? Are you looking for automated ways to take 7 shots in a row on those cameras without user intervention? Are you having problems processing 7 images into a final HDR? Please provide details.</p>

<p>Download Photomatix, pop a bracketed series in, and you're ready to boogie.</p>

<p>Using PTGUI PRO and photomatix. 3 gives pretty good images, but for shooting a room or inside a building 5 or 7 would produce more dynamic lighting without blowing out windows. Also LR5/PSCC</p>

<p>Actually processing 3 is good. Not done 5 or 7. Trying to understand how to set cameras to shoot 5/7</p>

You'll have difficulty doing so on any of those bodies, unless you do so manually. To enable them

to do so with simple shutter clicks, I'm pretty sure your only option is something like magic Lantern,

which, if recall correctly allows 5 and 7 exposure bracketed shooting.

 

Of course is also possible that my memory is faulty, as I haven't used ML in awhile.

<p>With the 20/40D you'll have to bracket manually for anything more than a three image bracket. I think the 5D mkII will automatically do a 5 shot bracket. I know the 6D will.<br>

Photomatix is great, but I prefer HDR Effex Pro from Nik (now Google). HDR Effex seems to get me closer to a finished image quicker than Photomatix, but eventually I can get where I want to be with either.<br>

I should point out that I'm kind of a Luddite, I don't like the "cartoonish" HDR that is too popular currently.<br>

JD</p>

<p>[[Trying to understand how to set cameras to shoot 5/7]]</p>

<p>You cannot. The feature does not exist for those cameras. </p>

<p>Of the cameras listed, only the 5D Mark II is actively supported by Magic Lantern development. </p>

<p>Ron,<br>

I have had my best results with five image groups bracketed at 1.5 EV spacing in Photomatrix Pro 4.2. I do not use exposure bracketing, but instead shoot RAW, post processing the EV spacing. I found too much difficulty with image motion artifacts doing bracketing.<br>

-Dave</p><div></div>

<p>[[but instead shoot RAW, post processing the EV spacing]]</p>

<p>If you're not shooting multiple exposures then, by definition, you're not producing an HDR image. </p>

<p>Rob,</p>

<p>I find your, and a lot of others, definition to be far too limiting. Besides, there is historical proof of single exposure HDR dating back to the mid 1950's:</p>

<p><em>Film capable of directly recording high-dynamic-range images was developed by <a title="Charles Wyckoff" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wyckoff">Charles Wyckoff</a> and <a title="EG&G" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EG%26G">EG&G</a> "in the course of a contract with the Department of the Air Force".<sup id="cite_ref-23"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging#cite_note-23">[23]</a></sup> This XR film had three <a title="Photographic emulsion" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_emulsion">emulsion</a> layers, an upper layer having an <a title="Film speed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_speed#ASA">ASA</a> speed rating of 400, a middle layer with an intermediate rating, and a lower layer with an ASA rating of 0.004. The film was processed in a manner similar to <a title="Color photography" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_photography#.22Modern.22_color_film">color films</a>, and each layer produced a different color.<sup id="cite_ref-24"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging#cite_note-24">[24]</a></sup> The dynamic range of this extended range film has been estimated as 1:10⁸.<sup id="cite_ref-25"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging#cite_note-25">[25]</a></sup> It has been used to photograph nuclear explosions,<sup id="cite_ref-26"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging#cite_note-26">[26]</a></sup> for astronomical photography,<sup id="cite_ref-27"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging#cite_note-27">[27]</a></sup> for spectrographic research,<sup id="cite_ref-28"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging#cite_note-28">[28]</a></sup> and for medical imaging.<sup id="cite_ref-29"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging#cite_note-29">[29]</a></sup> Wyckoff's detailed pictures of nuclear explosions appeared on the cover of <a title="Life magazine" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_magazine">Life</a></em><em> magazine in the mid-1950s.</em> -<strong> <em>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_imaging</em></strong><br /> <br /> Certainly, a single digital exposure parallels this type of sourcing in kind. I believe that the supposed multiple exposure requirements often held onto, are nothing more than a vestigial belief held over from when RAW digital data was not available to most photographers for use in post processing.<br /> <br /> -Dave</p>

<p>[[Certainly, a single digital exposure parallels this type of sourcing in kind.]]</p>

<p>No, it does not. Not in the least. </p>

<p>The belief that a RAW file can contain more information than it actually contains is a based on a complete misunderstanding of digital photography. </p>

While we deviated from the original subject, I believe the question would be, "higher than what?"

RAW files do store a lot more dynamic range than what an 8 bit JPEG can retain, so I also use single capture RAW file to

improve over the reduced dynamic capabilities of a JPEG.

On the other hand, there are times when a single RAW file can't capture the needed dynamic range and then we must

resource to a multiple capture of the same scene.

To me both can be called HDR, but in either scenario I rather like the results of a manual exposure blending.

<p>I've run a test with one subject to compare merged multi-shot bracketed with a single exposure HDR rendering, and results from the single exposure tended more toward clipping at the extreme ends of the histogram.</p>

<p>Before the advent of things like Nik HDR efex Pro, we used to call the one-image processing with bringing up the shadow detail and toning down the highlights (for example, using the Shadow/Highlights feature of Photoshop) the "Ozone system". (<a href="/casual-conversations-forum/00Qwkz">link</a>)</p>

<p>Using the Nik HDR efex on a single image allows nearly as full a "glowing edge" effect as you can get with multiple images. ;)</p>

<p>I shoot a lot of urban exploration pics in abandoned buildings, factories, schools, churches in Detroit. The light can be quite stark - going from complete dark on one side of the room to glaringly bright light near the windows. The challenge is to capture it all. Especially hard to capture the mullions (glass dividers) on the windows, or the stained glass windows</p>

<p>I started with 3 shots, quickly found that wasn't going to do it, tried 5 but got the same issue - not enough range. Went to 7 for most had to do to 10 shots for a few.</p>

<p>I have a 5DM3, it will do 7 by itself, to get more, I half press the shutter release, let it go, then turn the large dial in the back of the camera to adjust the EV up or down to get the additional range. Example... I will shoot 1 set of 7 starting at -8 EV, then a second set starting at -1 EV. That will give me 14 shots total to work from. I won't use all 14, but I can then pick which within those 14 give me the the desired effect.</p>

<p>I use NIK HDR as my tool of choice. My goal is to keep it as realistic as possible, with an occaisional exception. </p>

<p>Here are some examples</p>

<ul>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15883586286</li>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15244069746</li>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15876559760</li>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15127106515</li>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15200369408</li>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15730057918</li>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15749412197</li>

<li>https://www.flickr.com/photos/tudorapmadoc/15740286548</li>

</ul>

<p>Let me know what you think</p>