Point and Shoot for HDR

<p>Wondering which is a good camera to shoot HDR images with. I have a canon 20D and would like to have something I can shoot AEB 3 bracket continous shots or even 5, but thats the thing it needs to have a fairly high burst rate as I prefer to shoot handheld. Any suggestions?</p>

<p>HDR handheld...that's going to be tuff. Even with my monopod I need to brace against a rock wall or tree to get acceptable results and avoid ghosting.<br>

Could use some more info, like what's wrong with using your 20D and why a point and shoot? Also, do you have a budget in mind? The Canon Powershot G12 does AEB, even has built in HDR. Burst rate isn't any better than your 20D. For that kind of money or less you could get a refurb\used XTI or and take advantage of whatever lenses you have for your 20D. Not as small as a point and shoot, but not big\heavy either.</p>

<p>Nothing wrong with my 20D at all, but I would like something in my truck all the time, just in case I see a shot I like while out and about.Burst rate for my 20D is around 5fps, so i was thinking of around 4 - 6 would be about right.As far as budget goes If its the right camera, and does what i need it to do, then maybe up to $500. But for that much it better do exactly what I would like. Its not about megapixels either, my 20D is only 8, and I can't even think of why I would need more, but most P & S cameras are in the 10-14 range which is way more than I need. I'd take a 10 if it had more low light capability. Thats when most of the great images are anyways at dusk and dawn. then theres the lens which is also very important. A 28-140 ( equivalent) lens is just right. Don't need more than that.</p>

<p>Something like the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/749811-REG/Fujifilm_16113196_Finepix_F550EXR_Digital_Camera.html">Fujifilm Finepix F550EXR</a> might be what you are looking for. Up to 8 frames a sec, auto bracketing, 16MP, 24-360 equiv lens, and around 300.00. I'll let other chime in who may have actual experience with this scenario, I'm only basing this suggestion off a couple reviews I read.</p>

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I have the F550EXR and often use exposure bracketing. The framing varies a lot despite the 3 images being snapped within half a second. I do not believe it is usable for hand-held HDR.

 

Recent Sony HX models have in-camera HDR, but produce considerably worse results than the Canon G12, which also has it. See the DCresource.com G12 review, Look and Feel page.

<p>I also get Digital Photography magazine and they did a review of top end point and shoots. I know very little about Casio cameras but this one: CASIO EXILIM EX-ZR100 looks very good. It does burst rates up to 40fps as well as quite a few other things, not sure about bracketing though.<br>

Anyone heard anything about it?<br /><br /></p>

The Casio FH100 was pretty good (best of bunch in 2010 Dpreview travel zoom test) but I don't know how the ZR100 relates to it in Casio's product line.

<p>I have had good success with the Panasonic LX3. It will capture 3 shots, up to 3 stops apart. From what I understand, the LX5 will do this, too.</p>

<p>The burst rate doesn't matter *that* much. I, too, shoot handheld. (I see little point in mounting a P&S on a tripod.) Just be steady. Line something up, and keep it lined up. The latest version of Photomatix does a wonderful job aligning images. I used to do that part in Photoshop, but no longer.</p>

<p>I might look at the new Olympus PEN ep-3. It will shoot 5 frames, one stop apart, at 5.5 fps. If they made that adjustable to +/- 3 stops, I think that would be ideal for a compact camera.</p>

<p>The new Fuji X100 only shoots 3 images at 1 stop apart, also at 5.5 fps. I'm really hoping they have a firmware enhancement down the line that changes this. Give me +/- 3, and this would be an ideal compact for HDR. The downside to the X100 is that there is a significant pause after shooting those 3 frames.</p>

<p>Eric</p>

<p>If you're looking for 3 shot AEB there are lots of options. If you're looking for 5 shot AEB then your choices are limited. The Nikon P7000 shoots 5 shot AEB. Of course, you should use a tripod as handheld 5 shot AEB is very difficult to shoot.</p>

<p>Well isn't the burst rate important because you want the shots to happen in as quick a succession as possible?</p>

<p>Yes, the burst rate is important. It's more important to be able to select more photos and have more options in how far apart the exposures are. For doing HDR, I'd rather have a 3 fps camera that lets me shoot 2 or 3 stops apart than a 5.5 fps that will shoot 3 frames only 1 stop apart.</p>

<p>That said, I have to worry less about subject movement when I'm shooting at 10 fps with my dSLR than with a pocket camera. But it's not the end of the world if I'm shooting slower. Latest version of Photomatix makes it a breeze to shoot moving objects and clean up the ghosting manually.</p>

<p>Eric</p>