HDR Bracketing: One or two stops?

[Bobobird]

Thanks Mike. Dont have Lightroom only CS5.

[Shadowman]

i am using nikon d60. i tried to look for bracketing but i can't find it. just want to try learning and making HDR images. how to do it using my dslr? please help...

I have the D60 and the only way to bracket is to do it manually. The exposure compensation can be set to +/-5 stops. Page 67 of your manual.

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Mike. Dont have Lightroom only CS5.

CS5 has HDR functionality built in.

[Colin Southern]

Personally, I do not quite like the garish looks that many produce with HDR, preferring instead to be honest to the actual scene. Hence my interest in HDR is more for reflecting the true scene instead of mutilating it (called art by some).

I couldn't agree more. Ironically though, last time I checked the Photomatix website, the examples there were actually very good; I think the big "problem" is many folks mistake over-saturated - over sharpened - over contrast mush (oops, I mean ultra tone-mapped) images for HDR, and just go crazy with the sliders. The program is actually very good, although I think its sale needs to be "restricted" (if you catch my drift)!

[FrankMi]

I have the D60 and the only way to bracket is to do it manually. The exposure compensation can be set to +/-5 stops.

I have the D3100 and no Auto-Bracketing. Simply use the exposure compensation. No problem, it just takes a few seconds more to get the shots.

[_GUI_]

I would assume that he's talking about the processing of the HDR composite once the multiple exposures have already been combined. Many seem to forget that this step is necessary, and assume that an image is "good to go" once it pops out of the likes of Photomatix.

That is correct Colin, the 'ACR tone mapping' was just an ACR adjustment over the DNG file already containing the mix of the two shots 4EV apart as a result of the RAW fusion.

That is not the proper way to tone map any scene. I just wanted to adjust some ACR settings to obtain a fairly nice image straight from ACR. But the right way to do it is by locally adjusting brightness, either with some good tone mapping software or any manual procedure in Photoshop (e.g. using mask layers).

Regards

[Colin Southern]

That is correct Colin, the 'ACR tone mapping' was just an ACR adjustment over the DNG file already containing the mix of the two shots 4EV apart as a result of the RAW fusion.

That is not the proper way to tone map any scene. I just wanted to adjust some ACR settings to obtain a fairly nice image straight from ACR. But the right way to do it is by locally adjusting brightness, either with some good tone mapping software or any manual procedure in Photoshop (e.g. using mask layers).

Regards

Hi Guillermo,

Thanks for clarifying that (no pun intended )

Great to have you pop in and see us -- seems like so long between visits these days

[steve40]

A rule of thumb could be; a low contrast scene +- 1 stop would be sufficent; a high contrast scene +- 2 stops would be required. As a general rule useing +- 2 stops would always be on the safe side. And of course you can always tilt the exposure range; using your EV setting to get a little brighter, or darker set of images. The only cameras I know of right off, that will auto bracket 5 stops are some of the Nikons.

[Colin Southern]

A rule of thumb could be; a low contrast scene +- 1 stop would be sufficent

Hi Steve,

If its a low-contrast scene then you probably won't need to be using HDR anyway (most cameras are capturing around 12 stps of DR these days). Like Guillermo, I've never seen a situation where only a 1 stop bracket was of any benefit.

Canon 1D cameras have traditionally stopped at a +/- 3EV bracket, but I believe that they've extended this to 5 with the new Canon 1Dx (thanks Nikon!)

[steve40]

Hi Steve,

If its a low-contrast scene then you probably won't need to be using HDR anyway (most cameras are capturing around 12 stps of DR these days). Like Guillermo, I've never seen a situation where only a 1 stop bracket was of any benefit.

Canon 1D cameras have traditionally stopped at a +/- 3EV bracket, but I believe that they've extended this to 5 with the new Canon 1Dx (thanks Nikon!)

+- 1 stop was all I used to have, so thats what I used. What I mean by low/high contrast is intensly lighted with deep shadows, and normally lighted with mild shadows. +- 1 stop is ok, if you are not into surreal looking HDR.

[Bobobird]

PM worked.

Thanks for turning up Guillermo.

[Glenn NK]

Thanks Glenn. Do you have a link for the overexposure thread?

As for sending him a PM - good idea to prompt a return here if the "you have pm" email gets his attention. Will do just that.

Bobo:

I'm still looking for it, but in the meantime this one is interesting:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...=over+exposure

Guillermo doesn't chime in until post number 17, but it is enlightening.

Then I ask him a question (No.20) and he replies in No.21 (these are the settings I use).

I'll look some more for the other thread.

Glenn