If One RAW is enough for an hdr...

[mirox]

Heads up: Newbie Question, will be 'thinking out loud' here.

I've been looking for this up for quite a while, but I can't find a definitive answer. I've done HDR's with the simple 2 ev bracketing with 3 JPEGs, but is this roughly equivalent to one RAW HDR?

And if so, since we have that exposure data with the RAW that extends 2ev's, does that mean we'd have a range like this with the RAW's? (comparing to the jpegs)..

Overexposure.................. +2 from base, RAW Exposrue max +4 from base
Middle/Base Exposure....... 0 / base
Underexposure................. -2 from base, RAW Exposure min -4 from base

Or would these extremes be so over/under exposed that they're useless? After researching, it seems most people just shoot 1-3 RAW's and use Photomatrix.

Any help is appreciated!

[mirox]

70 views? Nobody will touch this with a 10 foot pole, even across the net it seems. Is this batty logic or what?

[tmcman]

Here's my ten foot pole:
The way I understand it, subject to correction by wiser shooters, is
if you take a shot captured at exposure compensation 0 and push it +2 stops in post production
and also take the same shot captured at exposure compensation +2 stops
you would not have the same file.
The better quality file is the one taken in the camera at exposure compensation +2.
So my answer is no, three files taken in camera does not equal one raw file.

[msclman99]

Sorry, I don't really know much about hdr but from what I understand, 3 jpegs are better than 1 raw and 3 raws are better than everything.

[Gary McDuffie]

Five to nine raws are even better. :)

[Kevin]

Heads up: Newbie Question, will be 'thinking out loud' here.

I've been looking for this up for quite a while, but I can't find a definitive answer. I've done HDR's with the simple 2 ev bracketing with 3 JPEGs, but is this roughly equivalent to one RAW HDR?

And if so, since we have that exposure data with the RAW that extends 2ev's, does that mean we'd have a range like this with the RAW's? (comparing to the jpegs)..

Overexposure.................. +2 from base, RAW Exposrue max +4 from base
Middle/Base Exposure....... 0 / base
Underexposure................. -2 from base, RAW Exposure min -4 from base

Or would these extremes be so over/under exposed that they're useless? After researching, it seems most people just shoot 1-3 RAW's and use Photomatrix.

Any help is appreciated!
Do a search on this topic and you will be surprised as to how many threads regarding this same issue. However, to give you a quick answer if you push or suppress exposure at the post production level all you are doing is attempting to pull out detail in the shadows and push detail into the highlights. Not the same as actually taking multiple exposures that are exposing for the details within the shadows and underexposing to keep from blowing out what detail is in the highlights. High Dynamic Range is to blend multiple exposures of which each one, except for maybe the neutral exposure, would not in themselves be a properly exposed image. It's like taking advantage of the zone system through more than one exposure value.

[Kevin]

Five to nine raws are even better. :)
Just a note regarding this philosophy, if the dynamic range within the scene does not extend five, seven or even nine stops then you won't have properly exposed images to tone map.

[Gary McDuffie]

Just a note regarding this philosophy, if the dynamic range within the scene does not extend five, seven or even nine stops then you won't have properly exposed images to tone map.

Correct. I'm not a good visual judge, but I would guess that the OP would benefit considerably from 5 or so. I like to take a reading for the lights, one for the darks, and fill in the gap.

[wolfden]

a -2 0 +2 will generate a noticeable difference

using PP to create -2 0 +2 will give more than just a 1 RAW file

using 1 RAW will work, but look out for noise. it will also give a different effect vs. bracketed.

Seriously, it all depends on the pic. I have see a single raw conversion come out better looking than a bracketed shot. It's all about what the look you are trying to achieve