Easiest way to get 6 exposures for HDR? [Archive] - Canon Digital Photography Forums

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JJD.Photography

21st of May 2010 (Fri), 16:11

I often find that when shooting a scnene that has dark / light areas 3 exposures just are not enough. I am trying to figure out the easiest way to get 6 exposures.

I am thinking set to Manual: bracket 3 shots, roll the shutter speed back or forward and bracket 3 more. But, I am confused on what shutter speeds to pick to keep the exposures evenly spread out 1 or 2 stops.

Cameras are XSi (450D) & 50D

Thanks for any input!

UPDATED: June 08, 2010

So the shutter speed settings are:

30"
25"
20"
15"
13"
10"
8"
6"
5"
4"
3"2
2"5
2"
1"6
1"3
1"
0"8
0"6
0"5
0"4
0"3
1/4
1/5
1/6
1/8
1/10
1/13
1/15
1/20
1/25
1/30
1/40
1/50
1/60
1/80
1/100
1/125
1/160
1/200
1/250
1/320
1/400
1/500
1/640
1/800
1/1000
1/1250
1/1600
1/2000
1/2500
1/3200
1/4000
1/5000
1/6400
1/8000

When Auto exposure bracketing (AEB) at 2 stops there will be 5 speeds between each shot. Meaning if you wanted 6 evenly spaced exposures in AEB mode you would select a "X" shutter speed, shoot 3 shots, then roll the dial 18 times to get the next 3 shots!

Example: AEB at 2 stops - Shutter speed set at 1/250 would yield the following shots: 1/1000 (under exposed) 1/250 (properly exposed) 1/60 (over exposed) - Roll the dial 18 clicks to the left (yes, that is a lot!), and now shoot at 1/4 which yields the following shots 1/15 (under exposed) 1/4 (properly exposed) 1" (over exposed).

Of course stating over, under, and properly exposed is not accurate in this kind of shooting since we are trying to get the whole range of exposures from the six shots. Hopefully the properly exposed image is somewhere in the middle of the 6 shots or you will have either too many over/under exposed images. Depending on the lighting condition, you would need to pick which shutter speed to start with. The darker the condition the slower the shutter speeds. On a bright sunny day, I am thinking f/9-11 and start up with the higher shutter speeds 1/500 to 1/2000.

Hope this helps & makes sense :cool: If there is a easier way, please share. Thank you.

quik28

21st of May 2010 (Fri), 16:58

do it on AV and the camera sorts out the shutter speeds for you! :)

if you bracket 6, you're going to only have 5 shots as two will be at 0?

JJD.Photography

21st of May 2010 (Fri), 17:14

do it on AV and the camera sorts out the shutter speeds for you! :)

if you bracket 6, you're going to only have 5 shots as two will be at 0?

Thanks for your response. I usually shoot on AV with HDR. But...

In Manual mode there is are two different shutter speeds that will allow you to bracket 6 shots without having 2 duplicate shots. I just need to figure out what the 2 speeds are. This make sense?

quik28

21st of May 2010 (Fri), 17:27

I've been trying to work out the 6 shots issue too as i need more levels of exposure. What you're saying makes sense, just didn't realise it was possible at all.

I was thinking of just popping it on a tripod and taking 6 separate shots, adjusting the exposure compensation 6 times. It'd be easiest on the 50D I guess with the wheel on the back?

JJD.Photography

21st of May 2010 (Fri), 17:57

I was thinking of just popping it on a tripod and taking 6 separate shots, adjusting the exposure compensation 6 times. It'd be easiest on the 50D I guess with the wheel on the back?

This would work, but for me that is too much touching of the camera especially since movement is really important with HDR.

Well, if we can get an answer on the two shutter speeds then it would just be clicking the shutter release one time for 3 bracketed shots, then rolling the dial to the next shutter speed for the other 3 shots.

You could even do 3 bracketed shots for a total of 9 exposures!

Here is an example when 3 would just not of cut it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mar43/4288420590/
This is my g/f's image but I helped her by rolling the dial to various slower shutter speeds after she took the 3 in AV mode. I just knew that 3 would not of allowed to see inside the staircase. So, it turns out to be 10 exposures! I just kept going with longer exposures until the images were just blown out!

Gary McDuffie

21st of May 2010 (Fri), 21:07

I was thinking of just popping it on a tripod and taking 6 separate shots, adjusting the exposure compensation 6 times. It'd be easiest on the 50D I guess with the wheel on the back?

A tripod is a must, especially if you have a wide range to shoot. Meter the brightest spot in the shot, meter the darkest spot in the shot, then figure out how to evenly divide that range up with 1 to 2 EV steps. Set up AEB starting at one end or the other, and keep adjusting shutter speed in the direction taking you to the opposite end of the exposure until you get them all. The dark ones will need a good stable tripod. Be careful with your adjustments as you progress through them. My first attempt was an 11EV range. Messed up a few things, but the exposure came out.

JJD.Photography

22nd of May 2010 (Sat), 07:55

A tripod is a must, especially if you have a wide range to shoot. Meter the brightest spot in the shot, meter the darkest spot in the shot, then figure out how to evenly divide that range up with 1 to 2 EV steps. Set up AEB starting at one end or the other, and keep adjusting shutter speed in the direction taking you to the opposite end of the exposure until you get them all. The dark ones will need a good stable tripod. Be careful with your adjustments as you progress through them. My first attempt was an 11EV range. Messed up a few things, but the exposure came out.

That is where I need help. What is considered one stop? Two stops? When you change the shutter speed one click, is that a stop or half a stop or what?

Thanks!

Gary McDuffie

22nd of May 2010 (Sat), 12:36

I think that the default is 1/3 stop, but can be changed in the menu to 1/2 if you want. I leave mine on 1/3. Three clicks per stop, as indicated by the light meter.

Addicted2EOS

24th of May 2010 (Mon), 13:04

http://www.promotesystems.com/products/Promote-Control.html

Have it and love it!

JJD.Photography

8th of June 2010 (Tue), 15:47

So the shutter speed settings are:

30"
25"
20"
15"
13"
10"
8"
6"
5"
4"
3"2
2"5
2"
1"6
1"3
1"
0"8
0"6
0"5
0"4
0"3
1/4
1/5
1/6
1/8
1/10
1/13
1/15
1/20
1/25
1/30
1/40
1/50
1/60
1/80
1/100
1/125
1/160
1/200
1/250
1/320
1/400
1/500
1/640
1/800
1/1000
1/1250
1/1600
1/2000
1/2500
1/3200
1/4000
1/5000
1/6400
1/8000

When Auto exposure bracketing (AEB) at 2 stops there will be 5 speeds between each shot. Meaning if you wanted 6 evenly spaced exposures in AEB mode you would select a "X" shutter speed, shoot 3 shots, then roll the dial 18 times to get the next 3 shots!

Example: AEB at 2 stops - Shutter speed set at 1/250 would yield the following shots: 1/1000 (under exposed) 1/250 (properly exposed) 1/60 (over exposed) - Roll the dial 18 clicks to the left (yes, that is a lot!), and now shoot at 1/4 which yields the following shots 1/15 (under exposed) 1/4 (properly exposed) 1" (over exposed).

Of course stating over, under, and properly exposed is not accurate in this kind of shooting since we are trying to get the whole range of exposures from the six shots. Hopefully the properly exposed image is somewhere in the middle of the 6 shots or you will have either too many over/under exposed images. Depending on the lighting condition, you would need to pick which shutter speed to start with. The darker the condition the slower the shutter speeds. On a bright sunny day, I am thinking f/9-11 and start up with the higher shutter speeds 1/500 to 1/2000.

Hope this helps & makes sense :cool: If there is a easier way, please share. Thank you.

Analog6

8th of June 2010 (Tue), 15:55

JJD.Photography

8th of June 2010 (Tue), 16:06

I have a book on HDR which recommends that you bracket shutter speed rather than aperture to avoid POV changes. I usually do it that way. Ste an exposure, and start at 1 stop under (going by the display in the viewfinder) to one stop over. If it is not too contrasty, I may only shoot 4 from 2/3 under to 1/3 over. Depends on the scene. I just roll the wheel.

You make the adjustment by changing the exposure compensation? Not sure I am understanding how you get the shots.

Then I will go up or down to the next aperture and do it again.

If you change the aperture, you change the POV as you stated above. I am guessing you mean shutter speed?

Either way it seems the dial has got to be moved whether adjusting the exposure compensation or shutter speed. 18 clicks gets you 6 evenly spread images at 2 stops apart. I just tested it :cool:

Marius B

8th of June 2010 (Tue), 16:13

JJD.Photography

8th of June 2010 (Tue), 17:15

From this thread: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=875170

I have barely tried C1 - C3

But this is how I have set it up Shutterspeed from 1/8000 to 8 sec, now I am not sure I will stay with these settings. I don't know if it I need to go down to -1/0+1 instead of -2/0/+2 on the bracketing and I think I will go for slower shutterspeeds I have never used 1/8000 on sunsets.

C1
M
ISO 100
AEB -2/0/+2
MLU activated
Aperture f16
SS 2 sec
Gives me 0,5sec/2sec/8sec

C2
M
ISO 100
AEB -2/0/+2
MLU activated
Aperture f16
SS 1/30
Gives me 1/125 -1/30 - 1/8

C3
M
ISO 100
AEB -2/0/+2
MLU activated
Aperture f16
SS 1/2000
Gives me 1/8000 - 1/2000 - 1/500

This makes perfect sense, I think...
The 50D only has C1 & C2 so this should allow the 6 exposures by rotating the shooting style dial one click rather than moving the shutter dial 18 clicks! I just did some quick reading on C1 & C2 (CA) and I have to ask, how many times must you press the shutter button to get the 3 shots in C1 w/ mirror lock up? If one time, awesome! If 3 times, I will most likely set the C1 & C2 up w/o mirror lock up as I don't think it makes that much of a difference when talking about HDR & mirror lock up. IMO speed is more important to avoid ghosting / blurring of objects then locking the mirror and having to take the time and press the shutter button multiple times.

Thanks for any help!

kirkt

9th of June 2010 (Wed), 08:33

http://www.hdrlabs.com/tutorials/downloads_files/Witte_HDR_Bracketing_Charts.pdf

mikestarr

10th of June 2010 (Thu), 07:59

some good info here...might take me a couple times reading it over but good post

JJD.Photography

12th of June 2010 (Sat), 06:54

http://www.hdrlabs.com/tutorials/downloads_files/Witte_HDR_Bracketing_Charts.pdf

Pretty good chart, but you are still having to rotate the dial 9 times each set of shots.

I did get out in the field and used the C1 & C2 functions on the 50D. Very cool and useful! I bracketed 6 exposures @ 2 stops for the two modes with the longest shutter speed at 4". At times 4" was too much, so I would just bracket 3 shots in Av mode for that shot. I think next time I will set up C1 & C2 to bracket at 1 stop. And now that I know how to use the Custom modes I can even wait until I am at the shooting scene before I set them up :cool:

Marius B

12th of June 2010 (Sat), 16:36

This makes perfect sense, I think...
The 50D only has C1 & C2 so this should allow the 6 exposures by rotating the shooting style dial one click rather than moving the shutter dial 18 clicks! I just did some quick reading on C1 & C2 (CA) and I have to ask, how many times must you press the shutter button to get the 3 shots in C1 w/ mirror lock up? If one time, awesome! If 3 times, I will most likely set the C1 & C2 up w/o mirror lock up as I don't think it makes that much of a difference when talking about HDR & mirror lock up. IMO speed is more important to avoid ghosting / blurring of objects then locking the mirror and having to take the time and press the shutter button multiple times.

Thanks for any help!

I use mirror lock up and remote release, have to press the shutter for each shot. I usually shoot things not moving excepts waves.