What is the best HDR software?

Take a look at the Photomatix tutorial here: http://www.hdrsoft.com​/resources/tut0_win/pa​rt1.html

In this case you'd drop the normal (middle) exposure so the difference between the remaining two exposures will be 4 stops.

expatdude wrote in post #4524410
Nice. Excuse my ignorance, but how can you get +4 stops using a 40d? My exposure compensation only goes to 2. Do I have to do it manually with a mental calculation of the exposure time?

tzalman wrote in post #4526691
12 clicks actually, each click is 1/3 of a stop.

D'oh! Don't post tired, don't post tired, don't post tired...

FedkaTheConvict wrote in post #4526736
Take a look at the Photomatix tutorial here: http://www.hdrsoft.com​/resources/tut0_win/pa​rt1.html

In this case you'd drop the normal (middle) exposure so the difference between the remaining two exposures will be 4 stops.

From what I understand this will not work. The first exposure is supposed to be normally exposed and the second is supposed to be 4 stops above. Your method would give one normally exposed shot, and one shot each of two stops below and two above. Correct me if I'm wrong. As far as I can see, the only way to get the normal + 4 stops above is manually with 12 clicks or a calculation. Too bad, because it will slow things down and make handholding a lot less likely option. I wish Canon would expand the exposure compensation options.

Edit: Just to clarify, my post was in response to _GUI_'s method in the post above my first post in this thread in which he outlines a method using no HDR specific tools, just Photoshop, layers and blending.

expatdude wrote in post #4531171
Correct me if I'm wrong. As far as I can see, the only way to get the normal + 4 stops above is manually with 12 clicks or a calculation. Too bad, because it will slow things down and make handholding a lot less likely option. I wish Canon would expand the exposure compensation options.

No. You can use M mode and set aperture/shutter value so that the -2EV bracketed shot will correspond to the desired 0EV (i.e. maximum exposure without blowing info). This way the +2EV bracketed exposure will be our desired +4EV.
If you do that using mirror lockup and a remote shutter, the alignment between the image will be very accurate.

Moreover, in the new cameras such as the 40D, I have been told the Liveview mode allows to block the mirror up, so it will not move during the whole bracketing operation. That should yield even better alignment results.

I wish Canon would expand the bracketing range anyway for even higher DR scenes (0EV, +3EV, +6EV for instance). But for 0EV, +4EV we don't need to touch the camera.

I try with photoshop but its to confusing.I use PHOTOMATIX, AND I LOVE IT!

The 1D series goes to +/- 3. Also, the old 1D Classic, with it's CCD sensor makes some really excellent images for HDR Photomatix, which is what I ended up buying after trying all the others.

GUI, I read your site and explanations... me thinks you're a pretty smart cookie. What is your background, 'cuz you obviously like math?

Darvon wrote in post #6441789
GUI, I read your site and explanations... me thinks you're a pretty smart cookie. What is your background, 'cuz you obviously like math?

I am a (retired ) telecom engineer.

BR

GUI- great results with your own method of hdr. Can you explain in laymen's terms exactly how you set the blending options please

robdridan wrote in post #6567917
GUI- great results with your own method of hdr. Can you explain in laymen's terms exactly how you set the blending options please

There is not much to set, I most of the times let the blending threshold to 90% and apply some 4 or 5 px or progressive blending radius (usually I don't like to use the anti-ghosting, if there are moving elements in the scene I manually paint on the fusion map to force those areas to be taken from a single shot, avoiding ghosting keeping noise reduction optimum for the rest of the image).
I always use the Median method for exposure calculation (press the 'A' from Average that will turn into a 'M' of Median).

BR

Hi, Photomatix.

but before you buy have a look at what results with it and Photoshop and how here

http://stuckincustoms.​com/2006/06/06/548/

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CS4 for me, but I seem to like doing things the hard way.

I belive using three images is typical, but will more frames always give you a better result?

In the new Photomatix version, 5 or 7, or even 9 seems to give smoother renders.

Phil Light wrote in post #6744482
I belive using three images is typical, but will more frames always give you a better result?

Yes and no. In theory, if blending programs like Photomatix or the Photoshop's HDR were optimum, with 3 shots properly spaced we should have enough to properly capture 99% of high dynamic range scenes. In fact with just 2 shots 4 stops apart, a modest Canon 350D can capture with a very high quality scenes of up to 12 f-stops of real DR (read ZERO NOISE HDR VIRTUAL RAW).

The problem is that those programs normally fail to blend images if the difference in exposure is too high, that is why to yield good results they need more shots than really needed.
And more shots has the drawback of more effort and time to get them, more storage space, more processing time, and above all a loss of sharpness if they are not milimetrically aligned (which is common).

Find here a HDR scene captured used just 2 shots, 4 1/3 stops apart. Not Photomatix nor PS HDR managed to blend the RAW files properly, while a simple program I wrote (Zero Noise) did, and it even allowed manual anti-ghosting to avoid the artifacts of the moving character. In Photomatix and Photoshop HDR ghosting appeared: