ReDynaMix HDR Plug-In for PSE

[dj_paige]

This plug-in for the ReDynaMix HDR Plug-In (http://www.mediachance.com/plugins/redynamix.html) says:

The images on this page may look like a HDR (High Dynamic Range) image, but they are not. They are produced from just a single RGB 8bit/channel image processed with our new ReDynaMix plug-in.I had been reading that you can't do HDR in PSE, or you could get close to HDR in PSE but it involved a lot of steps and masking, and yet with this plug-in you get dramatic improvement to photos (yes, it looks to me like HDR). I downloaded the trial and in about 60 seconds, I had made a major improvement to one of my photos.

I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with this plug-in, and can comment on how this is different from real HDR. Are there any drawbacks to using this method? The reason I ask is that it seems too good to be true (which raises a red flag in my mind) for just $16.

[Chuck S.]

Paige, it looks like a good effect. And I agree that the pricing is attractive!

As I understand it, "real" HDR involves taking multiple photos in a range of exposure values, then combining (sandwiching?) all the photos together to get an extended range of EV's. Given that most cameras have a limited range for a single photo, the multiple exposures provide an extension of the range. I read recently that some HDR aficionados are taking as many as 20 photos for a single shot!

As the plug-in is only working with a single photo, it would seem to be limited to the range of EV's captured by the camera. I'm guessing that it incorporates some noise reduction, because when one starts 'lifiting' the values in dark areas, noise becomes an obvious nuisance.

Not everyone likes HDR; I happen to be one who likes it. Looking forward to seeing pictures you've put through the plug-in!

[dj_paige]

Here is the original photo:

http://paiges-page.net/uploaded_images/100_1379.jpg

And after using the ReDynaMix HDR Plug-In
http://paiges-page.net/uploaded_images/100_1379_edited-1.jpg

I guess my only concern is that the web site for this product is, shall we say, not operating properly. If you click on most other products, you get an error or a blank web page, and that makes me skeptical of paying actual money at this time — is this company reputable?

Does anyone have any experience with them?

[Vasni]

I ran the site through McAfee's Site Advisor http://www.siteadvisor.com/ and they report no significant issues. The improvement is impressive!

[TonyW]

Interesting - the company appears to have been around for a while and at least in part based in Ottawa, Canada:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediachance

Tony

[dj_paige]

Actually, I was unable to access parts of their website for several days, but now I can access the entire website. Haven't made the purchase yet.