Benny Pedersen
July 11th, 2008, 11:48 PM
Julie - About your reply to URL: http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/files/5/1/9/2/9179w429x600q91_thumb.jpg (http://www.elementsvillage.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=5953&c=member&imageuser=5192)
Opened all 3 RAW files in psE ACR plugin as 16 bit.
Saved as PSD (would become 16 bit psd files).
The underexposed was opened 3 times (recovery 100), expose: -4, -2, 0 EV.
Photomatix Pro proceeded all 5 PSD files
(Since recovery was used, don't use psCS because its
computing Camera Response Curves thing would failure).
under exposed -4EV PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
under exposed -2EV PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
under exposed +0 PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
neutral exposed +2 PSD (source was _MG_9179.CR2)
over exposed +4 PSD (source was _MG_9181.CR2)
http://www.fineraw.com/elementsvillage/9179_tut.jpg
PM-PRO would read all 5 PSD files, but can't save the result as PSD.
While in PM-Pro, tonemap the HDRi and save the work as a 16 bit TIF file.
Open the TIF file, save as PSD. Export one TIF file to be opened in LZ.
Saved two 16 bit TIF files, one Zonemapped (not Tonemapped),
and another with MT Green sharpen + BW Blue filter, from which
http://www.fineraw.com/elementsvillage/9179_LZw400x600q41.jpg
one concluded that even it's mathematical demonstrable that an average
is always better than the worst of both limits, it's not always that true!
Anyhow: More time used (lets say 7 hours instead of 5 per image) would
give a better result (as long we avoid the inexact (inaccurate ?) masks
in psCS, Levels, and etc... ofcause (use LZ instead).
Mix all layers in psE, or psCS.
As you know, underexposed files are used to create
the highlights, and the overexposed for the shadows.
In this case, I couldn't get enought details in the
hightlights from one RAW file "_MG_9180.CR2".
Tips: If the 5'th image (the +4 one) was shaked, then
one could see what is "_MG_9178.CR2" (maybe the last photo in a previous shoot sequence).
One could also construct the +4 one with the "_MG_9179.CR2" raw opened
in ACR, Exposure +2.00 (Recovery is 0 because nothing good is recovered from
a bright source anyway) -- Prefer real shots overexposed with less noise...
Benny,
PS. Sometimes one had better results from the psCS "Merge to HDR" thing,
but in this case, "Photomatix PRO" did it better...
BTW.
If using the "Exposure and Gamma" method in psCS
when converting the HDRi file from 32 to 16 or 8 bit after
tonemapped 32 bit with PM 1.2 plugin, it's important that
one specify exposure setting 0 (zero) in the HDR Conversion box.
A bug in psCS distorts your image even if a bit exposure change
-0.01 or +0.01 were specified...
I also found bugs in the Photomatix 1.2 plugin - it can't read its own XML files, etc...
but since you can't specify the EV for each image in psCS, etc... I would prefer PM PRO instead.
Lots other HDR software was tested but they should better give money for downloading
such garbage than reciving payment, instead...
Opened all 3 RAW files in psE ACR plugin as 16 bit.
Saved as PSD (would become 16 bit psd files).
The underexposed was opened 3 times (recovery 100), expose: -4, -2, 0 EV.
Photomatix Pro proceeded all 5 PSD files
(Since recovery was used, don't use psCS because its
computing Camera Response Curves thing would failure).
under exposed -4EV PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
under exposed -2EV PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
under exposed +0 PSD (source was _MG_9180.CR2)
neutral exposed +2 PSD (source was _MG_9179.CR2)
over exposed +4 PSD (source was _MG_9181.CR2)
http://www.fineraw.com/elementsvillage/9179_tut.jpg
PM-PRO would read all 5 PSD files, but can't save the result as PSD.
While in PM-Pro, tonemap the HDRi and save the work as a 16 bit TIF file.
Open the TIF file, save as PSD. Export one TIF file to be opened in LZ.
Saved two 16 bit TIF files, one Zonemapped (not Tonemapped),
and another with MT Green sharpen + BW Blue filter, from which
http://www.fineraw.com/elementsvillage/9179_LZw400x600q41.jpg
one concluded that even it's mathematical demonstrable that an average
is always better than the worst of both limits, it's not always that true!
Anyhow: More time used (lets say 7 hours instead of 5 per image) would
give a better result (as long we avoid the inexact (inaccurate ?) masks
in psCS, Levels, and etc... ofcause (use LZ instead).
Mix all layers in psE, or psCS.
As you know, underexposed files are used to create
the highlights, and the overexposed for the shadows.
In this case, I couldn't get enought details in the
hightlights from one RAW file "_MG_9180.CR2".
Tips: If the 5'th image (the +4 one) was shaked, then
one could see what is "_MG_9178.CR2" (maybe the last photo in a previous shoot sequence).
One could also construct the +4 one with the "_MG_9179.CR2" raw opened
in ACR, Exposure +2.00 (Recovery is 0 because nothing good is recovered from
a bright source anyway) -- Prefer real shots overexposed with less noise...
Benny,
PS. Sometimes one had better results from the psCS "Merge to HDR" thing,
but in this case, "Photomatix PRO" did it better...
BTW.
If using the "Exposure and Gamma" method in psCS
when converting the HDRi file from 32 to 16 or 8 bit after
tonemapped 32 bit with PM 1.2 plugin, it's important that
one specify exposure setting 0 (zero) in the HDR Conversion box.
A bug in psCS distorts your image even if a bit exposure change
-0.01 or +0.01 were specified...
I also found bugs in the Photomatix 1.2 plugin - it can't read its own XML files, etc...
but since you can't specify the EV for each image in psCS, etc... I would prefer PM PRO instead.
Lots other HDR software was tested but they should better give money for downloading
such garbage than reciving payment, instead...