Sony Alpha 900 & HDR processing options

[Dave Gurtcheff]

Hi all:
I have been experimenting with the A900 and HDR. I used the camera's auto bracket function with high speed motor drive. I used the plus/minus 2X bracket. I used a monopod with IS "ON" and then "OFF", to see if it made any difference in the images lining up. (it didn't seem to matter). I batch processed in DXO Optics Pro using DXO defaults. I then loaded the three images into Photomatix Pro 3.0 for making an HDR image. The results (these were just snapshots of my home interior, with bright outside areas in the windows, making a rather high contrast scene)....were somewhat disapointing. Colors became pastel like, and in some cases exagerated.
I am now experimenting with the camera's built in DRO Optimizer. This is amazing. You can select Hi or Lo. One push of the shutter release provides three images. The exposures are identical, but the histogram shifts left then right. This may be all you need in post processing...merely select the best image. But I carried it a step further. I loaded the three images into Photomatix Pro, to create an HDR image. The results look promising. I am in the process of trying different RAW processors (I am now trying the Sony software, which I have never used before). I will also try DXO. Has anyone used this method? What was your experience? BTW Photomatix thinks the images are identical, as the exposure data is the same, and a dialogue pop-up asks to manually assign exposure variations (I chose the minimum of -1/3, 0, and +1/3. Seems to work.
Thanks in advance  
Dave Gurtcheff
Beach Haven, NJ

[BernardLanguillier]

Hi all:
I have been experimenting with the A900 and HDR. I used the camera's auto bracket function with high speed motor drive. I used the plus/minus 2X bracket. I used a monopod with IS "ON" and then "OFF", to see if it made any difference in the images lining up. (it didn't seem to matter). I batch processed in DXO Optics Pro using DXO defaults. I then loaded the three images into Photomatix Pro 3.0 for making an HDR image. The results (these were just snapshots of my home interior, with bright outside areas in the windows, making a rather high contrast scene)....were somewhat disapointing. Colors became pastel like, and in some cases exagerated.
I am now experimenting with the camera's built in DRO Optimizer. This is amazing. You can select Hi or Lo. One push of the shutter release provides three images. The exposures are identical, but the histogram shifts left then right. This may be all you need in post processing...merely select the best image. But I carried it a step further. I loaded the three images into Photomatix Pro, to create an HDR image. The results look promising. I am in the process of trying different RAW processors (I am now trying the Sony software, which I have never used before). I will also try DXO. Has anyone used this method? What was your experience? BTW Photomatix thinks the images are identical, as the exposure data is the same, and a dialogue pop-up asks to manually assign exposure variations (I chose the minimum of -1/3, 0, and +1/3. Seems to work.
Thanks in advance  
Dave Gurtcheff
Beach Haven, NJ

I don't see how the A900 could do a better job in camera with the generation of 3 images from a raw file compared to careful work in a leading raw conversion software.

The real issue is HDR.

As many people before you are running into the difficulty of generating a natural looking low DR image from a high DR file, which is about mapping.

There are other options besides Photomatix, but none of them personnally satisfy me in terms of time needed. Most of the HDR softwares are also poor performers regarding the most difficult part which is images alignement.

I prefer the enfuse based algos that basically automate the masking between overlayed images to retain highlight detail on top a correctly exposed base image. Among these I find PT Gui to be doing the best job thanks to its best in class alignement engine. It does leave some image distorsio though that has to be corrected in PS in post.

The image below was created with this technique.



Cheers,
Bernard

[feppe]

I have similar experience with "true" HDR programs as Bernard, and use Tufuse Pro myself, and sometimes manual blending. Not sure what the differences with Enfuse are, though.

[Dave Gurtcheff]

Thank you for the reply. I am not familiar with PT Gui, or Tu Fuse Pro. I will "google" them. Are they down loadable programs?
Thanks
Dave

[wolfnowl]

Never heard of TuFuse Pro, but it looks interesting.  I have Timothy Armes' Enfuse plugin for Lightroom and it works pretty well.  I also use Autopano Pro for HDR and panoramas.

Mike.