HDR SOFTWARE ?

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alexam

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Malcolm
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Want to get into some HDR and wonder if the best software to use with what I use now - Elements 10 and Topaz, would be Photomatrix Pro?

Any help or advice appreciated.
 
I personally find Photomatix the best, it's probably not the easiest but once you get it sorted for your style and save a preset it's a doddle.
 
Thanks for responding Wayne,

From other sites that have also responded, this does seem to be the most popular although I am surprised at the low level of response. Perhaps HDR is not so popular afterall.
 
Photomatix is superb. Just rein yourself in from the excesses.
 
Another vote for Photomatix.

Dave
 
I used to use Photomatix but struggle to get it away from the surrealistic side of things.
I tried CS5's merge to HDR but didn't like that either.

Having already got Nik color and silver efex and liking them I decided to take the plunge and purchase Nik HDR colour efex.
I find it the best I have used so far and the presets take you very close to where I like to be so only minimal fiddling is required on the sliders.

What works for one doesn't work for everyone else though.
Have a go with some trial versions as a kind of try before you buy.
 
I don't really do HDR myself and I'm sure all the guys above are pointing in the right direction, but if you want something VERY basic to have a first dabble with, then don't forget there is a basic HDR tool in DPP which came with your camera.
 
Free version for HDR would be great as a tester to see if one likes the results.
 
I do appreciate all the feedback from you guys. So nice to get different points of view. I will try a few things before buying something, but as long as I can retain control and adjust the levels to what I personally feel looks good, then it should suit me.

I presume that there are forums on HDR .... any particularly good ones?
 
I haven't done any HDR images for ages, but I did try a program called Oloneo which I found very good for natural looking results. Like Stuart, I found it difficult to do that with Photomatix.
 
Guys, if I take 3 bracketed shots, what do I do next? Do I need to put them together in say, Adobe first before going to photomatix
 
samems said:
Guys, if I take 3 bracketed shots, what do I do next? Do I need to put them together in say, Adobe first before going to photomatix
Click to expand...

I'd just bung them in photomatix and see the results, once you start getting your head around it, then try tweaking each image before hand. :)
 
I believe that there care several video tutorials on Youtube for photomatrix. They show the process and how to use the sliders for each shot to change the end results. Not done it yet, but planning a meeting with a guy from our club to show me how it works. Google for the photomatrix tutorials and you will find out more.

Malcolm
 
Download the demo versions of PhotoMatix Pro & Essentials and see how you like them.

Essentials is only $39 to buy and if that is too simple you get it back if/when you upgrade to Pro
 
I am keen to try the trial of Dynamic Photo HDR with the photoshop plug-in. Does anyone have a link?

Thanks
 
Kerioak said:
If anyone has CS5 have they tried the builtin in software for HDR and how does it compare?
Click to expand...

Ive used CS5 and have photomatix, CS5 does the job very well, but you don't have tonemapping. Tonemapping in HDR really brings the picture to life and gives it a fake / painted look. (which I really like, although some don't) if you get photomatix software you can use tonemapping alone as a plug in for photoshop.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I will be experimenting.
 
I think I use HDR expose2 it's more visual than matix
That's why I like it
 
Keith_m said:
Ive used CS5 and have photomatix, CS5 does the job very well, but you don't have tonemapping. Tonemapping in HDR really brings the picture to life and gives it a fake / painted look. (which I really like, although some don't) if you get photomatix software you can use tonemapping alone as a plug in for photoshop.
Click to expand...

You do have the tone mapping in CS5, it's done strangly in 2 stages I'll admit, you merge to hdr from file menu (file/automate/merge to hdr) to get the 32 bit hdr file, then for the tonemapping step you go to image/ajustment/hdr toning for the tonemapping.
If you have CS6 theres an even better cheat way, but it doesn't work in CS5.
 
swanseamale47 said:
You do have the tone mapping in CS5, it's done strangly in 2 stages I'll admit, you merge to hdr from file menu (file/automate/merge to hdr) to get the 32 bit hdr file, then for the tonemapping step you go to image/ajustment/hdr toning for the tonemapping.
If you have CS6 theres an even better cheat way, but it doesn't work in CS5.
Click to expand...

Ahhh didn't know that! Will give that a go in a bit! Thanks for the tip :)
 
If you shoot your bracketed images hand-held, PS aligns the images better than photomatix; then if you save the resulting file as a 32 bit openEXR file and drop that into photomatix for tonemapping it works out quite nicely.
 
Try the HDR function in the Canon DPP software that came with your 7D (one download the latest version from Canon's website if your version does not have it).

Here are a couple of my first HDR images using DPP. Very simple to use and works well with RAW images, not so easy with TIFFs or JPGs though as they need more adjustments.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=431178
 
St-ephen said:
If you shoot your bracketed images hand-held, PS aligns the images better than photomatix; then if you save the resulting file as a 32 bit openEXR file and drop that into photomatix for tonemapping it works out quite nicely.
Click to expand...

..thats strange.....I've tried this numerous times with Photomatix and Photoshop.........Photomatix was miles better.
JohnyT
 
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