Raw bracketing

Yes.

If you think you might over expose a shot, no amount of post processing will recover blown out details.


Steve.
 
I know Raw stores a lot more information than say jpeg? So I thought that it would be harder to lets say blow the highlights or loose detail in the shadows. I thought that by using Raw that it would give greater leniency to correct any over/under exposure mistakes?
 
-Paul- said:
I thought that by using Raw that it would give greater leniency to correct any over/under exposure mistakes?
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You do, but if you have lost the detail because of an area being 'blown', you cannot get it back ... because it isn't there :)
 
-Paul- said:
I know Raw stores a lot more information than say jpeg? So I thought that it would be harder to lets say blow the highlights or loose detail in the shadows. I thought that by using Raw that it would give greater leniency to correct any over/under exposure mistakes?
Click to expand...

Subtle changes maybe not so much, but you should always try to get the correct exposure regardless of the format you use. If you Bracket and get an Exposure closer to correct, you don't have to make as much changing to exposure when processing. On most cameras it is so easy to Auto Bracket and if it is an important picture, take the time. ;)
 
I'm changing the topic a little bit since we talking about RAW bracketing. I shoot landscape as well and i use filters to get my result so i no need to shoot HDR and combine them together.

Say if i shoot a RAW image and the exposure is bang on correct, i then duplicate that RAW photo to several different one with different exposure and combine them to together. Will the result be the same as i bracketing the shots?
 
I'd say you'd get a similar effect, small changes should be fine, but the larger the change for your virtual exposures, especially if lightening, will probably introduce noise and/or artefacts.

If you combine exposures later, it depends on how you combine them together. If it is a HDR, then any noise from the virtual copies will be exaggerated even more. If it is masking different areas, then the noise generated (if any) from the conversions will still be there, to some degree. And merging areas together becomes difficult with some scenes, trees against sky for example. That is something HDR struggles with too.

I have done more HDR pictures derived from multiple Jpeg images from one RAW file than multiple bracketed images because I didn't take the pics with HDR in mind, or just to try the effect. And it does work, and sometimes quite well, but sometimes it can be a noisy mess. :shrug: :lol:

The best way is to experiment as so many things can influence the final result. Do some test images to see what the limits are, it costs you nothing but time. ;)
 
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Thats good know, i will give it a try when i do some landscapes. I'm not a heavy HDR person because i prefer getting a spot on image using filter etc.
 
badboy1984 said:
I'm changing the topic a little bit since we talking about RAW bracketing. I shoot landscape as well and i use filters to get my result so i no need to shoot HDR and combine them together.

Say if i shoot a RAW image and the exposure is bang on correct, i then duplicate that RAW photo to several different one with different exposure and combine them to together. Will the result be the same as i bracketing the shots?
Click to expand...

:police:
HELP!!!!! My thread has been topicnapped!
 
Hi, It depends in answer to the OP on the dynamic range of your cameras sensor, most DSLR's can capture up and down 2 1/2 stops of info in a RAW file some can capture more so if you no what the dynamic range of the scene is you can adjust your exposure to suite, this is one of the reasons I use a hand held meter rather than rely on the in camera meter, with the hand held I can take a reading and then adjust the exposure by 2 or 2 1/2 stops without blowing the highlights out and get the correct exposure without having to keep looking at the back of the camera. If however the dynamic range goes outside that 2 or 2 1/2 stop range then yes bracketing is really the only option left open to you especially when it comes to sunrise/set time of day and you shoot toward the sun.
All JMO but hope you find something there useful.
Russ
 
-Paul- said:
I thought that by using Raw that it would give greater leniency to correct any over/under exposure mistakes?
Click to expand...

It does give greater leniency but that isn't a substitute for good exposure. Let's say you take a photo and on checking the histogram you find you're around a stop underexposed, so you (for example) double your shutter speed and get that stop back. You now have correct exposure and the quality of the image hasn't been affected in any way whatsoever. If you were to brighten the image by a stop in processing you'd also be adding a stop's worth of noise, so in effect had you shot at ISO 400 you'd basically end up with ISO 800 noise.

RAW files hold a lot more information than JPEG's and can be pulled around much more before they start to get torn apart, but remember anything done 'downstream' of taking the actual image with the camera is going to lose you some kind of quality. It's often said that editing RAW files is lossless and to a point it's true with certain adjustments like white balance, but it definitely isn't lossless when you're making large exposure adjustments. They very definitely need to be right when you take the image if you're going to maintain the highest level of quality.

As a rough guide I try get my digital exposures so they need no more than 1/3 of a stop adjustment in either direction. I don't always achieve it but that's what I aim for, and if I'm bracketing for HDR I very definitely bracket RAW files. :)
 
PMN said:
It's often said that editing RAW files is lossless and to a point it's true with certain adjustments like white balance, but it definitely isn't lossless when you're making large exposure adjustments.
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I agree with what you have said overall, and I think I mentioned getting the correct exposure earlier in the thread, ;) but the processing of the RAW files isn't said to be lossless, (that I have ever heard) it is the format itself that is lossless. A Jpeg is compressed 'lossy' format, and lots of information is thrown away, with a RAW file all the information the sensor recorded is saved.
 
badboy1984 said:
I'm changing the topic a little bit since we talking about RAW bracketing. I shoot landscape as well and i use filters to get my result so i no need to shoot HDR and combine them together.

Say if i shoot a RAW image and the exposure is bang on correct, i then duplicate that RAW photo to several different one with different exposure and combine them to together. Will the result be the same as i bracketing the shots?
Click to expand...

If it's bang on correct in one exposure then it hasn't got a high dynamic range so only onlly shot is needed.
JohnyT
 
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