Question About Another K5 Test?

[Ron Kruger]

About a month ago, I took some test shots with the K5's in-camera HDR, just to see what the various HDR settings did and if it had any practical applications. I've settled upon a couple of settings that have real potential and plan to do some comparision shots of the same scene with and without HDR, but since my experience with HDR is so limited, and my results up until now so unsatisfactory, I'm not sure what scene and lighting would be best for this test. Deep breath. So, I was hoping the HDR seniors here would advise me about which scenes are best candidates for it.

[davidhampshire]

how come no one is answering you on this question ,   ron kruger?    i've been wondering what ' their ' answers were going to be,      so,   then,   how about a shot like this one,    how else would i get everything exposed correctly except if it was with an hdr ?     (   35mm ,  f 9,  iso 160 -with highlight correction on ,   1/40 sec.     )       

dave 

[blackcloudbrew]

Hmmm...I read Ron's request differently and now that I look at it again, I guess I would have some suggestions. I would look for a scene where you have a very large range between light and dark. I've seen the insides of cathedrals (with either natural or artificial light sources) used to demonstrate how HDR can get you more DR and see into the shadows.

Here is the type of shot you might try.

This is the HDR version (5 images) from my K10d

IMGP9141_2_3_4_5 by blackcloudbrew, on Flickr

Here is the single image metered from the K10d

[blackcloudbrew]

What you should be able to see between the two of these is that in the one image shot the camera tries to average out the shot which results in a yucky image. The HDR shot shows you more what your eye saw, the inside and outside of the room. Look for examples like this to test.

Earl

[Pacerr]

Check Amazon Books for "Complete Guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography" by Ferrell McCollough. You can even "thumb through" the book in on-line review mode. Many good examples. You can often find used books there for just a few $$ too.

Also check the Nik software site for good video tutorials on using their HDR program.

http://www.niksoftware.co.../hdrefexpro/usa/entry.php

H2

[blackcloudbrew]

Pacerr - that's an excellent book and helped me in my formative HDR years. The software used in it is now outdated but the concepts are well described and demonstrated. Excellent book.

[Ron Kruger]

Thanks fellers. The K5 HDR feature is a true HDR process, but I think it can only use 3 exposures. Where's that manual?
It was in the last place I looked. Fortunately, that was the first place I looked. Yep, 3 exposures, so I'm wondering if it will handle the wide range of a shot like Tim's. I guess that's what test are for, right?

[blackcloudbrew]

Ron, unless Pentax changed something, the in camera HDR process is from the jpegs not the raw files (and as far as I recall it only uses three images to combine). I've never used in on my K5 as I'm so used to the HDR workflow in PP work. It's good, mind you but I can do much better and am more comfortable with HDR in PP work. About the +/-Ev range, I don't know what it's capable of. The K5 though will give you a 5 image auto bracket at +/- 4ev which is just huge, however this is tripod time for this kinda shot.

[Pacerr]

Another HDR book I like, and perhaps one more suited to Ron's purposes, is Tony Sweet's 'Fine Art Photography - High Dynamic Range'. Also available at Amazon.

He compares Photomatrix and Nik HDR Efex through both interface and results and discusses actual workflow showing specific adjustments suited to various image types. His explanations come as close to "hands on" exercises as you'll find in text form.

H2