Question about HDR

[Erbeman]

So I decided to try my hand at HDR images tonight. I shot several sequences of pictures by bracketing on my camera from -3 to +3. I downloaded the trial version of Photmatrix and imported the pics and played around with the settings until the image looked good to me. I then saved the .HDR image then saved it as a .jpg. However the jpeg isn't near as sharp as the .hdr image. Does anyone know why this is?

[Brundige]

I noticed that as well with some of the HDR i have taken , i think it has something to do with the compression, i noticed that saving it as a .tiff file helps a lot also try an unsharp mask PS filter. good luck

[pathfinder]

Were all three or five frames shot while mounted firmly on a tripod? Any movement of the camera or subject in the different frames will produce artifacts of one sort or another. I have not really noticed unsharpness in my HDR images, - like this one, unless something is moving

http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/443697501_yVKjA-XL.jpg

Does anyone have any experience with Topaz Adjust plug in software?

[Richard]

What were you shooting? You need to beware of wind moving leaves and tree branches. Anything that is moving at all can create minute differences between frames. Each frame will look sharp, but the combined version will not. Auto-alignment cannot resolve the differences. As PF said, using a tripod and avoiding movement of the subject are the keys.

Post an example with EXIF data for the component frames and maybe we can help.

[Erbeman]

No, they were handheld and I would understand that there may be some movement between exposures except the HDR that I produced was sharp until I saved it as a jpg. That is what confuses me.

[Richard]

No, they were handheld and I would understand that there may be some movement between exposures except the HDR that I produced was sharp until I saved it as a jpg. That is what confuses me.

Ooops, I misunderstood the problem. Reading is hard. :rolleyes Sorry.

OK, so what quality JPG are you creating? If you are compressing the image a lot, that will introduce artifacts. :dunno

[Erbeman]

Ooops, I misunderstood the problem. Reading is hard. :rolleyes Sorry.

OK, so what quality JPG are you creating? If you are compressing the image a lot, that will introduce artifacts. :dunno

I shot with my D700 using Jpeg Large fine.

[Art Scott]

I shot with my D700 using Jpeg Large fine.

And after Phtomatix and any other PS work you saved as what type/size of jpg???
I could be wrong but I think with HDR and other specialties like this one truly needs to be shooting raw.....just me 'umble opinon................

[Erbeman]

And after Phtomatix and any other PS work you saved as what type/size of jpg???
I could be wrong but I think with HDR and other specialties like this one truly needs to be shooting raw.....just me 'umble opinon................

Photomatrix doesn't give you the option that could tell to save as different sizes. I just saved as a jpg.

[Richard]

Photomatrix doesn't give you the option that could tell to save as different sizes. I just saved as a jpg.

Can you save as a TIFF or some other non-compressed format? This would only help if there's something wonky in the Photomatix JPG conversion, which I tend to doubt. :scratch

[Erbeman]

Can you save as a TIFF or some other non-compressed format? This would only help if there's something wonky in the Photomatix JPG conversion, which I tend to doubt. :scratch

Yes, you can save as a Tiff

[pathfinder]

FWIW, my image WAS processed in Photomatix as part of its rendering.

I did not save it as a a jpg from Photomatix, but as a 16 bit tiff after tone-mapping. The 16 bit image was then edited in CS(3 or 4) and finally saved as an 8 bit sRGB jpg. I don't think I have tried saving jpgs directly from Photomatix, as 16 bit tiffs contain far more data to take to Photoshop for final editing.

[Art Scott]

Photomatrix doesn't give you the option that could tell to save as different sizes. I just saved as a jpg.

My fear here would be not being able to control the amount of compression....I always save as the largest possible jpg to keep compression minimal....as PW said saving as a 16bit Tiff in Photomatix and then saving as a #12 jpg out of PS might also be a huge help for this.

[anonymouscuban]

I have found that using Pathfinders method works best to maintain detail. I've noticed that if you convert to JPG within Photomatix, the image isn't as crisp when saved as a TIFF and then using LR or CS3 to then convert to JPG. This also preserves more detail during the post-HDR processing in CS3.

Just my $.02

[Erbeman]

I have found that using Pathfinders method works best to maintain detail. I've noticed that if you convert to JPG within Photomatix, the image isn't as crisp when saved as a TIFF and then using LR or CS3 to then convert to JPG. This also preserves more detail during the post-HDR processing in CS3.

Just my $.02

That makes sense. Thanks

[Roytp]

Photomatrix doesn't give you the option that could tell to save as different sizes. I just saved as a jpg.


Have you tried this software?
It is free.
http://www.hdrlabs.com/picturenaut/

Roy