High Dynamic Range: I have outgrown my entry level DSLR and an shopping. I'm seriously drawn to the D 5100 for several reasons including it's HDR feature. I have often encountered...

photopop44 Loc: Roun Drock, Texas

I have outgrown my entry level DSLR and an shopping. I'm seriously drawn to the D 5100 for several reasons including it's HDR feature. I have often encountered situations where the dynamic range of the scene is out of the cameras capability which usually results in an overexposed sky and maybe the main subject too so that the darks aren't lost. But then I think the D 7000 is the right choice because of it's rugedness. How can HDR be delt with without the D 5100's feature?

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

I've seen several comments on the site over the past week or so about one camera or another having an "HDR feature". Do some of these cameras have internal processing of HDRs or is this just another term for exposure bracketing?

1eyedjack

Some software will do this for you..

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

and do a better job.

don1w Loc: Abilene, Texas

I have the D5100 and it has the HDR capabilities. The drawback is that it only takes two images. My limited experience with this feature is that the camera holds the two images as separate images and it wasnt until I imported them with the software that the two images became one image.

ziggykor Loc: East Texas

I shoot a lot for HDRI, and the combining of two exposures would simply not do the job. This simply sounds more like a gimmick to sell cameras to a public that hasn't the time to devote to doing things correctly.

If the makers were serious they would write an algorithym that would allow the photographer to program the camera to cover the scenes dynamic range in a series of exposures at one or two stop increments. Then they could incorporate the merge function into their camera brand specific software.

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

photopop44 wrote:

I have outgrown my entry level DSLR and an shopping. I'm seriously drawn to the D 5100 for several reasons including it's HDR feature. I have often encountered situations where the dynamic range of the scene is out of the cameras capability which usually results in an overexposed sky and maybe the main subject too so that the darks aren't lost. But then I think the D 7000 is the right choice because of it's rugedness. How can HDR be delt with without the D 5100's feature?

the "old" fashioned way......do it your self

MarkBoulder Loc: Boulder, CO

I was in the same predicament of outgrowing my entry level DSLR, a Nikon D60. I could adjust the exposures myself for HDR, but it was too slow and I would sometimes slightly bump the camera (on a tripod).

So, in my search for a good HDR camera, I came across this table of auto bracketing by camera.
http://www.hdr-photography.com/aeb.html

I wanted to keep my Nikon lenses, so I limited my search to Nikons. Not wanting to spend too much, I chose the Nikon D200. Surprisingly, Nikon doesn't make a camera with more HDR range. It is tied with some of the other high end Nikon's for the best HDR exposure range. A maximum of +/- 4EV's using up to 9 pictures using a max of 1 EV increments. Plenty of range for most HDR needs.

I bought a great "low click" D200 for $300 with some accessories and I love how it works. If I had unlimited camera funds I may have gone for the Canon 1D series that has a maximum EV range of +/- 9 EV.

travlnman46 Loc: Yakima WA

photopop44 wrote:

I have outgrown my entry level DSLR and an shopping. I'm seriously drawn to the D 5100 for several reasons including it's HDR feature. I have often encountered situations where the dynamic range of the scene is out of the cameras capability which usually results in an overexposed sky and maybe the main subject too so that the darks aren't lost. But then I think the D 7000 is the right choice because of it's rugedness. How can HDR be delt with without the D 5100's feature?

Hi photopop44: Maybe it's just me, but I have just for fun played around with histograms and found I can create some fairly decent pseudo HDR results. There are also some fairly good post processing plug in programs. You can always do it by taking a series of shots of the same thing with one shot dead on exposure wise then other shots both over and under exposed then processing them in a program like Photoshop Elements 10 or the like. I was also reading about a down loadable firmware enhancement program earlier today called CHDK, it allows cameras that don't have the capability to do in camera HDR. I haven't heard anything good or bad about the program, but found the concept interesting. Hope this helps.

arphot Loc: Massachusetts

On a different level, you could just expose the scene for the sky and the ground (highlights and shadows) taking two separate shots and combining them in Photoshop (or whatever software you use that has layers). Then mask the sky or ground for a resulting image that contains a dynamic range that can be most pleasing.

effrant Loc: New Hampshire

http://www.hdriblog.com/2011/01/02/nikon-d7000-hdr/

kapekodder Loc: A sandspit in the East😁

I agree with those who have suggested that true HDR is best accomplished by the post processing of multiple images. I use Olympus bodies and a D7000, taking multiple shots with a range of EV. My choice of software is Lightroom and the NIK HDR plug-in. It's an easy workflow. Using LR in most of my photography, I simply keyword my intended HDR images into one category, then select (flag) the various files that will create the new HDR image, a quick export into the NIK program. The HDR program aligns the various files into one that can be tweaked further using pre-sets or manually via slider tools. My HDR image usually include 3 or more images. I only shoot in RAW.

Just my 2 cents (and experience)!

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

kapekodder wrote:

I agree with those who have suggested that true HD... (show quote)

I use this same process...........I do not recommend in-camera HDR..........and especially, don't buy a specific camera to get in-camera HDR...

cheineck Loc: Hobe Sound, FL

NIK software will do the job (HDR) with a single well exposed image as well as 3 or more varied exposures. The control offered is extremely good and the results awesome.

MtnMan Loc: ID

The D5100 has an HDR feature. It uses two shots and allows for an EV differential of up to 3 EV.

It has failed to excite me. It works but doesn't seem to do much. You need to be on a tripod to use it and it does not work with RAW images.

I find the Nikon Active D-lighting to be much better and it only requires one shot.

photopop44 wrote:

I have outgrown my entry level DSLR and an shopping. I'm seriously drawn to the D 5100 for several reasons including it's HDR feature. I have often encountered situations where the dynamic range of the scene is out of the cameras capability which usually results in an overexposed sky and maybe the main subject too so that the darks aren't lost. But then I think the D 7000 is the right choice because of it's rugedness. How can HDR be delt with without the D 5100's feature?