Combining files to increase bit depth: I'm using a Nikon D800E and the manual describes a process for overlaying two (RAW) image files. If I set up a custom bracketed exposure, can I...

northstar Loc: Rochester, Minnesota

I'm using a Nikon D800E and the manual describes a process for overlaying two (RAW) image files. If I set up a custom bracketed exposure, can I use the overlay process to combine three bracketed exposures? Bottom line question is this. Can I create a 36 bit depth RAW file in camera?

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

northstar wrote:

Can I create a 36 bit depth RAW file in camera?

Once combined it is one image ... so my guess, the answer is no.

Julian Loc: Sarasota, FL

Why would you need 68,719,476,736 colors?

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I don't think it would work that way. I haven't gone through the mathematics but my first thought that combining n images would give you the square root of n improvement.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

northstar wrote:

I'm using a Nikon D800E and the manual describes a process for overlaying two (RAW) image files. If I set up a custom bracketed exposure, can I use the overlay process to combine three bracketed exposures? Bottom line question is this. Can I create a 36 bit depth RAW file in camera?

Bit depth is an attribute of the camera's sensor and processing software, for the RAW files. The technical specification of JPEG is 8-bit. You can get 16-bit in a TIFF format. There's no consumer software titles that would let you manipulate the bit depth of any of your candidate image file formats.

Can I create a 36 bit depth RAW file in camera?
Ans: NO

northstar Loc: Rochester, Minnesota

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to answer.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Having read your post instead of skimming it as I first did, I now note that you are doing this in camera. That makes the answer a definite no for the reason given by Paul.

It is possible to improve the bit depth in post using multiple exposures as separate files. I believe that is sometimes practiced in astrophotography although I have never tried it.

JBRIII

Combining photos can do two things that I know of: give a higher dynamic range (HDR), which uses different exposures, or second, increase resolution (so call super resolution methods), which use multiple images shifted a tiny bit, then enlarged and overlayed to give one image. The later can be done in some cameras by actually shifting the sensor or in PS.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

My Panasonic TZ100 will take multi shots in Post Focus mode which is a video burst. It takes a short 3-seconds 4K video clip with a continuously changing the focus.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

northstar wrote:

I'm using a Nikon D800E and the manual describes a process for overlaying two (RAW) image files. If I set up a custom bracketed exposure, can I use the overlay process to combine three bracketed exposures? Bottom line question is this. Can I create a 36 bit depth RAW file in camera?

I've often wondered whether this approach to HDR processing has ever been tried. It would not add that dramatic a bit-depth increase unless your three images were separated by twelve steps of exposure - probably not a good idea. But with say, one step in exposure you might imagine getting two extra bits of depth. I really don't know what algorithms are actually in use, but I rather expect the common approach would not require such critical pixel-by-pixel alignment that would be required.