Every one of your thoughts are logical and consistent. Then Auto-ISO should not be used when capturing the three bracketed shots.

Oh, one final question. Have you done any HDR work using only one capture?

Okay, not to labor a point (or two: HDR and Auto-ISO), but I'd like to pick your brains, those of you who are deep and experienced in HDR. When you use Auto Bracketing for your three shots, have you ever done that with Auto-ISO?

Only recently have I attempted to use the Auto-ISO on my Canon 5DII, and getting amazing results. If I set my camera to Av for my three shots, I can't imagine what will happen if I have the camera in Auto-ISO. Any of you experience that before?

And thanks for sharing your knowledge.

MrPC. I'm glad you shared what you just shared. I do have a question for you. When you take your trio of shots, how wide do you bracket? Plus and Minus how many f-stops?

Thanks bsprague, and to answer your first question I bought Photomatix Pro. While I've lived in the world of PS for more than 10 years, this will be my first experiences in HDR.

To which, let me ask, what is the difference between HDR and Tone Mapping.

There is no doubt that the best is to capture three exposures, especially with significantly different EVs. But tell me, what did you see in the HDR from a single exposure, and how did it differ from the one from three exposures?

I've played with HDR in PS. But recently I purchased one of the HDR speciality programs. I had the chance to speak to a head sales person with the company. She was electrifying, perhaps a slow day but we talked about many things, including using a single image. She said she has processed many HDR images from a single capture and was excited about the results.

Now the reason I bring this up is due to the fact that many places do not smile on a person using a tripod. Went to Florence last summer and no indoor place would allow a tripod or monopod. They would permit cameras with no flash, but no pods of any kind. So I want to consider doing more with HDR from one image. In RAW, we can create a second image over exposed, and another under. With a 24m sensor there is a great deal of data that can still be recovered.

I'm a big fan of sharing knowledge, so this is a moment when I would like to tap into experiences of other photographers.

HDR from a single exposure? (And thanks in advance.)

You top shot of the boat was the middle of three shots, as you stated.

Have you, or have any of you done much with HDR using just one shot?

I totally concur with Roger Lee. I've set my 5DII to center spot only and I get perfect shots every time, and even in low light.

Now don't feel bad if you turn off the other gazillion focus spots, just do it, use the center spot and I think you'll get perfect focus. And remember, if you want that "focused object" over on the one third positions (a bit left of center or right of center) just hold the shutter button half way down to focus, then move the camera to the desired position. Let us know how this change works for you.

themanfromvan, the image of the bridge over the water, did you capture that with three bracketed frames or just one?

A good friend of mine and I are experimenting with Auto-ISO. He's using an upper end Nikon, and I'm using an upper end Canon. Until now i've never considered the Auto mode.

At a zoo I frequent, I've moved from outdoor shots in bright sun, and low light creatures in the primate house. I'm using aperture priority, fixed at f4. So far I'm very impressed with the results. Have others of you tried Auto-ISO? And if so, what results have you found?

I'm a person who looks for values and savings, but one must be cautious. I have been making over size prints for more than ten years. The only time I got into trouble was on one of my two Canon i9900 printers. I decided to use third party ink. Wow, consider the savings. All seemed to go well for a couple of months and then color trouble. Very long story made short, it turned out that ink jets became clogged. After replacing the print head, AND after switching to Canon ink, everything is good again. I hate paying the high price, but peace of mind is priceless.

To Wingclui44, I ask: care to share your ideas of other small objects?

Although this is not the dedicated spot for Macro dialogue, since you guys have a discussion going here, let me toss in one more question, whose answer I've always sought. What are the different results you get from using a 100mm Macro lens compared to a 50mm Macro?

There are many excellent recommendations here, including checking your local art and craft stores. The one I have, a Logan 650 was purchased from an art store here in St. Louis. It's built to last a life time. A bit more pricy than the 450, but if this is something you think you'll be doing for the rest of your life, I think the 650 is the keeper.

You are right, buying custom matts are expensive. Why? It takes time and skill. You'll have to be patient with yourself, for it will take some practice to get it just right. Once you learn that, you're good to go for many years ahead.

In all fairness to Adobe, my first copy cost me $600+. To the folks out there that do not currently own their own copy of PS, the $10/month might very well be a fair price compared to the initial $600+ cost. And yes, as a life long teacher, I believe in Copyright Laws and believe everyone should purchase their own copies and not use copies.