If you haven’t bought a Promote Control because you own a Sigma or Olympus (those cameas are not supported with the Promote Control), don’t despair… help has arrived.  Surf on over to HDR Labs to check out the Open Camera Control

MAIN INFO PAGE for Open Camera Control
http://www.hdrlabs.com/occ/index.html

HARDWARE INFO
http://www.hdrlabs.com/occ/hardware.html

Adding Apps
(Intervalometer, bracketing, and ASTRO Script for All Night Astro Photography)
http://www.hdrlabs.com/occ/software.html

I’ve recently used the Pentax k-x a bit more to test out the in camera HDR feature.  At first I was under whelmed, but like usual, I messed with settings on my own until I got results I’m happy with.  Maybe not elated with, but happy/satisfied.  First I’ll post a few images, then I’ll explain how I tweaked camera settings to get to a warm, happy place.  Again, these shots were not single frame captures, they utilized the Pentax k-x merge to HDR (in camera) feature and then I tweaked them quickly in post. (They were all taken with the Pentax K-x “kit” lens)

I initially discussed the Pentax k-x some time ago and you can see my comments and test shots from that post: http://hdriblog.com/pentax-k-x-initial-test/

I still do not like the results from using the “HDR Strong” which is also HDR 2 under the two in camera HDR settings.  ”HDR Standard” which is also HDR 1 under the menu settings is less dramatic and the following workflow is what I used to get the image results above.

If you’ve never tried this k-x setting you need to do a few things to your camera settings…

1. Press the MENU button to go into the Menu settings and change file format to JPEG and press the menu button again to get back to the typical LCD settings.

2. Then press the INFO button which is just above the Menu button. On the top line over to the right four squares is the menu option “HDR OFF“.  You can change this option two ways.  You can highlight that option and then use the scroll wheel with your thumb moving it to the right to flip to HDR 1, then HDR 2  –OR– you can highlight HDR OFF and press the OK button and then a screen pops up with the three options and just select the one you want and hit OK again.  Obviously, the fastest way to do this is the first way I described.  Highlight HDR OFF and then use the scroll wheel to change it to HDR 1 or HDR 2.  You’ll see shortly why that scroll wheel is the better option.

Each of the images above are a combination of two captures that I brought into photoshop.  Those two captures which were shot from the EXACT same location on a tri-pod were taken by….

1. First taking a shot using the “HDR-1″ setting (also called HDR Standard).
2. Press and hold the shutter so that it takes the 3 consecutive shots (it is auto bracketing and will then immediately process the three shots over the next 10-12 seconds).
3. Then hit the INFO button & scroll the wheel to the right once to select “HDR-2″ (also called HDR Strong) and again press/hold the shutter to fire off the second bracket.

Now here’s the key… Before taking each exposure I forced the exposure compensation to at LEAST +1EV for each of the above outside shots and adjusted the interior shots up by almost +2EV.  That can be changed by using your right index finger and holding down the button just to the left of the shutter then use your right thumb to scroll the wheel to the right to increase the EV number.  Why do this? …

.. because I found if you fire off the camera when in either of the two HDR modes with exposure compensation set at ZERO, the merge to HDR and in camera tonemapping seems to over crush the highlights and you end up with very “dirty” mid tones and darker shadows than you would want ideally.

The camera is of course firing off three images. One under exposed, one middle, one over exposed.  It then merges those 3 bracketed shots to HDR in-camera, it then processes and tonemaps the HDR and saves the result as a JPEG.  You can’t get anything but a JPEG as a final file (unfortunately).

When I got back from shooting, I would then open the first shot (HDR 1 / HDR Standard) in photoshop.  Then FILE>PLACE the second image  (HDR  2 / HDR Strong) over top of the first image. I then drop the opacity of the top layer (HDR Strong) to about 30% as a starting point and then change its blend mode in the layers palette to either OVERLAY or SOFT LIGHT.  Then I just adjust opacity of that layer up or down to get the feel of the image to a satisfying level.  Save and export.

You may find that you like the HDR Strong layer better than the HDR Standard (your call and whatever floats your boat).  If so, simply reverse the layers so that the bottom layer is HDR Strong image and with the standard NORMAL blend mode and then have the top level be the HDR Standard image and change its opacity and blend mode as described above.

GOTCHAS - If you moved the camera slightly when you switched the camera menu settings between shots, you may need to use Photoshop’s align feature.  You click the bottom layer and shift select the other layer so they are both selected.  Then from the file menu EDIT>AUTO ALIGN LAYERS to have photoshop align the pixels.

UPSIDE:
You don’t need to do any MERGE to HDR and tonemapping because the Pentax k-x HDR Mode is doing that for you.

DOWNSIDE:
Fast moving objects make this two pronged approach a challenge and works best with static scenes. You need to use a tri-pod for best results. The time the k-x takes to process each shot can slow you down when shooting like this. You need a program that utilizes blend modes like Photoshop or a free application like GIMP (which is an open source, photoshop “like” app).

Medium format, meet HDR. HDR meet medium format.

PENTAX 40 megapixel 645D Medium Format SLR Camera $9400 US Dollars

HDR NOTES OF INTEREST
1. Shoots a bracket, merges to HDR and merges IN CAMERA
2. Single shot Dynamic Range Expansion to handle highlights and Shadows

Pentax has finally released the Pentax 645D which is a 40mp medium format camera. Rather than list the massive breakdown of the camera specs I’ll simply link the press release below.
http://www.pentax.jp/english/news/2010/201008.html

The in-camera HDR capture/merge function is of course of particular interest to me, but I’ve yet to find what controls one has (for example: amount of bracketing/steps).

Other noteworthy features listed (but no juicy specifics) are:

INTERVAL SHOOTING

EXPOSURE BRACKETING

EXTENDED BRACKETING

I’ll post more if I find specifics, but don’t get too excited.  The release is initially limited to sales in Japan only.

SIGMA SD15

I had previously discussed the new Sigma SD15 and its new 5 AEB feature.  What I just learned is that the SD15 has the following AEB capabilities:

With 3 frames for Auto Bracketing : 1/3EV Stops Up to ±3EV
Maxing the steps between each shot would lead to under exposed to over exposed as follows:
[ -3.0, 0, +3.0 ]

With 5 frames for Auto Bracketing : 1/3EV Stops Up to ±1.7EV
Maxing the steps between each shot would lead to under exposed to over exposed as follows:
[ -3.3, -1.7, 0, +1.7, +3.3 ]

I would have loved to have seen jumps of at least 2.0EV between each shot on the 5 AEB capture mode for some wide dynamic range scenes, but the new 5 AEB setting is a welcome one.  At the price point the Sigma SD15 is set at ($859 through Amazon Pre-Orders), it is the widest bracket you can get for the money.  Nothing even comes close for that price point.

Recently I was invited by Mike Miriello who runs the  Real Estate Photography Podcast to speak about HDR and Real Estate Photography .  I appreciate the time and effort it takes to plan and produce podcasts and I thank Mike for his time.  I didn’t intend to spend as much time as I did focusing on exposure fusion / blending, but ended up doing just that.  If you have an interest in exposure fusion using Enfuse (which usees Enblend and Hugin behind the scenes) then this podcast will introduce you to the concept.

In a part of the interview, Mike has me discuss the workflow I employed for a few images he selected from a few samples of my work. Hence the reason he chooses a video podcast format.  He gave me the option to hand select images to discuss in depth and the workflow employed, but I opted to let him choose because I figured it might be more interesting to be surprised with his selections.

One of the four images he selected was from a private gallery link I emailed him.  The image he chose was (to me) a throw away shot I would NEVER put on my website, but it resulted in a side bar that led to me discussing a technique I use to correct for difficult lighting techniques. A win/win.

Even though it is over an hour long I feel like I barely scratched the surface regarding various HDR workflows and we never got around to discussing traditional merge to HDR workflows.  Like I said, if you are interested in exposure fusion, this may interest you.

The blog post on his website is HERE and I will attempt to embed the podcast below.

A Canon HDR Photographer’s Story is a blog post by Brian Matiash where he reviews the Promote Control from the Canon shooter’s perspective.  Good review.

http://brianmatiash.com/blog/2010/03/04/gear-review-the-promote-control-a-canon-hdr-photographers-story/

He is also an editor over at HDR Spotting

I’ll be in Vegas for a week in April. I only needed to be there for NAB, but extended the time I’ll be there a little before and after to have time to play (errrr…. work).  My idea of playing is about as geeky as it gets.  I’ll be torturing my gear on some HDR Timelapse and some other shoots I’m considering setting up to test speedlites.

I’m doing this because I never have time to do this when I am grinding through shoots on a weekly basis.  I’ll have the time to do so when I’m away.  I’ve always been curious about comparing cameras shot in the same light with the same lens to see what differences you get. I’m not bringing all my gear, but enough to be considered certifiably insane.

I’ll be messing around with the following cameras during the shootout:

Canon T2i / 550D
Pentax K-x
Sigma SD9
Sigma SD14
Nikon D3

I already use the D3 and SD14 extensively on a weekly basis for HDR work (real estate), but will be torturing them in different ways on the trip.  I’ll shoot the D3 and SD14 for HDR Timelapse simultaneously side by side, both with wide angle lenses. I expect the results will be like shooting with two different film stocks, but I’ll find out for sure in post.

Also I will be swapping out (removing) the Sigma SD14 SA mount and installing a custom Nikon F-mount on the SD14 using a 3rd party solution. I have three SD14 bodies so I’m willing to risk bricking one for the team.  This will allow me to test the Canon T2i and Sigma SD14 using Nikkor Primes (in the case of the canon, via a F-mount to EF mount adaptor).

So I’ll be testing the Canon T2i vs the Sigma SD14 with the following Nikkor Primes (which have aperture rings):

20mm f/2.8D
24mm f/2.8 AI-S
28mm f/2.8 AI-S
50mm f/1.4 AI-S
85mm f/1.4D
105mm f/2.5  AI-S

I’ll be curious to see which camera resolves detail better… the latest 2010 release from Canon ( T2i / 550D ) or the 3 1/2 year old Sigma SD14 that tied the Canon 5D in multiple head to head image tests worldwide.  Also (and more important to me in many ways) I want to see which camera captures more dynamic range per shot (single shots).  And finally, I’ll fire off brackets with the same settings on each camera to then merge to HDR to see if there are differences there as well.  I’ll do this while testing various white balance settings, including custom white balance settings on each camera.

Just so that I don’t completely geek out the entire trip I’m also planning to setup some kind of high fashion shoot with Las Vegas models – MUAs and Hair Stylists.  I’ll test out some multiple speedlite setups on some models as guinea pigs as I have on models in the past (all my model shoots are actually new gear test shoots and I tell them this up front).

Past guinea pigs:
http://digitalcoastimage.com/models.html

I might add something else to the mix, but so far these are tests I plan to do for sure.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Carl Olson of 16 x 9 Cinema who runs the Digital Convergence Podcast. He interviewed me about HDR photography, HDR Video and in the process I also explained a little about how I got started and a bit about my typical workflow.

The podcast where I discuss HDR – HDR Video is linked on his blog HERE.

==============================

Show notes & his iTunes feed is on his blog and I’ll repost that and shownotes below as well:

AAC (iTunes) version here: Digital Convergence Episode 5

RSS Feed: Subscribe to the 16×9 Cinema Digital Convergence Podcast

Subscribe in iTunes here: 16×9 Cinema Digital Convergence Podcast

Links from the podcast:

My Website: Digital Coast Image

Michael James on Twitter: HDRphotography

Jay Burlage – HDR filmmaker (Michael James cites Jay as a leading source of information on the OpenMoco project and creator of gorgeous time-lapse cinema. Check out Jay’s video below.)

Jay Burlage on Twitter: MiLapse

Jay Burlage’s YouTube Channel: MiLapse

OpenMoco – Open-Source Photographic Motion-Control

Promote Control

LR/Enfuse – Enfuse for Lightroom

Red Epic / Scarlet

The Sigma SD15 has been announced.  Actually it was first announced at Photokina 2008, but has just been “re-announced” with some additional detail.

SIGMA SD15 PHOTO above taken from DPreview.com news release which has camera specs and Sigma’s official press release linked HERE.

Of particular noteworthiness to me in Sigma’s Press Release is:

“”"… a 21 shot raw buffer at 3fps and 5 frame auto bracketing for HDR-enthusiasts.“”"

The SD14 [which I shoot with weekly] maxes out at a buffer of only 6 shots and for bracketing it can do 3 AEB +/-3.0EV (which Sigma has been able to do since 2002 with the SD9).  The Sigma SD15 now sports an auto-bracketing mode of 5 shots but rather than up to 3.0EV jumps between shots, TURNS OUT THE MAX JUMP FOR 5  AEB IS 1.7EV JUMPS BETWEEN. Still quite impressive and wider than you can get with 3 AEB with the SD14.

In fact, that makes the SD15 the leading entry level DSLR in terms of capturing a huge dynamic range.  The Sigma SD15’s 5AEB is going to be amazing for auto-bracketing for HDR.

I had uploaded a very, very quick and sloppy imprompu video to YouTube last year that shows how I conceptually use the dials on the SD14 to get a 6 frame capture for HDR use. The dials are the same on the SD15 so this video is helpful if you wanted to see how quickly you can make adjustments without digging into an LCD menu system like some DSLRs on the market.  The YouTube links is HERE and I’ll embed a smaller version below.

SD14 Auto Bracketing Video

Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM for APS-C sized sensors has just been announced by Sigma. Sure to be a favorite for landscape and architectural photographers.

Probably the most encouraging thing about the release is how several of the lens elements have been upgraded over coatings used for their other wide angle offerings.  Performance from this lens should be solid, but I’ll be reviewing it once I’ve gotten my hands on one and shot with it.

Also, generally the widest end of a zoom will be a tad soft in the corners so this lens “should” improve in quality as you zoom in a tad.  It might be possible that at 10mm it will be sharper than Sigma’s current APS-C wide angle zoom offering (which I own and use on a Sigma SD14).  I’ll be able to compare the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM to the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 DC HSM head to head.

The Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM is equal to the following 35mm equivalent on the following cameras:

Nikon APS-C cameras = 12-24mm (35mm equivalent)
Pentax APS-C cameras = 12-24mm (35mm equivalent)
Sony APS-C cameras = 12-24mm (35mm equivalent)
Canon APS-C cameras = 12.8-25.6mm (35mm equivalent)
Sigma DSLRs = 13.6-27.2mm (35mm equivalent)

Sigma has also announced the following lenses:

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM

Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM

Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM

NEW CAMERAS

Sigma SD15 ==> which now has 5 AEB at +/-3.0EV (that’s huge!!!)

Sigma DP1x

Sigma DP2s

And finally, last but not least, they have updated their RAW processing software program SIGMA Photo Pro to 4.0 which now is multi-core aware and is claiming it will improve IQ for all cameras.