Dynamic range of sensors varies from camera to camera. You might be surprised by the (updated) chart below because the dynamic range of sensors is not as directly related to camera costs as you might think. You’ll notice that some mid level DSLRs are way ahead of the curve over other camera’s pro level cameras when it comes to dynamic range of the sensor.  This test was conducted by DXOmark.com and you can go there to read about how the tests were conducted.

|||—— UPDATED FOR NEW CAMERAS TESTED BY DXOmark.com —–|||

What is important and relevant to HDRI is the dynamic range of your sensor. It really matters.  Unless you taking large and tight brackets of each scene then it really, really, REALLY matters even moreso than you think.  If you are following a technique taught by someone using say a D3x and they tell you all you need is X shots, but you are using a camera at the bottom of the chart below and taking the same number… there is no way you can match that person’s results. Its mathematically impossible.

I get asked all the time how many shots do I take when I shoot, but nobody asks me with what camera.  Everyone assumes they are all about the same for HDR.  They aren’t.

Gear used for capturing brackets for HDR is even more critical if you are only taking 3 shots.  It will directly impact the quality of your HDR file. IF YOU ARE SHOOTING FOR VFX WORK THIS IS SLIGHTLY LESS CRITICAL THAN IF YOU WILL BE TONEMAPPING FOR REALISM (only slightly less though).

I’ve captured and tonemapped over 13,000 images for architecture, real estate and commercial shoots.  I’ve forfeited all my vacation time the last 4 years just to do intensive testing about what works better.  Gear, post production, you name it.

I’m pretty obsessive compulsive about trying to get a realistic looking image for real estate interiors and I’ve bought and/or rented about 40% of the cameras on this list below. DXOmark.com seems on the mark as far as my personal results are concerned.

Dynamic Range of Camera Sensors (I chose to focus on modern day digital models only)

No test is perfect. DXOmark has attempted to do this objectively, but because ISO/Noise and how cameras can handle scenes, colors and other differing factors, this should not be the only way to base your purchasing decision.  For example…

Someone could use the Canon 1000D (also known as the Canon XS) plus a piece of gear to get pro HDR captures.

If you bought that entry level Canon 1000D/XS for $400+ and a PROMOTE CONTROL for $299, (which will soon be adding HDR Timelapse to its functions in addition to HDR capture and standard Timelapse), then you could take very large and tight brackets with the Promote Control attached to your 1000D/XS that will capture well beyond what the in camera AEB capabilities of every single camera on that chart above.  Yes, including a D3x or 1Ds Mark III.  Sometimes the piece of “kit” you add to the mix can make a lower end device perform very well (dynamic range speaking here).  Of course the pixel quality of a D3x/1DsMarkIII is easily better than a Canon XS, but at the cost of $8000 it should be.

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

D700s release data? I get that question every week.  Guys/gals, I have no inside information, but what I know is the following:

The Nikon D3 was announced August of 2007

The Nikon D700 was announced July of 2008

The Nikon D3s was announced October 2009

The Nikon D700s …

Nobody knows.   But when I saw people on forums and on blogs saying the D700s should release soon back in summer of 2009, I knew they were wrong simply because there was no way Nikon was going to miss out on D3s sales.  So I said in a blog post last summer that the D3s would release first simply based on corporate philosophy. Nikon looks at everything in dollars and cents regardless if timing for us makes sense (and in a way timing for them doesn’t always make good business sense, but they ignore common sense just as Canon, etc. does at times).

Fast forward to pre-PMA.  It was quickly approaching and the same level of anticipation began online hoping for the Nikon D700s.  Based on past camera releases it was very unlikely they would have announced the D700s at PMA given the D3s had only been well stocked for a few weeks across the country.  Still no D700s release dates and I’m not at all surprised.

Given “Photokina 2010″ is later this year, they ‘may’ wait for that event to announce the D700s.  ”May”.  Personally I think that would be a mistake given the pent up demand for the D700s.  The amount of google searches that happen daily for D700s – Nikon D700s – D700s Release Date etc is astounding.  People want that full frame with insane low light capabilities, video and an autofocus system that is so far above and beyond the Canon 5D mark II that you can’t really compare the two cameras equally.  From a stills only comparison, the D700s wins over the 5D mark II in dynamic range, autofocus and low light abilities (the sensor will be the same as the D3s when the D700s releases, hence the ability to compare).  However, for video… to be fair, the 5D mark II’s video quality and resolution are currently beyond that of the D3s and likely the D700s when released.

If you are wondering why I’m even focusing on the D700s, well… I want one      My D3 is awesome, but I’d love to have video in it.  I was going to get the D3s and sell the D3, but opted to just wait and add a D700s as a backup body instead.

Of course Nikon might just skip a generation and release some other camera with a new moniker ( D800 etc. ).   I have no inside info.  I’m only referencing the D700s because it makes logical sense to just follow the D3s as they did the D3 with the D700. Hopefully they don’t take the nearly 11 months they did with the D3 then D700 schedule.  If they do then Photokina 2010 is a logical place to do so.  Seems far to predictable for anyone to be surprised if they wait… so why wait? Capture pre-summer sales and get the thing announced in the next 60 days and shipping before summer begins.

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

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.

Dynamic range of a camera’s sensor varies per model. Some manufacturers are better than others. The chart below shows scientific, but real world results of testing a camera sensor’s dynamic range. The tests were done by DXOmark.

Bigger is better when it comes to Dynamic Range of a sensor. It means you can capture more shadow detail and more highlights in a single shot. If you shoot architecture or landscapes you already appreciate the challenge of capturing a high contrast scene that has a massive dynamic range.

For HDR captures, this is incredibly relevant because an HDR file is only as good/clean as the RAW data you feed into the merge.

You can see below that Fuji was WAY ahead of it’s time with the S3 & S5 (fuji’s S3/S5 results apply when using the extended dynamic range feature which is controlled by a camera setting). It is no wonder that so many wedding shooters swore by that camera for shooting beach weddings and other high contrast scenes. As of now only the D3x can better the dynamic range of a S3 or S5 in one single shot.

The relevance to High Dynamic Range Imaging is the following. Lets say you capture a bracketed sequence with only 3 shots. Which of those cameras above do you think will give you the best data to work with when merged to HDR? Remember, an HDR file is only as good/clean as the RAW data you feed into the merge. If each RAW shot you feed into a merge to HDR has by itself a large dynamic range, then you increase the quality of the HDR file.

This is why I groan when I see someone shooting with a Nikon D3x or Fuji S5 Pro say you only need to take X shots to get X results.  Each camera is completely different in terms of its ability to capture dynamic range so when you limit your bracket to only 3 shots, the dynamic range of your sensor becomes incredibly relevant. As you fill in the gaps and take more shots with tighter EV steps it fills in data gaps and provides cleaner RAW data for the entire range.

I first touched on the subject of dynamic range of camera sensors about six months ago and there is a little more insight in that post which is linked HERE.  Other articles surrounding dynamic range, auto bracketing and FPS capture are linked as follows:

Autobracketing for HDR – Camera Specs

Fastest DSLRs for HDR Capture (wide AEB range only)

When I see someone say their HDR files and tonemapped images have noise issues, my first question is? How many shots did you take and what EV step between?  Because I can tell you I have ZERO, NONE, NADDA, ZILCH, GOOSE EGG issues with noise in my files.

Why?  Because I bracket big and tight.  Sometimes I’ll bracket a scene with 13 images at .7EV between steps or even more shots with only .3EV steps between.  And yes, it takes a lot longer to merge to HDR, but it also means the averaging that occurs in software from darks to lights between the RAW data you feed it will result in BOTH cleaner data (less noise) and milder hue/saturation shifts (better color reproduction).

I get asked weekly how my images look so free of noise, natural and how I control saturation levels.  That last paragraph is HALF the battle folks.  It took me about 2000 HDRs to finally figure that out and even though I recently crossed 13,000 commercially delivered images tonemapped from HDRs, I’m still learning and tweaking.  I’m far from satisfied with my own results.  It is a constant challenge for myself even to fight “overcooking” images to the point that a client comments “it looks fake”.

It is critical that you understand my goal is to get to the point that someone can’t tell I’ve employed a High Dynamic Range Imaging workflow / pipeline. I’m not there yet.  If your goal is to create colorful and possibly more saturated images than I am gearing for then you might not want to bracket tighter like I do because when luminance ranges get stretched in software using only 3 shots from an AEB sequence it by default will create hue shifts and saturation issues that you might actually want for your images (particularly if you are going for artistic and/or grunge looks).

Even if you don’t shoot for HDR I hope the chart at least enlightens you to the abilities of those camera models.  I’ve purposely eliminated the medium format cameras that DXOmark has on their site.  If you go to their site and want to check these stats out yourself then look for the following tab on their site (image below). When you do, that data will populate the field on the right so you can see the various cameras and how they stack up.  The X axis shows time so you can see when each was released in comparison to others.

T2i gets some HDR love according to Canon themselves.  The quote from their press release reads:

“”"The new Rebel T2i also has an expanded ± 5 EV exposure compensation range allowing for much more versatility when shooting in extremely bright or dark environments; or when shooting HDR (high dynamic range) images.“”"

My question is… does the camera shoot 3 AEB and allow +/-5.0EV? Because their language says exposure compensation range.  So is it a capture “range” of 5EV or how it reads preceding those words which shows ± 5 EV with the focus on the Plus or Minus.

Currently they have no user  manual available for download so this is a mystery at the moment.  CanonUSA.com doesn’t show a line item for AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) like they usually do for their cameras so again… no definitive answer as of yet.  The fact they made a point to comment on the expanded range for HDR capture makes me believe they jumped up significantly here.  I can’t wait to hear the actual specs.

I’ve pre-ordered one through Amazon already.  The manual controls of full HD video, an external mic input, frame rates, etc… make this a no brainer backup body and video workhorse for certain shoots.

HDR Portrait of a friend and her niece below. I have done a couple dozen portraits like this the last few years, but don’t advertise it per se.  Prior to the shoot she asked if it would be possible to “photoshop” the image to look more like a painting than a photo.  Enter HDR.

Knowing that’s what she wanted, HDR was going to make creating that look quite easy.  I could have toned down the colors or not tried to crush so much dynamic range into an 8 bit range, but I ramped it in there because she LOVES color. If you saw her home you’d be a believer.

Could I instead just have blasted them with flash from the front to try and balance the blazing sunset? Yes, but if you’ve shot directly into the sun like this yourself then you know I would have had to have HAMMERED them with flash and the shot ends up having an entirely different feel to it.

Here is a larger version linked below (hosted on my photography website):
http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/hdr_portrait.html

The technique is a bit tricky.  This is what I do.  There may be a better way, but without a tri-pod and because I’m dealing with humans not a static subject, this is what I’ve managed to piece together.

It’s hand held, I’m shooting with a heavily back lit subject directly into a blazing sun.  I say tricky because I am firing off flash on the first image of the bracketed sequence.  The D3 allows you to choose the order of an automated exposure bracketed series and I chose to have it shoot from under exposed to over exposed. The D3 shoots at 9 frames per second and the SB-800 can’t recycle fast enough so the flash only has true power on the first blast so when the second frame fires the speedlite is spent momentarily so the camera is rapidly ripping through the under to over exposed shots before the flash can fully recycle.

Now depending on your camera, and the speed at which it shoots (FPS) + the type of speedlite you are using + the settings you have the speedlite set to, etc…. your results may vary. The camera is set to shoot on continuous shutter release for this automatic exposure bracket.  I normally shoot a 5aeb with 1EV steps between and will often not need the fifth frame which is the most over exposed and the longest shutter speed (sometimes movement by then).

Post production for these shots can be handled in a ton of different ways, such as either beginning in LightRoom and using the Enfuse plugin to fuse images, alternatively one could take individual frames into Photoshop and layer them and mask in pieces needed, or one could merge to HDR and tonemap the image which will be the background and again mask in the flash image.  Regardless, the editing ends in photoshop brining in the first frame with the flash fired to mask over the properly exposed background (and your subject will be underexposed in that non-flash image).

The biggest issue is whether you were steady when you fired off the burst because the quality of either fusing the image or merging to HDR will depend largely on that.  Even though images can be “aligned” in post, that process does compromise the image quality to some degree.  Movement  also complicates masking in the single/flash frame in post, although you’d be surprised how much wiggle room you actually have if you are pretty good at dealing with layers and masking in photoshop.

I probably would not attempt this technique with a camera that shoots slower than 5fps, but I have not attempted this with a camera that shoots 3fps so I can’t say for certain.  The margin for error with the longer time between frames means either you or your subject is more prone to movement.  I’ve occasional had difficulty holding still even at 5fps on a 40D (some time ago), but I have never attempted this at 3fps and probably would have a higher failure rate with those longer moments between frames.

Additionally, your subjects need to understand how critical it is to remain still.  Good communication and/or with a countdown helps.  Blinking is not as big of a deal after the first shot fires because you’ll mask in that first shot anyway.  However, if they drift at all during the capture, then that movement can be problematic aligning images in post and obviously both you and your suj

I always shoot these sequences in RAW because obviously the white balance of the flash hitting your subject may be an issue with the other shots that follow not synching with whatever ambient lighting exists.  You’ll definitely suffer more if shooting JPEG when dealing with exposure adjustments and color balance issues this technique requires.

If you choose to attempt this in a more normal lighting environment, then obviously using flash might not be needed at all and you would just treat the shot like any hand held HDR capture.

I’m not recommending you should be removing the blur filter (AA) from your sensor yourself of course. However, there are professional services out there that can do this for you.  One such company I have used before to accomplish this on my 5D (original, not mark II) is LDP LLC.

MaxMax.com is the site if you want to look deeper into it.  [ I have a link below that goes directly to the D700 page showing the difference it makes to sharpness and in Nikon's case, better white balance ]

There are pros and cons to consider before doing this to your camera. The pros are that the blur filter (AA) will no longer impact the sharpness of your images, the downside is that Moiré patterns may appear when an image has items in frame that have certain repeating patterns of their own.  You’ll have to review their site to see what I mean by this, but there is an example on the page linked HERE. Scroll down 3/4 of the page to “AREA 3″ image to see the Moiré pattern.

You see, in order to eliminate or reduce Moiré patterns, the camera manufacturers install an AA filter over the sensor to blur the high frequency information.  The AA filters let the low frequency information through but blocks the high frequency.  What this means is, although you may own a 10 mega pixel camera, it may only be taking an equivalent of 7 mega pixels of resolution.  Any information approaching the resolution of the sensor must be blocked to prevent Moiré, but the cost of this process is loss of resolution.

—-||| On a side note, this is the reason why I like the Sigma SD14.  The foveon sensor has no such blur filter (AA) and captures red, green and blue on each pixel. |||—-

Maxmax.com offers two options. Either a camera conversion whereby you send them YOUR camera and they remove the blur filter and install a high grade glass replacement over the sensor.  -OR- you can buy new from them and they will convert a brand new camera and make the same conversion before shipping it to you.

I actually opted to NOT sell my D3 and instead shipped it off this week for their High Resolution (HR) conversion process.  I was happy with the increased sharpness I got with my old 5D and I’m sure I’ll be pleased with the D3 conversion.  I was willing then and am willing now to deal with that annoying Moiré pattern in order to gain increased resolution / sharpness. I’m a pixel junkie.

For those of you who don’t know, the D700 uses the same sensor as the D3.  So the images shown on their D700 High Resolution (HR) info page (linked below) would be similar findings with a D3.  I’m looking forward to the better white balance myself.  The first thing I noticed when I started shooting with the D3 was it had a color shift towards yellow/brown that was distinctly apparent to me after having shot with a 5D for a couple of years.  You’ll see.  Check the link below for image comparisons of a stock Nikon D700 vs D700 (HR) converted.

http://www.maxmax.com/nikon_d700hr.htm

I’m NOT. I repeat… I’m NOT recommending you do this to your camera or endorsing MaxMax.com here and now. I’m just letting you know these types of things exist and that I’m willing to roll the dice with my gear.  If I only had one camera and no backup bodies, I wouldn’t take a chance with something like this.