Thoughts on HDR function?

[Mr. Lips]

I have a Sony a7 II full frame, just so you know.

I was wondering what people think of Sony's HDR function?

If you use it, is there a setting you prefer, most of the time.

I used to add contrast to some of my photos because I liked the look.  I suppose, mostly, in side lighting situations.

Thoughts on that?

 

[Phormula]

Like many tools, it can bee a good servant but a poor master.

I like it when used in non obtrusive way to improve a bunch of pictures or when applied heavily on a single one to obtain a desired effect. I felt a little annoyed seeing the whole set of pictures from a weekend trip in the mountains, each of them heavily processes through HDR. This is my taste, I tend to use it to improve specific shots, but I am a sparing user.

[Pieter]

I second that. With a photo I try to replicate the experience as I had it in real life. The human eye/brain are exceptional at capturing high dynamic range. Our eyes can apply local dimming and our brain merges images of brighter and darker areas into one 'mental picture'. An overprocessed HDR image looks artificial and in no way resembles that mental picture, but e.g. my mental picture of a landscape does contain a blue sky with textured clouds rather than an overexposed flat white mess.

[Cameratose]

Used sparingly it can produce nice results, however the added effort involved in setting up a tripod and computer stacking doesn't appeal to me. I used to have a Panasonic G9 which had in-camera stacking. If you were careful, you could produce handheld shots with good result. The only drawback there was the SOOC result was a jpeg, which limited further processing. 

[Pieter]

4 hours ago, Cameratose said:

I used to have a Panasonic G9 which had in-camera stacking.

Sony cameras can do this too. I don't use it either: I think in most cases the base RAW file has plenty of headroom to raise shadows / recover blown out highlights if exposed properly. Bracketed HDR images always look surreal to me and should only be used for intentional artistic expression.

[Cameratose]

19 minutes ago, Pieter said:

Sony cameras can do this too. I don't use it either: I think in most cases the base RAW file has plenty of headroom to raise shadows / recover blown out highlights if exposed properly. Bracketed HDR images always look surreal to me and should only be used for intentional artistic expression.

Which ones stack in-camera?  

[Pieter]

My trusty old A6000 did it and so do simple point-and-shoots, so I'm guessing all cameras after can do it too.

https://helpguide.sony.net/dsc/1620/v1/en/contents/TP0000586870.html

[Cameratose]

1 hour ago, Pieter said:

My trusty old A6000 did it and so do simple point-and-shoots, so I'm guessing all cameras after can do it too.

https://helpguide.sony.net/dsc/1620/v1/en/contents/TP0000586870.html

I do recall this, it's been so long since I've shot anything other than RAW it was forgotten. I poked around a bit since I posted before, and while I've found plenty of evidence they do, a search through the on-line help guides doesn't find any topics. As soon as I get up off my lazy hind-end I'll check through my cameras. 

Edit:

So, here's what I learned: As near as I can tell, the last camera (at least FF) that included HDR was the A7 III. The A7R III has it, so do the A9 and A9 II.

While I didn't check them all, the A7R IV, A7 IV, A7R V, A9 III, and A1 do not have in-camera HDR. They do have HLG, a single frame high dynamic setting, but it's only available in HEIF format. 

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2024 by Cameratose

[Pieter]

Hmm apparently the feature was removed in the A7iv-generation of cameras, A7Siii still has it. Personally I won't ever miss the feature but I can immagine people who rely on quick output to clients might find it a big deal.

[Cameratose]

I think the reason it's not in the newer FF cameras is due to the inherent DR. You could use the HEIF file format and shoot in HLG, which would be plenty for the vast majority. Only problem is you'd need to be able to send the HEIF file or have a way to change it to a jpeg. Sending it to an iPhone or pad wouldn't be a problem, but anything else would likely need converting unless you have a savvy client! 

[Phormula]

11 hours ago, Pieter said:

Sony cameras can do this too. I don't use it either: I think in most cases the base RAW file has plenty of headroom to raise shadows / recover blown out highlights if exposed properly. Bracketed HDR images always look surreal to me and should only be used for intentional artistic expression.

Same for me. I prefer to do it in post-processing, so I can control the effect to my desired intention, rather than let the camera do it in a canned way. It is more cumbersome (need a tripod and time in post-processing), but given the limited number of picture I use it for, it is not an issue for me. 

[Mr. Lips]

I only have Paintshop Pro.  I'm sure it can do a lot of the stuff you describe, but I'm pretty incompetent with it.  It's just easier for me to do it in camera.  I generally shoot in the highest J-peg.  I'm mostly sharing photos through emails and on forums, so never felt like I really needed to shoot in RAW.

Are you guys suggesting setting the HDR to one of the lower settings, like -1,0,+1 or -2,0,+2?

Or do you mean something else?

I just ordered an a7 IV.  I'm bummed to hear it doesn't have HDR.  I might have to start shooting in RAW and learn how to use my PSP.

 

[Cameratose]

Seriously, download Darktable. It's totally free, very well supported, updated at least once and usually twice per year, and is as powerful as Adobe. I've been using it for about 5 years now and refuse to change. Yes, there's a learning curve. There's also a learning curve for your camera, your car, your dishwasher, etc. Just do it. Your output will be vastly improved once you sort it out.

Look for Bruce Williams on YouTube, an Aussie who does Darktable tutorials. Very down-to-earth and straight forward, makes it simple. He has everything from the most basic beginner to advanced. It is well worth your time to learn how to process a RAW image.   

[Cameratose]

Oh yeah, and it has an HDR module for stacking! 

[XKAES]

I love the HDR function on my cameras -- along with bracketing.

I don't use it too often, but when I want to capture a subject with a high dynamic range, I turn it on with bracketing so that I get several shots with one press of the button -- each with a different level of HDR control.  I can pick and choose the best later.

[Cameratose]

39 minutes ago, XKAES said:

I love the HDR function on my cameras -- along with bracketing.

I don't use it too often, but when I want to capture a subject with a high dynamic range, I turn it on with bracketing so that I get several shots with one press of the button -- each with a different level of HDR control.  I can pick and choose the best later.

What cameras are you shooting? 

[Pieter]

Auto bracketing is one thing, auto HDR is something else. I can't immagine the auto HDR feature to provide a more pleasing result than just post-processing a single good RAW file. But then again, it's much faster to work with.

[Cameratose]

The HDR files I got out of the G9 were pretty pleasing. For a quick shot where shadows and blown out highlights are an issue, it was perfectly acceptable.