Built-in HDR vs. Exposure Bracketing and post-production HDR

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Hi - just wondered if anyone had done some like-for-like comparisons between taking a photo in HDR mode vs. taking the same photo using exposure bracketing and then creating the HDR in post production?

Just wondering what gives better results?
 
In my experience bracketing then post production. The built in HDR has produced some really awful results for me especially at sunset where bracketing with post production wouldhave handled the sun and glow on the horizon but the built in HDR produced an awful blob with artifacts.
 
I find that AEB triple shot give better results than built-in HDR. I did this experiment and used PS to combine the three images. The HDR looked washed out compared to the combined photos.

That being said...

If you brnig the HDR into PS and even do a simple "Auto" curves, it looks a lot better than the stock HDR. You also have one file as opposed to three. I may just be using HDR moving forward and adjusting the curves in PS.

My suggestion... set up your Phantom on a deck or something, don't even worry about flying it. Point it towards something and make sure you get some sky in the picture and don't move it (don't even worry about flying, jut set it up somewhere). Then take pictures using each of the modes, and do post where needed and compare for yourself. That's what did.
 
I have to agree with this. I got awful vignetting and flares using the built in HDR, but the single images across the exposure spectrum worked very nicely for HDR.

In my experience bracketing then post production. The built in HDR has produced some really awful results for me especially at sunset where bracketing with post production wouldhave handled the sun and glow on the horizon but the built in HDR produced an awful blob with artifacts.
 
Great - thanks for the advice. I only have PS Elements which unfortunately doesnt have the HDR feature that the full version does. That said I have found some free HDR compositing software online.

I have taken a few HDR photos at dusk with the P3 and was really quite unimpressed with the results (compared - for example - to photos from my Sony NEX5 camera...but then perhaps that is to be expected given the differing raison d'etres).

Rothgarr - It's funny how the human brain works....I had never considered the idea of taking a photo without flying it! Yes of course - that is a very quick and simple test to do....which I will.
 
Does the AEB take the shots at different exposures, and is it adjustable? Like -1 0 +1


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Does the AEB take the shots at different exposures, and is it adjustable? Like -1 0 +1


Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Tapatalk Pro

There is no adjustment possible in the AEB settings. AEB is set for 0.7 changes. 3AEB is -0.7, 0, 0.7. 5AEB is -1.3, -0.7, 0, 0.7, 1.3
 
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Thanks! I'll try a few and run them through Photomatix and see how they look.


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You should really do the 5 shot and not the 3 shot and then discard pics 2 and 4. They're really not needed as their isn't that much separation. I'm hoping we get more control over this and are allowed to do full stops or multiple full stops with AEB.
 
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Doing HDR after the fact allows you to remove ghosting from things like cars and clouds. I'm guessing the HDR built in does not have any anti-ghosting in the processing.

I can attest to this - I have some in camera HDR photos that are garbage because of the ghosting. I can definitely recommend not using in camera HDR for photos of people.
 

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