Photoshop CS3 HDR

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Posted By
Davidl3541
Jun 17, 2007
Views
523
Replies
4
Status
Closed
Iam trying the CS3 trial to see if I want to upgrade from CS2. I experimented with HDR using three differently exposed images of the same subject. All images were taken using a tripod BUT I purposely moved the camera position slightly, and here are my findings: Merge to HDR in CS2 with image align checked resulted in a triple image that was not even close to alignment. Next I put the same images through the CS3 trial, also checking the align box. The alignment was pretty good but there was some artifact tonal shifts. Next I tried the demo of Photomatix where I checked the movement box (as opposed to ripple). The alignment was a little better overall compared to the CS3 HDR result. The Photomatix did not have any artifact tonel shifts as displayed in the CS3 HDR. Since the Photomatix was a trial I only used the free HDR with alignment feature and Tone mapping. I think the result was superior to the CS3 HDR. I saved the Photomatix image as a 16 bit and opened it in CS2 to complete my editing.

I really like some of the Photo editing features in CS3 but in view of my experiments with Photomatix, I am not so sure that I want to upgrade to CS3 extended. While some of the features available in CS3 HDR using layers and other features look attractive, as a photographer, I am not so sure the utility is there for me. I think that the HDR align feature should be improved in CS3 basic over what is now available in CS2.

Any thoughts?

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babaloo
Jun 17, 2007
If you do not need the 3d stuff with extended, and you should know if you did, why would pay extra for something you would never use? HDR is not straightforward and requires experimentation and experience. Sometimes you have to manually insert, as a layer, a portion of one of your image to get what you want. Also, HDR is intended for identical images made on a tripod. It cannot perform miracles with misregistered images. Get over it.
If the advantages of CS3 over CS2 are not immediately apparent to you, and smart filters alone is worth the price of admission, then don’t sweat it.
RB
Robert_Barnett
Jun 17, 2007
My biggest complaint about HDR in CS3 is that they didn’t have it use the new Auto-Align Layers technology that the PhotoMerge function uses. With this you wouldn’t have to use a tripod to shoot your pictures because it would then make them match each other. Seems like a massive oversight to me.

While you can use the Auto-Align layers to do this manually the way you have to do it (loading all of the images in to the same document each on a different layer) means you loose the EXIF data that the Merge to HDR needs to get the exposure. Adobe needs to allow each layer to have its own EXIF data so that when you save out each layer to a seperate image its EXIF data goes with it.

Or better yet have it use the new alignment technology.

Robert
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Jun 17, 2007
Huh? What are you two on about? HDR Merge in CS3 does use the new Auto-Align code, and it works quite well – although it does stop short of lens correction. Just check ‘attempt to automatically align source images’…

For the ultimate in alignment, I recommend PTAssembler or similar.
RB
Robert_Barnett
Jun 18, 2007
Sorry if I shoot 3 images at different exposures without a tripod and go in to Merge to HDR the align images doesn’t align them. If I load those three images in to the same document each image to a layer and then use the Edit > Auto-Align feature it aligns them perfectly. This tells me that while Merge to HDR maybe better at alignment than it was in CS2 it is not using the new alignment technology in CS3.

I have also spent a good deal of time readying about HDR and HDR with Photoshop and no place have I seen anyone from Adobe or otherwise that has said that the Merge to HDR in CS3 DOES using the new technology. The only thing I have seen mentioned is that Merge to HDR has only had a couple of tweaks to it and nothing really major. Now I would consider the use of the new Alignment technology major as it gets rid of the need for using a tripod.

Robert

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