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Nikon d40x HDR
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Hello all ,
I am driving myself mad trying to figure out how to make hdr images with my nikon d40x.
Does anybody out there know how to do it ?
If so I would be very great full :)
Posted at 10:48AM, 28 February 2008 PST
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this should be a good start.
www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/hdr.shtml
Posted 21 months ago.
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Is the question about how to use the HDR software or how to take multiple exposures/bracketing with the D40x?
Posted 21 months ago.
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I use a d40X and combine the multiple exposures with Dynamic-Photo HDR software. I find the software is really easy to use.
Posted 21 months ago.
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someone gave me these great instructions :]]
Hi Erin,
I can describe the way I take HDR images with my D40 (which should apply to the D40x) although there are slight variations that other people use. I can only tell you what works for me. :) I'm not sure what your level of photographic experience is, so apologies if anything described below seems a little basic.
(BTW, you might want to cut and paste this mail into notepad so that the little text diagrams of the exposure display show up properly in fixed font.)
1. Put your camera on the tripod and frame up your shot in the usual way.
2. Use the mode dial on top of the camera to put the camera into M (manual) mode.
3. Set your ISO to 100. (Higher ISO settings will result in more noise which you want to try to avoid for HDR photography.)
4. Hold down the aperture button (the one just to the left of the shutter release, marked with a +- symbol and with the lens iris icon next to it) and use the command dial on the back of the camera to select the required aperture for your desired depth of field. (Or just set it to something like F10 if everything in your scene is roughly the same distance from the lens.)
4. Release the aperture button, and use the command dial again, this time to set the shutter speed. You need to find the correct shutter speed for a 0EV exposure, so keep looking through the viewfinder and rotating the command dial until the exposure display at the bottom of the viewfinder looks like this:
+* * 0 * *-
------#------
ie. no blocks to the left or right of the 0.
This combination of aperture and shutter speed will give you the correct (0EV) exposure, and this will form the middle shot of your three shot bracket.
5. Half press the shutter to focus the lens. Once the lens is focused, switch the 'A/M' switch on the lens from the 'A' to the 'M' position. This will prevent the lens from re-focusing between shots.
6. While looking through the viewfinder, start to rotate the command dial to the left. With each click of the dial you should see another block appear on the left of the exposure display, eg.
one click:
+* * 0 * *-
-----##------
two clicks:
+* * 0 * *-
----###------
three clicks:
+* * 0 * *-
---####------
etc.
Every three clicks moves the exposure by 1EV. You need to do six clicks altogether so that the exposure display looks like this:
+* * 0 * *-
#######------
This is your +2EV setting. (Don't worry too much if the number of bars go slightly beyond the + sign and the < arrow lights up beneath the + sign. This sometimes happens if the lighting in your scene is changing slightly during the shot.)
7. Press the shutter to take your first shot.
8. Now carefully rotate the command dial six clicks to the right. This should get you back to your 0EV position:
+* * 0 * *-
------#------
Press the shutter to take your second shot. This is your 0EV shot. (Again, don't worry too much if the display is 1 block to the left or right of the 0.) You should try to rotate the command dial as carefully as possible as this is the point at which movement of the camera could cause your three shots to be misaligned. If you've secured the camera well on the tripod this should be easy enough to do.
9. Carefully rotate the command dial a further six clicks to the right. The exposure display should now look something like this:
+* * 0 * *-
------#######
Press your shutter to take the final shot. This is your -2EV shot.
You've now got a +-2EV bracket to combine in Photomatix.
You can go beyond +-2EV but you'll have to count the wheel clicks as the scale in the viewfinder only shows you the +-2EV scale. Once you go beyond that the arrows light up. So, for example I often take seven shots with a +-3EV range at 1EV intervals by doing the following:
1. Set up my 0EV shot as described above (steps 1-5).
2. Count off 9 clicks to the left. Take my +3EV shot.
3. Count back three clicks right. Take my +2EV shot.
4. Count another three clicks right. Take my +1EV shot.
5. Three clicks right. 0EV.
6. Three clicks right. -1EV.
7. Three clicks right. -2EV.
8. Three clicks right. -3EV.
It's not usually necessary to go beyond +-3EV, as this covers the dyamic range for most scenes.
One final tip: always shoot in raw mode, rather than jpg as the raw image already contains more dynamic range than a jpg would, so you'll be more likely to capture the full range of the scene with fewer shots.
Posted 21 months ago.
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Some additions to to Erin's incredibly complete instructions:
You may need to play with your metering mode to get 0EV to be a good exposure. The default (matrix metering) is good for most situations, but if you have a strong light-source in your shot, you may need to try one of the other metering modes (or do your HDR exposures across a range not centered on 0EV).
I've found Aperture Priority mode works better than Manual. Maybe the D40 doesn't have that?
Note how the instructions start at the high EV and work down? Do it that way! You're going to be turning the control knob in the same direction every time and it's the easiest direction to turn it based on the design of the camera- that means less vibration and movement than if you do your exposures in any other order.
Posted 21 months ago.
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I've tried the Aperture setting, and I get more confused.
I just do it in the manual setting. I will start with the lowest now.
Posted 21 months ago.
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Thanks to all who have replied :) I have used most of the advice and I am just finishing of my first hdr :)
Posted 21 months ago.
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I was reading other tutorials on HDR and they stated to use manual mode to keep the aperture and shutter settings static throughout the bracketing. If I use aperture mode, wont the shutter auto adjust and change the outcome? When I used aperture mode, my images dont come out as good. Any thoughts?
Posted 21 months ago.
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@ cali_cobra: You want to avoid changing the aperture as that could affect your depth of field from one exposure to another. Shutter speed is not as critical - assuming your are using a tripod and are not trying to capture moving objects.
Posted 21 months ago.
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I use a D40x, and personally I pay more attention to the histogram than the light meter. I typically find the minimum exposure needed (that is, where there is no or very minimal clipping in the highlights) and then bracket up to the maximum exposure (no clipping in the shadows). In other words, if you darkest image shows a small flat line at the right end of your histogram, that's your minimum exposure. If it shows a small flat line at the left end, that's your maximum. I will sometimes even take an extra bracket on either side just to be safe. Also, I rarely use all of the shots I've taken when actually processing the HDR image. Instead, I carefully choose which ones most benefit the image (without adding noise) and use those. I will also take a reference shot using the "correct" exposure, according to the camera's meter. Later, I will tone-map this image by itself and use it for masking out slight motion in the frame, such as trees blowing in the wind. Also, always make sure to bracket using shutter speed, as has been mentioned already here. If you change aperture you will end up changing the depth of field and will cause problems when combining the images. I also always use manual mode, as that gives you much better control over how the camera brackets. You could use aperture-prefered, by changing the exposure compensation, but that rarely gives enough dynamic range. Hope that helps :)
Posted 20 months ago.
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yeah i read to only use Manual (or Program w/ bracketing, depending on whether its long shutter or not)..
from the outcome of some other users..
the Aperature Priority, OR Shutter Priority, both cause the images to be close to the same exposure due to the auto side of those modes.
This tutorial that was posted by Erin (thank you)...was great,
as this seems to be the HARDEST part of taking HDR photos.
especially when you have a situation that does not allow for handheld burst bracketting.
Posted 18 months ago.
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www.d-software.co.za/
Posted 9 months ago.
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