HDR – High Dynamic Range Camera?

bump…

To my knowledge, the only camera with built-in HDR is the new Pentax K7, which is certainly a budget buster for your limit.

I will beat my LX3 drum in the briefest fashion to note that the latest firmware update, pulled back quickly for bug fixes, includes an enhanced dynamic range (not hdr) setting as well as a greatly expanded auto bracketing range. I'll have to wait until it's re-released to test those out.

A lot of cameras now have in-camera processing that brings out shadow detail (for jpgs). Again, short of hdr but with enhanced dynamic range in mind.

Cheers,

Rick

Not sure if i understood the question but with a LX3 you can have an automatic 3 shots with up to +/-3.
You need the software to use the 3 files though.

Rick,
I'm not hoping for auto-HDR in an inexpensive camera, only auto-bracketing from -2 to +2 over 3 or 5 exposures.

My lowly Sony Cybershot W170 auto-brackets at -1, 0,+1. It even has an internal "Dynamic Range" process. Neither give me the latitude I want. But if I could bump up to -2,0,+2 with a different camera, then post-processing in Photomatrix should do the job.

Thanks.

Frederic,
You nailed it.

That is the question and LX3 is one answer. Any others out there?

Edit: The LX3 auto bracketing is a only on the 2.0 firmware, due "real soon now".

Short of getting a manual for each camera it is really tough to find this spec.

Thanks.

I was able to download the firmware update before it was pulled from the Panasonic Website. My favorite addition is the ability to have the zoom level resume to its previous setting when powering up the camera. The Enhanced dynamic range does improve the image up to a point, but overdone it looks weird. This image was improved especially in the shadows. Late afternoon in the Tongass

The Ricoh CX1, CX2 and GRD III all have a double shot mode where the camera takes two shots at different settings on one press of the button and then combines them for greater dynamic range. It works reasonably well but you do need to use a tripod or other support except at high shutter speeds or the two images aren't completely superimposed.

Chris,
I did uncover the DoubleShot feature of the Ricoh GRD III. But I could not find a reference to exposure auto-bracketing.

Can you tell me if it has auto-bracketing from -2 to +2?

Thanks.

edit: I just discovered the magic term is 'auto bracket'. I'd been using 'braketing'. And it appears the III only does -.5, 0, +.5, which won't help for HDR.

Greg,

According to Ricoh the GR-D III has an auto bracket function of -0.5EV, ±0, +0.5EV / -0.3EV, ±0, +0.3EV. When I had a camera to test (it's gone back to Ricoh) I didn'y try the auto bracketing as it's not something I use and I didn't have the camera very long. There is manual exposure compensation of +/-2EV.

So far then, only the LX3, on the next release?

I've not dug into a lot of specifications to verify, but I believe auto exposure bracketing is pretty common among better compacts. FWIW the LX3 shipped with +/-1 EV autobracketing; the latest firmware update extends the range to make it more suitable for HDR. I'm willing to bet that the higher end cameras from all the makers do the same. As noted above, a tripod is *very* helpful, although stitching utilities are pretty good at lining up multiple frames that aren't perfectly overlain.

The LX3 also has a multiple exposure (on a single frame) mode, but I confess I've never played with it.

Cheers,

Rick

Thanks all for your replies.

I just found the magic page –
Auto Exposure Bracketing by Camera.

If I stumble around in the dark long enough I can usually find what I want. It’s the bruising that I like to avoid.