From my first coupla weeks of HDR use, I've realized that HDR (i include both tone mapping and blending in that term), is the photographic tool i've always wanted. I now understand the wisdom of Pentax including the HDR filter in the K7 camera. A recent thread in the software forum by me (
) indicates that HDR is only a new tool to a few, as most replies were from folks that were using it.
Both the K7 and the Kx get good marks for HDR capability in an article by Jack Howard
"2009 HDR All Stars" .
2009 HDR All-Stars from Adorama Learning Center
this quote is from the Jack Howard's link:
"Photographers who are serious about High Dynamic Range Imaging know that one of the secrets to creating powerful tone mapped images resides in cameras that can quickly and effectively capture a truly wide dynamic range of source images. And the two camera features that really put these HDR All-star cameras ahead of the rest are Auto Exposure Bracketing settings and burst rate.
True, any camera with manual controls can be used for bracketing shots for an HDR sequence, but the less you have to touch your camera between shots, and the more rapidly a camera can capture a bracketed series of shots, the less chance you’ll encounter alignment and/or ghosting issues due to movement between frames.
The criteria for selecting these 2009 HDR All-Star Cameras is actually quite simple: a one shutter touch Auto Exposure Bracket Sequence that covers a minimum of -3 to +3 EV span around the median exposure and the ability to capture this exposure range span in RAW mode in 1 second or less. There’s many cameras in market that will capture a bracket series of shots up to +/-2, but the extra dynamic range headroom of a +/-3 (and upwards) EV span really sets these cameras apart from the pack for serious HDR pho9tographers."
If you look at the whole article, then you find out that:
a) Jack thought that the K7 could auto exposure bracket up to +- 3 EV, but Dpreview only shows max steps of 2 EV as in the K20. Does anyone know if its 3 EV capable or 2EV like the K20?
In addition the K7 and K20 can only auto bracket a series of 3 or 5 steps.
b) for entry level dslrs, the Kx is not doing bad with max step of +- 1.5 EV and 3 images.
I think HDR is the next megapixel or shutter race, Pentax needs to improve the Auto bracketing settings to match the competition. These are the top of the line specs to strive for (as in Canon 1D Mark IV(7 images, up to 3EV step), Nikon D3 (9 images-1EVstep ), Nikon D300s (9 images-1EV step)
Pentax needs to stay competitive in the HDR race. They aren't doing bad now, but it should be easy for them to make the necessary changes. And don't neglect the follow-on to the Kx, it needs a larger +-2 EV step and the 3 or 5 image options of the K20 at least.
I WISH these changes would happen so i have no source, other than the Jack Howard article on what he thinks makes for a good HDR camera.