[jogiba]

Since the minimum is one frame every 2 seconds that would mean each frame is a three shot processed HDR JPEG so it would take three shots every 2 seconds for up to 99 hours. So if you wanted to shoot the maximum 4K HDR movie interval timelapse you could shoot for 99 hours @ one HDR frame every 2 seconds that will amount to 178,200 processed HDR JPEG frames that would give you a 49min 30 sec 4K HDR timelapse @60FPS. BTW the K-3 shutter is rated for 200,000 shutter releases so don't try for the maximum 99 hour 4K HDR movie interval timelapse.

[panoguy]

BTW the K-3 shutter is rated for 200,000 shutter releases so don't try for the maximum 99 hour 4K HDR movie interval timelapse.

You mean, don't try it twice!

[jogiba]

You mean, don't try it twice!

Not even once since it takes 534,600 shutter releases to make the 178,200 HDR JPEGs

[Adam]

Not even once since it takes 534,600 shutter releases to make the 178,200 HDR JPEGs

Don't they use a single image these days to general HDR's? Not 100% sure but that's been my impression.

Adam
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[jogiba]

Don't they use a single image these days to general HDR's? Not 100% sure but that's been my impression.

My K-7 takes three images to make one HDR JPEG.

You Tube

You Tube

[Adam]

My K-7 takes three images to make one HDR JPEG.
PENTAX In-Camera HDR Image Processing (K-7, K-x) - YouTube

The K-7 was also the first to offer that feature. If I remember right from when I did the review, the K-50 only shoots a single frame. I might be thinking of another camera, though.

[VoiceOfReason]

I think the K5 uses 3+ for it.

[lister6520]

I think the K5 uses 3+ for it.

There are actually two varieties of HDR. One is in my opinion the 'real' HDR and that actually shoots thee photos. The other is just a simulated HDR whereby the image is processed just like you would do manually in LR or similar, increasing the shadows brightness and spreading the bright end of the histogram.

The K-30 does the 'real' variety, shooting three pictures, one at the set exposure, one at up to three stops slower and one up to three stops faster (it is the speed that is changed between pictures, not aperture or ISO). The HDR option is disabled in RAW, but that is really no issue as you can use bracketing instead and then combine in PP.

I think I saw in the 'custom image', 'digital filters' or somewhere like that what is effectively the simulated HDR, or maybe it was in some other camera. I tried check now but both custom image and digital filter options are greyed. Not sure why but possibly because they are not applicable in raw.


The 'real' HDR can give far more effective results than the simulated one, although the latter (especially if done in PP) can also give some respectable results. The reason is that the real HDR actually adds 6 real stops of dynamic range whereas the simulated one is just changing the tone curve to bring out more detail in the shadows and the highlights while compressing the mid-tones.

[mee]

I think you could be thinking of Tone mapping via one RAW image

[rawr]

The K-3's new AE metering system (86k metering plus especially the multi-pattern white balance) may perhaps allow 'single-shot' HDR, by dynamically altering the metering of the scene during the record phase of a single shot. (?)

[lister6520]

The K-3's new AE metering system (86k metering plus especially the multi-pattern white balance) may perhaps allow 'single-shot' HDR, by dynamically altering the metering of the scene during the record phase of a single shot. (?)

No it cannot. The metering system can only calculate what is the best exposure to shoot and pass that information to the shutter. The shutter cannot however alter anything, it can just open for a specific length of time and then close. So the metering system, no matter how complex, will in the end just provide one number, the exposure value and from that the shutter speed, aperture and ISO are set (if you are doing auto exposure). The metering system is only active before shooting the scene. Once you fully press the shutter button the exposure meter's job is done and it does nothing else. It couldn;t anyway because now the mirror has lifted and the exposure meter can no longer 'see' the scene anyway.

What the metering system can do to help with dynamic range is to place the exposure more accurately in the right place on the histogram, so as to make the best use of the sensor's dynamic range.

[ChrisJ]

HDR is best done from 3 bracketed Raw images combined into a single image. Recording one Raw file and creating the two other exposures from it doesn't work too well as there are limits to what can be captured even in a Raw file there will still be little data in the blocked out dark pixels or blown out highlights.

Compare these, first the 3 bracketed Raw frames, on metering and +/- 2 f stops, converted into one image

[
]

three frames adjusted from one on metering Raw file to + and - 2 f stops frames, then the 3 combined.

[
]

In camera HDR are at best 3 bracketed Jpeg frames which don't have anything like the data available in 3 bracketed Raw frames, in camera HDR is usually disappointing.

Chris

[rawr]

So the metering system, no matter how complex, will in the end just provide one number, the exposure value and from that the shutter speed, aperture and ISO are set...Once you fully press the shutter button the exposure meter's job is done and it does nothing else.

On film, yes.

But the metering system in a digital camera may potentially do more than that. A digital image isn't fully baked at the point of shutter click, even in camera.

The final shutter 'click' may certainly force the camera to execute a particular aperture, shutter speed and ISO. However, the settings recorded at 'click' time are based on a calculation derived from data continuously fed to the camera CPU from all 77 (or more) segments of the metering system. You can see all this data recorded in the EXIF. Since data was recorded from every metering segment at the 'click' point, there seems little to stop the camera making post-capture selective adjustments (within bounds - ie subject to sensor DR) to the saved image based on the camera's full library of 77 (or more) EV readings taken from the scene at the 'click' moment. Theoretically you could even do this for every pixel or line of pixels on the sensor, as a recent patent highlights.

[jogiba]

I like HDR for more dynamic range and not to turn real life into a cartoon IMHO.



Pentax K-7 Tamron 10-24mm @ 10mm 1/30sec F8 100iso


Pentax K-7 10mm 1/30 sec F8 100iso HDR strong in camera setting

[ChrisJ]

I like HDR for more dynamic range and not to turn real life into a cartoon IMHO.

My point was you need the data from 3 bracketed Raw shots to get enough data to make a HDR with exposures across a wide dynamic range, how that data is interpreted depends on subject, your mood or what your trying to achieve when you do the conversion.

Another example with a different subject, and a different treatment.

[
]

IMHO some images lend themselves to a more 'tempestuous' or even 'cartoon' treatment - some don't.

This one used HDR to tame and open up the dark shadows cast by a bright midday Sun.

[
]

No dynamic range reason in this shot, but the extra detail makes HDR necessary - IMHO.

[
]

Chris