JPEG vs RAW when processing HDR files

Bigmitch

Hi everbody, I have recently started creating HDR style pics using Photomatix.

I have been wondering about the relative merits of merging bracketed exposures in RAW as apposed to using JPEG's (I shoot RAW plus JPEG in camera).

I know that there is greater information stored in the original RAW files, but as you have very little latitude to process the RAW file (white balance only, I believe) would I be better off processing the RAW files, keeping them as 16bit JPEG's or TIFF'S then uploading them to Photomatix, or is RAW the better format full stop.

I would be curious to see what peoples preferred working method was.


Cheers.

BinaryFx

Bigmitch wrote:

Hi everbody, I have recently started creating HDR style pics using Photomatix.

I have been wondering about the relative merits of merging bracketed exposures in RAW as apposed to using JPEG's (I shoot RAW plus JPEG in camera).

I know that there is greater information stored in the original RAW files, but as you have very little latitude to process the RAW file (white balance only, I believe) would I be better off processing the RAW files, keeping them as 16bit JPEG's or TIFF'S then uploading them to Photomatix, or is RAW the better format full stop.

I would be curious to see what peoples preferred working method was.


Cheers.

If the HDR software can accept raw data directly, that would seem ideal. Next would be a lossless high bit file like TIFF (although one can JPEG a TIFF). Next down would be an 8bpc lossless file. The lowest step down would be an 8 bpc JPEG (have you tried to save a 16 bpc JPEG?).

It would surprise me if the JPEG input was recommended or preferred by those that do HDR (I personally prefer exposure blending to more "regular" HDR type effects).

The idea behind HDR is to have data that is clean flexible enough to provide dynamic exposure/contrast adjustments, all being performed in 32 bpc floating point math. JPEG seems a little out of place in this setting to me, however I know next to nothing about the deep aspects of this area of processing.


Hope this helps,

Stephen Marsh

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/
http://prepression.blogspot.com/

Bigmitch

Thanks for answering Stephen, and I appreciate your comments.

I understand that Raw contains more info, and its my preferred method.

Its just that the one thing everybody raves about RAW is the ability to develop each individual pic as you see fit, rather than relying on the camera's settings. This makes perfect sense, however when you upload the RAW's into Photomatix you cant do any of that. Your basically using 3 or more highly detailed, but flat pics.

Im wondering whether to bracket some pics and try it both ways and see which I prefer.

Many Thanks again Stephen