Exposure Blending with Stack Images

[tomczak]

I may be able to help with Polish translation. What do I ask?

[MikeG]

Sorry for the slow response, Maciej, I've been a bit busy.
I've downloaded and run the Lite version. I was surprised to find it in English - is this naive of me? Anyway the results were not to my liking. I've downloaded the Pro version but not installed it yet. Perhaps today - if it is English and if there is some form to trial facility, I'll give it a try. I'll post again in a few days.

Mike.

[MikeG]

I've now tried the Pro version - which is in English. It's a demo version so the output is limited in size and watermarked. Otherwise the program appears fully functional. It will handle RAW files and by default aligns the images, blends and tone maps them. There is a wide range of sliders for overall brightness and contrast, and separately for highlights and shadow. mid tone contrast, micro contrast and various colour related sliders.
The result is pretty good but the program seems caught between two stools. Offers nowwhere near the power of PWP yet is quite expensive.
The free DRI from IDImager doesn't handle RAW files, but does handle 48 bit TIFF files and has a few adjustments. Bit flaky, though.
Until I'm comfortable with the PSP's Stack Images transform I think I'll use DRI to do the blending and PWP for everything else.
Mike.

[den]

The freeware version, "SNS-HDR Lite" [currently v1.1.9] will produce a 16-bit tiff image [if optioned: " -tiff16" needs to be added/applied to the installed desk top icon target 'Properties' description] resulting from a single image or image set, converting RAW if needed, aligning, merging, and tone mapping using the author's presets. This image can then be opened in PWP.

I have found that the resulting image is often dark in the shadows and lower midtones because of the tone mapping necessary to provide increased highlight contrasts/detail [just like using PWP5's RAW dialog Hilite Recovery feature]. It can also lack color saturation contrasts which if the case can be addressed with PWP's transforms.

The single most beneficial PWP transformation of the resulting "SNS-HDR Lite" image seems to be a RGB BrightnessCurve transformation with a symmetrical tone range mask to protect the upper mid-tones/highlights with a curve that will increase the brightness/contrasts of the shadows and lower midtones. If the color saturation contrasts still remain flat, then apply a ColorCorrect transform with a 'colorcorrect' file suggested here: http://www.dl-c.com/discus/messages/2/11025.html to a preference amount....
...or...
...try using Levels&Color transform adjustments in the HSL color space with or without a mask.

This program is still being developed; updates frequently [once a week at times]; and is currently for Windows. It's 'changelog' is here: http://www.mmj.pl/~snibisz/sns-hdr/changelog.htm and by clicking on the lower right green downward pointing arrow will open a download/save/run dialog for a 7.5MB setup.exe file. The web page can be translated using Bing or Google translators...

It can take 3 to 4 minutes to process a 3456x2304 image or image set with a dual core processer... so get a cup of coffee.

Again... Extraordinary things can be done when its freeware "SNS-HDR Lite" is linked with the editing/data access of PWP's transforms....

http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/10/IMAG ... _10_93.htm -- updated

Overdone perhaps but done because it could be....

...Have fun!!!...