Lightroom vs hdr express software#
Lightroom vs hdr express professional#

By clicking on the presets and watching the position of the sliders in the panels to the right of the preview, you can see the result of adjusting the sliders in various ways. Once Express 3 creates the initial HDR image, the image opens in the adjustment workspace, which includes a set of presets to get you started. This is a most welcome speed boost-and it puts Express 3, along with the other Unified Color HDR programs, among the fastest in creating the initial merged image.

Where HDR Express 2 was about average among HDR programs when creating the initial merged image, Express 3 takes only about a third as long. HDR Express 3 virtually eliminates the waiting. I often shoot seven or nine captures to create an HDR image, and must patiently wait while the HDR program aligns, de-ghosts and merges them.

But they didn’t prepare me for the surprise that awaited me when I clicked the Merge button. Other than eliminating the histogram, these changes to merging source images are welcome. But I miss the ability to see where the dynamic range of each of my captures lies relative to the frame ends of the histogram, and the ability to exclude any captures that would add little information to the HDR because they are too over- or underexposed. Perhaps this is justified in an introductory-level HDR program in which users may not understand its usefulness. Unfortunately, these changes to the interface resulted in the elimination of the histogram of the source images that was available in version 2. Using this tool, I was able to choose a key frame without a bird flying through it, which saved me from having to spend time cloning out its ghosts in the merged HDR. Express 3 eliminates this issue by allowing you to choose a key frame and run a quick (and small) preview of the merged result. The problem with using a key frame is that often, you don’t know if you’ve chosen the correct capture until the program has merged the images together. Any change in position of these objects in other captures is ignored when creating the initial HDR image.Įven with the local contrast (Detail slider) nearly set to maximum, Express 3 creates an image with far less of a grunge look than that possible with other HDR programs. This method involves choosing a “key frame,” or one of the captures that has the moving objects in the position you want them. Every HDR program uses some technique to exorcise ghost images, but the most successful method is found in higher-end HDR programs, and now incorporated in HDR Express 3.

Lightroom vs hdr express software#

A new option for DNG images has been added to those for RAW, TIFF and JPEG files.ĭuring a series of HDR captures, objects moving in the frame from capture to capture cause “ghost” images if the software does nothing to eliminate them. The initial screen to merge source images now has radio buttons to filter images in a folder, rather than a drop-down menu. HDR Express 3 adds to the functionality of the previous version by incorporating some of the features of its higher-end programs, but without making it more difficult to learn or use. With the release of version 3, Unified Color has made HDR Express even more accessible and user-friendly. Unified Color produces two of these sophisticated programs-HDR Expose and 32 Float-as well as the perfect introductory-level HDR program, HDR Express. There are a number of sophisticated HDR post-processing programs on the market, but few for photographers who want a taste of the realistic-as well as the other-worldly-results possible with HDR. But for newcomers, the learning curve can be steep-not so much on the capture side, but rather in post-processing.

Lightroom vs hdr express professional#

Mysteries of a sophisticated company.High dynamic range (HDR) imaging has found a place in the toolbox of professional and enthusiast photographers. I still cannot understand why C1 does not integrate this feature that all Apple software had since day 1.

old images (and reduce the number of pics to be imported). There is also this incredibly simple and important feature that LR has and C1 doesn't which is detecting in a SD card the new vs. This is a software I still find very familiar and much easier to learn than C1.

Lightroom comes last but very close to C1.

No one creates color correction with this systematic attention to natural looking output. I am afraid no one understands color like these guys. It's really powerful, particularly with color. The learning curve is also massive (I fear) as open software cannot afford the armada of (marketing-enabled) feedback collection specialists and interface designers that LR and C1 can both afford

RawTherapee really gives a noticeable improvement in detail, BUT the default color rendition is less flattering and realistic than CaptureOne.

Using 3 RAW converters on the same picture I did a comparison last night (why can't we upload here any more ?)