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HDR – an abomination? Not if you do it right!

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We probably all know that HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. In all simplicity, this means images that cover the entire tonal range in a given scene. The photographer has been able to preserve the highlights and yet has enough shadow detail information. The photo avoids any clipped shadows or ‘black holes’ as I call them. The trouble with black holes is that they steal a lot of attention, and may draw the eyes to all the wrong places in an image. The same goes for severely clipped highlights. They are boring plain white, with hard transition lines.

There are three ways we can achieve a high dynamic range image. We will in the following briefly discuss each of them.

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How dynamic range compares on film vs digital

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The film vs digital argument has been going on since DSLRs first hit the market a couple of decades ago. But it doesn’t seem to be dying any time soon, especially with films popularity growing again. One of the big debates between the two formats that regularly pops up is that of dynamic range.

So, photographer Bill Lawson put it to the test. He shot some Kodak T-Max 100 in a Nikon N90s vs the more recent Nikon D750 DSLR using the Nikon 135mm f/2 AF-D DC lens on both to see how they compare.

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This is the best explanation on the Internet about what dual ISO is and how it affects dynamic range

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The phrase “dual native ISO” seems to be coming to more and more cameras these days. Certainly not to all of them, but to many, especially when it comes to video. Panasonic’s done it with the GH5S, Blackmagic’s done it with the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, and it’s out there on a few more, too.

But what exactly is it? I mean, we get what the end result is, but how does it work? What is this voodoo? And how does it really affect how we shoot? John Hess from Filmmaker IQ dives deep into dual ISO and the effect it has on dynamic range with the BMPCC4K in this video, and it’s probably the best explanation I’ve seen so far on how it all works.

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Photographers, don’t fight the shadows. Embrace them

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In tricky lighting situations, most photographers expose for the highlights to prevent them from getting blown out. But this can create dark shadows which sometimes don’t preserve enough detail. What to do with them? Should you brighten them up in post? According to Sean Tucker, you shouldn’t. Instead, just embrace them and use them to your advantage. In this highly inspirational video, Sean discusses how to do it, and why this advice goes for both photography and life.

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Can iPhone XR take better photos than a $5,000 full-frame Canon?

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We are witnessing the rapid improvement of smartphone cameras (and more of them being added to each new phone that gets launched). But have we come to the point where smartphone cameras can take better photos than full-frame DSLRs? Tyler Stalman tested the iPhone XR against the Canon 5D Mark IV. And when it comes to dynamic range – the smartphone sure does a pretty impressive job!

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Why dynamic range is more important than megapixels

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Do megapixels really matter? Well, of course they do, but they don’t take the first place when it comes to the importance. According to photographer Manny Ortiz, a good dynamic range is what you should look for in a camera. In his latest video, he shares why both are important – but also why dynamic range matters more.

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This eclipse photo shows why dynamic range and shooting RAW are important

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Shooting raw or not shooting raw is probably not even questionable for most photographers. But if you’re for any reason still shooting JPG, this example could finally make you change it. What’s more, it shows why the high dynamic range is important, and what you can achieve just from editing a single RAW file.

Photographer Daniel Plucinski captured the total solar eclipse on Monday and retrieved an incredible amount of details from a single underexposed shot.

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Canon 6D Mark II dynamic range results are disappointing

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There has been a great hype about the new Canon 6D Mark II. Now that it’s officially released, the first dynamic range test results are coming in – and they are not good. As it turns out, the 6D Mark II has less dynamic range than models like 5D Mark IV or 1D X Mark II. What’s more, the results show that it even has less dynamic range than some of the APS-C bodies like Canon 80D. While this may not be a deal breaker for some photographers, it does affect your shots and the amount of detail you can get in editing.

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