What is hdr in the smartphone camera. Are there any ways to avoid this? Additional Benefits of Manual Processing

15/09 3400

Creating photos with an extended dynamic range is a pretty well-known feature found on a modern digital camera or smartphone. More experienced photographers understand what HDR is, but not everyone knows when to use this mode better. Photo search will try to clarify how to maximize the use of HDR when shooting on the phone.

The human eye is able to perceive a much higher dynamic range at the shooting location than any photographic equipment. If you have sharp vision, you are able to distinguish between small details on a dark building against a bright sky, note the details of an airplane flying overhead overhead, etc. But when we try to capture this moment and take a picture, for example, of a building on a phone or a camera, then in the lens it becomes dark with poorly visible details.

In this case, skillful photographers would begin to eliminate the problem by exposure, but here we encounter difficulties - the building turned into a lighted one, and the sky above it was like a blurred white spot. How to be? Take pictures in HDR mode.

Our task is to combine the best components of two or three photos and create a single image with clearly expressed small details, in our case, a building, and a beautiful natural sky. HDR technology perfectly copes with the task, the result is pleasing to the eye.

HDR on smartphones

Built-in functionality of the extended dynamic range can be found in every modern iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The High Dynamic Range on the smartphone automatically combines the best features of the three captured frames on the phone’s camera.

To get an excellent shot with clearly defined detail and color reproduction, you should do the following:

• take three pictures with different exposure settings:

• combine a series of photos in one frame using HDR on the phone.

HDR Auto Shooting on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1. Open the tab - Camera on your smartphone.
2. Turn on HDR mode.
3. Point the camera at a subject or subject and take a picture.

The phone automatically saves two versions of the image at once in the "Photos" section: on one photo it has an HDR effect, on the second - it is not. We want to note that the smartphone, when the HDR auto mode is on, independently chooses which version of the picture to leave, if you want to turn off this setting - take a photo in the “HDR on” mode on your mobile device.

HDR on a digital camera

In the extended dynamic range mode, landscape photographers or urban photographers like to photograph. The only problem that a photographer has is how to take a picturesque place without overexposure or dimming details. Again, various exposure settings do not help, turn on the HDR mode.

With the help of HDR technology, light, mid and dark halftones from a series of photos are combined in one image. By the way, you can achieve the same result using computer programs, but if the functionality of your camera allows you to work with this mode, save your time on post-processing of the footage.

For shooting with extended dynamic range, you need a tripod. If he was not at hand at the time of the desire to photograph a spectacular shot, use any improvised and reliable supports that are suitable in height and remove focus bracketing from your hands. The main thing is to ensure that there is not the slightest shift in your camera. Shooting from a tripod makes it more likely to get a series of shots with perfect frame match. It is important to note that often at some point in the focus of the lens you can notice random passers-by, insects, birds or animals that spoil the perfect shooting. Don’t worry, Ghost Reduction software processing will help you.
You can also try to achieve the HDR effect while shooting in RAW format in the following two steps:

• Make a virtual copy of the image, later work with light on the entire series of images.
• On the resulting images, draw the shadows and only then glue them into a single image.

Competent glued HDR-effect photos look very impressive and attract the attention of viewers.

Cons of HDR:

• you can’t shoot motion
• you cannot get a bright and saturated image,
• slow shooting
• hDR style is not suitable for portrait shooting, evening or night time, long exposure, reporting or street shooting, dynamics, winter scenery, cloudy, rainy weather or fog shooting.

The technique of extended dynamic range is achieved through painstaking work and regular study of the capabilities of your photo equipment. Reading the instructions for the camera is just a movement from zero to one. Regular practice, equipment testing, experiments, and photography courses are the first steps to success.

To understand what HDR is, just look at the photos taken in this technique. We see a contrast image with good detail, both in light and dark areas. For comparison, you can look at a photograph of the same area without the use of HDR technology.

When a person looks at an area, his vision adapts to the lighting and the details become clearly distinguishable. The look is reconstructed to different lighting rather quickly, so we can easily admire landscapes with complex lighting. In addition, the dynamic range that a person sees is large enough, which can not be said about cameras.

If the camera adjusts the exposure to bright areas, they become normally distinguishable with all the details, but the shadows become completely black and there is a loss of detail in these areas. If you adjust the exposure to dark areas, the detail will disappear in highlights.

HDR technology is designed to eliminate this limitation.

How does this look in practice?

1. The camera is mounted on a tripod. All pictures should be taken from one place without the slightest displacement of the camera. To completely exclude camera vibration, you need to remove it using a cable or a timer. You need to make a few frames.
2. Photos are taken with various exposures. The diaphragm should not change.
3. Further, the received frames are combined on a computer. You can use various programs, but one of the best is Photomatix Pro.

Practical lesson

Step 1. Learning Camera Features

The manuals are pretty boring to read, but don't underestimate their importance. You need to learn all the functions of the camera in order to fully own all the tools and settings that the device offers. Particular attention should be paid to manual settings.

Step 2. Exploring exposure bracketing

Bracketing refers to the creation of several frames with various settings of a parameter. Bracketing makes it easy to get three or more frames with different exposures. To take a series of shots, you will need to press the shutter button only once. If there is no bracketing function, you can take three pictures manually by manually entering exposure compensation in turn.

Step 3. Aperture Priority Mode

Since the aperture value in the entire series of shots should be unchanged, this mode is best suited. You can use the fully manual mode, but this is not necessary.

Step 4. Metering Mode

If you are not very good at metering options, it’s best to use estimated (integral). Other modes can also come in handy when shooting HDR, but they show their usefulness much less often. It all depends on the particular scene.

Step 5. White Balance

White balance is most often used automatically, but you should not always rely on automation. Sometimes it’s worth setting the exact value of this parameter. It depends on the scene, weather, environment, etc.

Step 6. ISO

The ISO value must be set the same as in normal shooting, that is, as small as possible so that the noise does not spoil the picture. But there is one caveat. HDR photographs are particularly sensitive to noise, so this option should be given special attention. In case of lack of light when shooting still subjects, it is best to reduce the ISO as much as possible and increase shutter speed.

Step 7. Tripod

A tripod is undoubtedly needed for HDR shooting. It allows not only to firmly fix the camera in one place, but also to position it at times in places that are not most convenient for shooting. The main choice is the type of tripod. In general, they do not differ much from each other according to the general principle of operation, but there are differences in fastening, size, the presence of levels, etc.

Step 8. Remote shutter release

Even on a tripod, the camera may flinch when you press the shutter button, so it’s best to use a timer or a release cable.

Step 9. Lens

Most often, HDR is used when shooting a cityscape or natural landscape. Therefore, a wide angle lens would be the best choice.

But HDR can be used in any style of photography, so other types of lenses should not be discounted.

Step 10. Manual Focus

Autofocus can fail, no matter how modern it is. He can corny focus the camera on a nearby subject. In this case, the rest of the frame may become blurry. If your goal is to create a landscape picture with maximum detail, then you should switch to manual focus mode and set the value to infinity. Thus, everything that appears in the field of view of the camera will be sharp.

Step 11 Level Setting

A littered horizon is the most unpleasant mistake, which is easily corrected programmatically, but why unnecessary actions. It’s better to do everything right right away. Some tripods have built-in levels, but if you don’t have one, you can buy a separate bubble level that attaches to a hot shoe. You can somehow adapt the usual building level.

These are mainly DVRs, radar detectors or COMBO devices. But today it’s about the devices that shoot video files, the thing is that many have the HDR function, supposedly it improves shooting felts, photo felts, or the final file. But what she really does and what process of work, no one knows. So let's get it right ...

To get started, the definition

HDR (or HDRI - High Dynamic Range Imaging , if translated literally, it turns out - The image is a high (extended) dynamic range) - this is an improved technology for working, or processing an image or video, mainly affecting brightness and contrast.

Speaking in the usual human language, these technologies improve the “picture” both when shooting a video or photo, and when playing the source files. If we “roughly” describe the improvements of this technology, then the dark becomes even darker and the light even lighter, the image transmission accuracy is also increased, and in some cases, contrast and brightness.

As the developers of this function assure, they increased the perception of colors from images and videos to 75-80%, although the percentage of perception is much lower with conventional technologies.

SDR andHDR

At the dawn of the creation of television and video equipment, there was one of the standards for the dynamic range of brightness and color, it was due to one of the standards of television in those days. NU couldn’t transmit the greater “color radiation” of lamp TVs, just as they couldn’t record standard video cameras and VCRs - to put it bluntly - “the technology was lame”, therefore the whole wide range of brightness and color was compressed to very standard colors transmitted our old televisions and television towers.

In simple terms, we can say that from a wide palette of colors and brightness, we perceived only about 20 - 30% (and possibly even lower)! Therefore, the first films were not as realistic as they are now.

This function was simply called - SDR — Standard Dynamic Range - that is, the standard display mode for brightness and color. This is a kind of carburetor in the age of injection technology.

But now a new and essentially revolutionary mode has appeared - HDR, as I wrote above, this function greatly increases the brightness and color transmission of our televisions, and also improves the recording of our video gadgets (DVRs, telephones) or cameras.

As i wrote above HDR - It can give us a much more realistic picture, where the perception of brightness and color increases to 75-80%.

How does it work?

The process is quite simple, the camera takes several shots with a different color range, as well as with different brightness. Usually there can be from 3 to 5 such pictures, but you don’t see this, because all this is done automatically and very quickly. Later from these pictures, one is compiled, with improved characteristics - brightness and color reproduction. After that, it is displayed on your display or TV.

Camcorders - DVRs have already automatically learned how to improve the video image, which again should play on HDR devices.

Actually, to get maximum efficiency, you must have not only equipment that records video or photos in HDR, but also equipment on which it will play TVs, displays or gadget screens.

It is worth noting that the DVRs are now developing very much, the video is already being shot not with HD resolution (1280X720), but often with FULL HD (1920X1080), but SUPER HD (2304x1296) or 4K (4096X2160) are not rare either. Of course, with such permissions, the detail increases, but if the street is dark or slushy, then the resolution will not help here. Need a function that will improve the picture.

This is precisely the task that HDR has, if in bright weather it does not work so noticeably, then in slush and in the dark it is simply necessary.

Improving the image of all kinds of objects - especially car numbers, pedestrians, road markings, signs and more. It is especially important to see the license plates, because at night they can be lit by the headlights of the car. It should be noted that in controversial situations (accidents), every little thing is simply necessary, therefore, the HDR function is NECESSARY IN THE DVRs!

TV and telephone

In these devices, the HDR function is used to improve the image when watching videos or to improve the display. For example, a TV improves the quality of the picture and color reproduction, but the phone uses this function both for displaying the image (that is, viewing a video, photo, browser and just a screen), and for shooting video or photo on the built-in camera.

True, HDR is not available to all gadgets, but only flagship, on cheap gadgets, the model will rise in price too much.

So it's simple, now a small roller for fixing the material.

That's all, I think it was useful. Sincerely your AUTO BLOGGER

Modern technologies have become so firmly entrenched in our lives that it can sometimes be difficult to sort out all of their diversity. For example, choosing a TV, you will have to pay attention to many parameters, some of which may confuse an unprepared buyer. In this article we will talk about HDR technology, which has become extremely relevant in the last year and a half.

In practice, its implementation until the beginning of 2016 was the prerogative of individual TV models, and the corresponding content was disastrously small. Fortunately, during the year the situation began to change: more and more manufacturers are equipping their TVs with HDR support. Game console manufacturers have also implemented technology support in updated models. Sony went a step further and included HDR support in the original PlayStation 4 through software updates.

Most importantly, suitable content has appeared and continues to appear that can reveal itself on devices with HDR support.

So is all the noise around HDR worth investing in compatible equipment?

Tomsguide.com

What does it look like?

Let's try to figure it out and start by explaining the essence of technology.

Any TV is characterized by indicators of contrast and color accuracy. Contrast affects how bright and dark colors the device can demonstrate, while maintaining their visibility to the viewer. Color accuracy, in turn, means how close to real shades will be displayed on the screen.

It is curious that most potential buyers, if they are offered a choice of a TV with a higher resolution and a TV with a lower resolution, but higher contrast, will choose the second. It is the saturation and variety of colors that are in priority when choosing. Thus, the brightness of the picture remains preferable to a resolution higher than 4K. Buyers choose with their eyes.

What is the point?

The HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, or the extended dynamic range, makes the choice described above even more obvious: it makes light colors even brighter and darker ones darker. HDR increases the color range and maximum contrast, making the image deeper and more saturated. Standard colors - red, blue and green - get additional shades and their combinations, which directly affects the image quality.

Hand in hand with HDR comes with WCG (Wide Color Gamut) technology. The latter further expands the available set of colors. Spectators who have never encountered these technologies before will be pleasantly surprised by how the number of shades of the same seemingly familiar colors increases.

It is important to understand that the HDR technology, which is introduced in modern TVs and devices connected to them, is seriously different from what has been present in the cameras of our smartphones for some time.

So, HDR television technology increases the contrast and the palette of available colors to make the image on the screen more realistic, to show it in natural colors. HDR technology in cameras, in turn, is used to combine several pictures into one to obtain the best image, which combines the most successful elements of all the shots taken. Thus, the difference between the two HDR is fundamental.

How is it implemented?

HDR technology consists of two integral parts: display and content.

In fact, television is the simplest part of the two. He is required to be able to highlight certain areas of the screen more vividly than his usual counterpart does not have HDR support.

Everything is much more complicated in the case of content that must have HDR support in order to display the extended dynamic range on the screen. Most films, many TV shows made in the last decade, have HDR support. It can also be added without any artificial splashes in the original picture. The fact is that the main obstacle to HDR content to your TV is data transfer exclusively.

Video created using the extended dynamic range is compressed to be transmitted to your TV, computer or other device. As a result, the user sees, at best, the picture that his display is trying to reproduce using the built-in technologies and systems to improve image quality.

Thus, only content from certain sources will be displayed with real HDR, because your TV will receive additional metadata that will tell it exactly how to display each specific scene. Of course, this implies the support of technology by a playback device.

In addition, there are certain equipment requirements. Not only your TV, but also the player or set-top box must have an HDMI connector version 2.0 or higher. Most of the equipment released from 2015 to the present has support for the HDMI 2.0 standard, which can be software upgraded to HDMI 2.0a. The latest version of the standard is necessary to transfer the very metadata mentioned above.

At the same time, manufacturers have already decided to assign UHD Premium certification to TVs that support 4K resolution and HDR technology. Its presence is worth paying attention to when buying. It's also worth noting that 4K Blu-ray also has HDR support by default.

Summarize

Of course, HDR technology in televisions is not as vital as the manufacturers present, but it is now that it is the main driving force in the industry. The race for resolution above 4K has faded into the background, giving way to an extended dynamic range.

And although the best result will be achieved by combining two advanced standards, at this stage it is preferable to choose a TV with HDR support, if you are not ready to overpay for having higher than 4K resolution. The picture quality when using the appropriate content will pleasantly surprise you anyway. You cannot fool your eyes: brighter and more saturated colors, as well as their diversity, will be preferable to the presence of an ultra-high resolution matrix.

Thus, when buying a new TV at the end of 2016, it is advisable to attend to at least the presence of HDR support, and resolution above 4K is still a pleasant, but still an addition that affects the final purchase price too much, but does not bring the same emotions.

Smartphone photography technology has moved at an incredible pace over the past few years. I can assume that many of you have completely forgotten about traditional digital cameras, preferring the camera in your smartphone.

This transformation of preferences was made possible by the introduction of more advanced hardware and software for controlling the camera of a smartphone. The functionality of cameras installed in smartphones has become more modern and complex. Now the smartphone user has much more opportunities for high-quality images.

I propose to consider today one of the most important technologies that have affected the quality of shooting on mobile devices. Active HDR mode in a smartphone with the Android operating system. What does this abbreviation mean, how to use it?

How does the HDR mode in a smartphone

The acronym HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and translates as Extended Dynamic Range. In relation to photo technology, this term indicates the ability of a photo device to correctly transmit the ratio of the brightness of the subject. When you shoot with HDR on, the color and brightness of the subject is automatically adjusted using software. The positive effect is achieved by instantly capturing three alternating separate exposures. Then the camera combines the final frame from the resulting exposures. Analysis of the light and dark areas of the three exposures allows us to make an assumption of how the ideal picture should look. As a result, HDR produces sharper and brighter pictures.

Benefits of using the HDR feature in your phone

In theory, HDR technology should do better. Combining the best parts of the frame from three separate exposures into one image is simply obliged to give the result in the form of more accurate images, at least in color and brightness. Agree, on paper it sounds impressive. You must understand that “must” and reality can be very different. Indeed, in practice, HDR can create stunning shots, but there are some conditions that must be met. And he can do everything exactly the opposite.

When to use HDR mode

Of course, I can’t tell you exactly when to use HDR, and when not. Photography is a creative occupation, akin to art. Good photos and pictures are created as a result of a series of experiments and mistakes. So I give you my advice, use this mode whenever you want. And look at the result. I liked it, so under similar conditions and circumstances shooting HDR should be used! Since the HDR mode in the smartphone works “on the machine”, you can go too far with the results. This is a very powerful tool. But there is such a concept - all good things should be in moderation. Below I will give you some tips on how to get the most out of using the HDR mode in your smartphone under different shooting conditions.

Landscapes.  High contrast of the earth and sky usually leads to the fact that the objects on the earth are too dark. HDR can help here by brightening the earth, but without reducing the detail of objects in the sky.

Sunny day.  Bright sunlight can cause many problems for the photographer. Blurred contours of the face, strong contrasting shadows and faded color accompany shooting under the bright sun. HDR mode has good potential to correct exposure in such conditions.

When HDR mode should not be used on a smartphone

Traffic.  When you shoot in HDR mode, I advise you not to forget that it takes a little longer than usual. Let me remind you that the lens is used three times - to obtain a sequence of three frames with different exposures. If even the slightest movement occurs between exposures, this will negatively affect the final result, and you will get blurry contours of the displaced objects.

If you need to get high-contrast shots. Some shots look much better with high contrast objects. When you shoot on a smartphone in HDR mode, the camera automatically corrects dark areas of the frame, brightening them. In addition, some bright areas of the image may, on the contrary, darken to obtain a more realistic picture. Depending on the situation and your shooting plan, HDR can only worsen the result.

If the colors are already saturated and vibrant. Sometimes you may notice that the colors in your shots are unnatural. This may be due to the use of HDR. As you remember, one of the advantages of using the HDR function in a phone is the “revitalization” of color in pictures. But this does not mean that you must use this mode. When the colors in the picture are already realistic, as is usually the case in good light conditions, HDR can unduly enhance them and you will get unnatural colors as a result, and the whole picture will get a “cartoony” color tone and blurry outlines.

Nevertheless, HDR can be called a very powerful and useful tool that increases the potential of mobile photography. I note that the HDR mode in a smartphone can give a different effect for specific models. So it's best to experiment with HDR to choose the best situations to use it. It should be noted that many Android smartphones make life easier for the user - they take a series of two shots - one with HDR on, and the second without it. Take pictures and choose for yourself when you need to use the HDR function on your phone. Interestingly, do you use HDR?