Handheld HDR with the Nikon D7000 - how to

[Steve Bingham]

Let's keep it simple.

1 - Turn to page 109 in your manual. This will help.

2- Go into the menu selections under the pencil symbol. Select e5, then AE only. Click OK - this is very important otherwise your selection is not recorded.

3- On the left side of your camera there is a small button named BKT (bracket). Press this button to activate the bracket mode. In the top camera screen you will see the BKT symbol. Now using the front command dial set the right hand number in the screen to 2.0. This stands for f stops. Using the rear command dial set the left number to 3F. This stands for frames and you should see a small plus/minus scale that indicates under - correct - and over.

4- Now, set your shutter dial (left side of camera) to Ch. This stands for continuous high.

5- Here is the beauty of this setup. When you hit the shutter button you will take three separate photographs in 1/2 second . . . and no more!

6- To take it out of bracket mode, simply press the BKT button and rotate the back command dial until the BKT symbol disappears. Done. When you want bracket back on, reverse the procedure.

7- Be sure to use Aperture priority with HDR as you want your depth of field to remain constant.

Advantages: Hand held HDR shots are frequently possible. Your camera is all setup ready to go. Using the base ISO of 100 (really 84) you start with 14 stops of dynamic range. Now you are adding 4 more for a total of 16. Most HDR shots will look great with 16 stops of dynamic range to play with.

Recommended software:
Photomatix has the best tone mapping.

PS CS5 has the best auto alignment but the tone mapping is a little short of Photomatix quality.

Some use both. PS CS5 for perfect alignment, Photomatix for ghost removal and better tone mapping.

So try it!!!!!
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[DEEWUN]

Excellent, Steve. thanks for your input. Thank goodness this forum is so much less confrontational than another forum I visit. Long live the D7000

 

[Steve Bingham]

Uh, you should have been here two months ago. I came close to bailing forever - as many pros have already. And yes, it is back to being an informational and helpful forum. Thank goodness.
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Skywalker23]

this method works for cameras other than the D7000...in fact i did one yesterday on my D90.





the best cameras to use for this method are ones with high burst speeds, like D3, D3S, D300S. that's because there's less time between the shots, so the shots will be more closely aligned.

a great tip though; i'm sure some people will find it useful--and i would have REALLY appreciated it a few months ago
--
Visit my Flickr!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonalex/

 

[Steve Bingham]

Hi Skywalker!

Yes higher FPS helps, but the D7000 does 6 fps so the sequence only takes 1/2 second! PS CS5 then can do a PERFECT alignment and away you go with Photomatix. The good thing about all this is that you can ALSO do stitching AND HDR in the same photo!!!! Nice photo, by the way .

A word of caution here - to others. Be careful in your tone mapping so as to not go too far. I have seen this so many times.
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Billx08]

Let's keep it simple.

Thank you, you did. I haven't played with HDR yet but your post inspired me to see if the D90 would be as easy to set. Well, yes and no. The D90's manual isn't as clear as it could be, but with a little trial and error it turned out to be pretty simple when the option settings and usages were figured out. Nikon could use your help with its manuals. Thom doesn't need any help with clarity, but he could use you (or someone else's assistance) for his guides. My old D50 guide mentions the forthcoming Nikon Flash Guide ("a new edition will appear soon under byThom Press". I've been waiting, but it hasn't come forth yet.

 

[Steve Bingham]

Thanks, Bill. I frequent this forum in an attempt to help. I really miss Thom!!!
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Polyglot92]

Same with the D5000. You can assign AE bracketing to the function button or turn it on and off pressing the info button repeatedly.

Have to try the automatic single image HDR of DxO Optics Pro one of these days with the free trial. Could come in handy for moving subjects.
--

D5000 - Nikkor AF-S DX 18-105mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR - Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G - Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm VR - Canon PowerShot S3

 

[Van Griff]

S B

Great post Steve . . . thanks for sharing!

One question . . .

Advantages: Hand held HDR shots are frequently possible. Your camera is all setup ready to go. Using the base ISO of 100 (really 84) you start with 14 stops of dynamic range. Now you are adding 4 more for a total of 16. Most HDR shots will look great with 16 stops of dynamic range to play with.

. . . you state you start with 14 stops of d r . . . and add 4 more for a total of 16 . . . should that be 18 . . . or am I missing something here?
A little further clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks,
V G

 

[Steve Bingham]

Thanks, Van! My pleasure.
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Van Griff]

S B

You are very welcome Steve . . . but you didn't respond to my question?
A clarification would be greatly appreciated.

Best,
V G

 

[Skywalker23]

If you shoot RAW, you can do a single image HDR by processing the RAW file different times with varying exposure values.

Same with the D5000. You can assign AE bracketing to the function button or turn it on and off pressing the info button repeatedly.

Have to try the automatic single image HDR of DxO Optics Pro one of these days with the free trial. Could come in handy for moving subjects.
--

D5000 - Nikkor AF-S DX 18-105mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR - Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G - Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm VR - Canon PowerShot S3

--
Visit my Flickr!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonalex/

 

[Steve Bingham]

If you shoot RAW, you can do a single image HDR by processing the RAW file different times with varying exposure values.

I know. I wrote a tutorial 3-4 years ago on this. Thanks for bringing it up. http://dustylens.com/luminosity_mask.htm

Same with the D5000. You can assign AE bracketing to the function button or turn it on and off pressing the info button repeatedly.

Have to try the automatic single image HDR of DxO Optics Pro one of these days with the free trial. Could come in handy for moving subjects.
--

D5000 - Nikkor AF-S DX 18-105mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR - Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G - Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm VR - Canon PowerShot S3

--
Visit my Flickr!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonalex/

--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Steve Bingham]

I can't add! YIKES! I am used to thinking 12 plus 4! However, you might not end up with the full 18 due to a lot of factors - but you will be close.

Great post Steve . . . thanks for sharing!

One question . . .

Advantages: Hand held HDR shots are frequently possible. Your camera is all setup ready to go. Using the base ISO of 100 (really 84) you start with 14 stops of dynamic range. Now you are adding 4 more for a total of 16. Most HDR shots will look great with 16 stops of dynamic range to play with.

. . . you state you start with 14 stops of d r . . . and add 4 more for a total of 16 . . . should that be 18 . . . or am I missing something here?
A little further clarification would be appreciated.

Thanks,
V G

--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Van Griff]

Thanks Steve!
VG

 

[mrpevets]

If you shoot RAW, you can do a single image HDR by processing the RAW file different times with varying exposure values.

If that is true, then what would be the steps to have a great HDR picture?

 

[FlyPenFly]

Its not a great substitute for real HDR.

If you shoot RAW, you can do a single image HDR by processing the RAW file different times with varying exposure values.

If that is true, then what would be the steps to have a great HDR picture?

 

[pwrtran]

Let's keep it simple.

1 - Turn to page 109 in your manual. This will help.

2- Go into the menu selections under the pencil symbol. Select e5, then AE only. Click OK - this is very important otherwise your selection is not recorded.

3- On the left side of your camera there is a small button named BKT (bracket). Press this button to activate the bracket mode. In the top camera screen you will see the BKT symbol. Now using the front command dial set the right hand number in the screen to 2.0. This stands for f stops. Using the rear command dial set the left number to 3F. This stands for frames and you should see a small plus/minus scale that indicates under - correct - and over.

4- Now, set your shutter dial (left side of camera) to Ch. This stands for continuous high.

Is it still doable if left the tripod at home?

5- Here is the beauty of this setup. When you hit the shutter button you will take three separate photographs in 1/2 second . . . and no more!

6- To take it out of bracket mode, simply press the BKT button and rotate the back command dial until the BKT symbol disappears. Done. When you want bracket back on, reverse the procedure.

7- Be sure to use Aperture priority with HDR as you want your depth of field to remain constant.

Advantages: Hand held HDR shots are frequently possible. Your camera is all setup ready to go. Using the base ISO of 100 (really 84) you start with 14 stops of dynamic range. Now you are adding 4 more for a total of 16. Most HDR shots will look great with 16 stops of dynamic range to play with.

Recommended software:
Photomatix has the best tone mapping.

PS CS5 has the best auto alignment but the tone mapping is a little short of Photomatix quality.

Some use both. PS CS5 for perfect alignment, Photomatix for ghost removal and better tone mapping.

So try it!!!!!
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Steve Bingham]

What this means is you can milk the raw file for the 14 stops - HDR, with 3 simple exposures, can give you 18 stops.

If you shoot RAW, you can do a single image HDR by processing the RAW file different times with varying exposure values.

If that is true, then what would be the steps to have a great HDR picture?

--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

 

[Steve Bingham]

Of coures this is doable without a tripod. That's what handheld means.

Let's keep it simple.

1 - Turn to page 109 in your manual. This will help.

2- Go into the menu selections under the pencil symbol. Select e5, then AE only. Click OK - this is very important otherwise your selection is not recorded.

3- On the left side of your camera there is a small button named BKT (bracket). Press this button to activate the bracket mode. In the top camera screen you will see the BKT symbol. Now using the front command dial set the right hand number in the screen to 2.0. This stands for f stops. Using the rear command dial set the left number to 3F. This stands for frames and you should see a small plus/minus scale that indicates under - correct - and over.

4- Now, set your shutter dial (left side of camera) to Ch. This stands for continuous high.

Is it still doable if left the tripod at home?

5- Here is the beauty of this setup. When you hit the shutter button you will take three separate photographs in 1/2 second . . . and no more!

6- To take it out of bracket mode, simply press the BKT button and rotate the back command dial until the BKT symbol disappears. Done. When you want bracket back on, reverse the procedure.

7- Be sure to use Aperture priority with HDR as you want your depth of field to remain constant.

Advantages: Hand held HDR shots are frequently possible. Your camera is all setup ready to go. Using the base ISO of 100 (really 84) you start with 14 stops of dynamic range. Now you are adding 4 more for a total of 16. Most HDR shots will look great with 16 stops of dynamic range to play with.

Recommended software:
Photomatix has the best tone mapping.

PS CS5 has the best auto alignment but the tone mapping is a little short of Photomatix quality.

Some use both. PS CS5 for perfect alignment, Photomatix for ghost removal and better tone mapping.

So try it!!!!!
--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com

--
Steve Bingham
http://www.dustylens.com
http://www.ghost-town-photography.com