Can I recreate Canon’s in-camera HDR JPEG from the bracketed RAW files?
Asked 12/7/2020
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When Canon HDR mode saves three bracketed RAW files plus an in-camera merged JPEG, is there a way to reproduce a similar HDR result from the RAW files for a large print? I’ve tried manually merging the RAWs, but the result doesn’t look as good as the camera JPEG. Can Lightroom or Photoshop get close, or is there other software better suited to matching Canon’s in-camera HDR look?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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The easiest way to simulate Canon's in-camera JPEG and HDR engines is to use Canon's Digital Photo Professional software to process the raw files. It's included on the disc in the box with every Canon EOS camera. You can download the most recent version from the support section of your world region's Canon website. All updates are free. For some, you need to enter a valid serial number from a Canon camera model compatible with the particular version of DPP.
If left at the default settings, it will apply the same settings as were applied in-camera when you open a raw file. You can then use the HDR tool from within DPP to designate the other frames you want to include, as well as select various options that are similar to the in-camera options for the in-camera HDR mode. You also have more control over the result by being able to adjust brightness, saturation, contrast, detail enhancement, smoothing, and fine detail in the HDR module.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
5y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. The closest match to Canon’s in-camera HDR/JPEG processing is usually Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP). It uses Canon’s own RAW rendering, and by default it applies the camera settings recorded in the RAW files. In DPP you can then use its HDR tool to combine the bracketed frames with options similar to the in-camera HDR mode, often with more control than the camera gives you.
Lightroom/Photoshop can also merge the three RAW files into an HDR image, but it won’t necessarily match Canon’s JPEG look unless you manually tune the settings. In Lightroom you can send the selected files to Photoshop’s HDR merge workflow and continue editing there.
Another commonly used HDR option is Photomatix, which is designed specifically for HDR merging and tone mapping.
So if your goal is to get as close as possible to Canon’s in-camera result while keeping RAW-based quality for printing, start with Canon DPP. If you want more flexibility or a different HDR style, try Photoshop or Photomatix.
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