Should you use RAW or JPEG files for HDR merging?
Asked 4/28/2011
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I’m learning HDR using a Canon 500D with 3-shot exposure bracketing at -2, 0, and +2 EV. In Photoshop’s HDR merge, is it best to use the original RAW files directly, or should I first convert them to JPEGs?
I’ve also wondered whether I should make extra JPEG exposures from the RAW files (for example, creating additional steps between or beyond my bracketed shots) to simulate a wider range. Does that improve HDR results, or is it better to stick with the original RAW bracketed images?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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Raw files are definitely the best starting point for doing HDR processing (or almost any other editing). JPEGs should (in general) be used purely as a write-only format -- i.e., you produce a JPEG for viewing, possibly printing, etc., but once you've converted something to JPEG, you'd ideally never do any editing on it again. Instead, you should generally start from the original, do the editing, and produce another JPEG.
Sometimes you may have no choice but to start from a JPEG, but it's definitely not what's really preferable.
Originally by user603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user603
15y ago
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Use the original RAW files for HDR merging whenever possible.
RAW is the better source because it contains more bit depth and more original scene data. JPEGs have already been tone-mapped and compressed, so the HDR software has less accurate data to work with and may need to “undo” the JPEG tone curve before merging. That can introduce errors, even if good software often hides most of them.
In Photoshop, starting from RAW files generally gives the software a cleaner path to building the 32-bit HDR image than starting from 8-bit JPEGs.
Creating extra JPEGs from the same RAW files to simulate more exposures usually does not add real dynamic range. You’re just reprocessing the same captured data, not recovering information that wasn’t recorded in the original bracket. So for HDR, use your actual bracketed RAW captures rather than generating extra JPEG versions from them.
JPEG is best treated as an output format for viewing or sharing, not as the preferred source for heavy editing like HDR.
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