When should I use in-camera HDR instead of exposure bracketing?
Asked 11/13/2013
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My DSLR offers both an HDR mode and exposure bracketing. I usually shoot RAW, and on my camera HDR is mainly a JPEG-only feature, while bracketing can be saved as RAW for later merging.
I can see two advantages to in-camera HDR: it saves card space and it avoids the extra post-processing step. Are there other good reasons to choose in-camera HDR, and when is bracketing the better option?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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Just like saving files as JPEGs versus RAW, in-camera HDR is all about the convenience of letting the camera almost instantly make many of the decisions for you versus the control of doing it yourself at the expense of your time in post processing.
In addition to the two reasons cited in your question, you could also use the in camera HDR to test a particular scene for the suitability of making an HDR image. If the result looks something like what you envision, you could then take your three (or more) bracketed shots saved as RAW files for more precise processing in post.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
12y ago
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Use in-camera HDR when you want speed and convenience. The camera combines the exposures immediately, which can save card space, give you a quick finished JPEG, and help you preview whether an HDR treatment suits the scene.
Use exposure bracketing when you want maximum control and flexibility. Bracketed RAW files let you decide later how to merge them, adjust the look more precisely, and keep the original exposures if you dislike the HDR result. You can also use other merging methods, such as exposure fusion, which some photographers find more natural-looking than HDR.
The main tradeoff is convenience versus control. In-camera HDR quality varies a lot by camera: some handle tone mapping and ghosting well, others do not. If the scene has moving elements, results may also depend on how well the camera or software deals with motion.
In short: choose in-camera HDR for instant results and quick evaluation; choose bracketing for the best quality, more natural options, and the ability to refine the image later.
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