HDR technique using 4X5 film

[architorture]

I would second the recommendation for trying Enfuse - in fact I would suggest you try the whole process in Hugin, which incorporates Enfuse. Hugin is free, open-source software available on most platforms. It gives much more control in aligning and transforming images than Photoshop's Photomerge function (which is not an option for you anyway I don't think in the original Creative Suite).

The algorithms in Enfuse are very good at avoiding any halos, which are easy to create when manually masking between layers with a brush in PS.

As far as special considerations doing this with scanned LF film: I think it depends on how you mount the film - I've found with my Epson V700 that if I scan a 6x7 negative multiple times, each scan will look slightly distorted compared to the others, when using the OEM Epson holder. I believe the heat from the lamp makes the negative move a little over time. If you were dry-mounting or wet-mounting onto a piece of glass, I think this would be much less of an issue.

I have read comments about the motor that drives the ccd in Epson scanners not having perfect registration or identical movement speed from scan-to-scan, but I can't comment on this from personal experience. I would point out, however, that Lasersoft must believe it is accurate enough since they offer a feature in Silverfast that combines multiple scans of one negative...

[Walter Jakubowski]

I have had success with my Imacon scans. So far I've only used two images. Photomatix software has had no problem aligning the images to my delight (involved translating and rotating the images). Download a trial version and give it a try.

[thrice]

As mentioned above, get the Enfuse plugin for Lightroom. It is the only high-dynamic-range software of any kind that gives natural looking results in my experience.

[Kirk Gittings]

I have read comments about the motor that drives the ccd in Epson scanners not having perfect registration or identical movement speed from scan-to-scan, but I can't comment on this from personal experience. I would point out, however, that Lasersoft must believe it is accurate enough since they offer a feature in Silverfast that combines multiple scans of one negative...

Which, the last time I tried it, couldn't properly align the multiple passes because of the cheap step motors in Epson scanners that give a varying length to the multiple passes. It may have been fixed in later versions. I gave up on it.

[Valdecus]

As mentioned above, get the Enfuse plugin for Lightroom. It is the only high-dynamic-range software of any kind that gives natural looking results in my experience.

The "Fusion" method (previously named Exposure Blending) contained in Photomatix is based on the same algorithm and gives you very natural results. As mentioned before, Photomatix also has much better methods to align the images than Enfuse.

Cheers,
Andreas

[Nathan Potter]

Hey Kirk, thanks; that was one of the comments I was looking for about registration of multiple scans. I have recently tried Photomatix using two 4X5 images and found that the registration is OK from V750 scans. My V750 is about 1.5 years old so is somewhat recent and has only seen perhaps 500 scans total. Maybe age of the scanner makes some difference.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW again. As I have said a couple of times above. IME exposure Fusion in Photomatix does not give as natural results as LR/Enfuse. If it did I wouldn't have given up on it after a couple of years of effort-switched to LR/Enfuse and never looked back. Exposure fusion in general is critical to how I make my living and I try to test every new program that comes out-always looking for a better tool. It is essential to me. Right now that is IMO LR/Enfuse and SNS HDR Pro. Neither of which has any problems aligning my images.

The "Fusion" method (previously named Exposure Blending) contained in Photomatix is based on the same algorithm and gives you very natural results. As mentioned before, Photomatix also has much better methods to align the images than Enfuse.

Cheers,
Andreas

[Peter De Smidt]

You can always align images in Photoshop and then output the layers as files which can then be HDR'd by whatever you like.

[Kirk Gittings]

Interesting approach. Align, crop, save then to HDR? Works for me.

[Peter De Smidt]

For a script to help out with this, see: http://www.outbackphoto.com/CONTENT_...ent/index.html