High Dynamic Range vs Levels

NN6932

• November 28, 2008 13:53

HI all,

can anyone tell me whether as an adjustment tool, the high dynamic range highlight and shadow recovery achieves anything different to that of The Levels adjustment tab. In C4 you can now recover detail on the levels tab but surely this is doing exactly the same thing as this new HDR tab.

The reason I ask is because If an image requires HDR treatment should I be correcting on both tabs (levels + HDR), or would either one suffice, or is one tab any more effective than the other at highlight/shadow recovery?

having not yet done any tests myself, anyone know?

Peter

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  Paul Steunebrink

  • November 28, 2008 18:40

  For a start, HDR sliders affect the image in the same manner as exposure, although in a differently of course. Simply put, HDR changes the input histogram and as a result the output (histogram) too.
  Levels (and curves) are applied to the input histogram, affecting the output histogram obviously, but do not change the input. Levels however do impact the curve histogram.
  
  The order to use these tools are therefore very much the way they are ordered on the Exposure tool tab by default. First, use the Exposure group of sliders followed by HDR if applicable. Next apply Levels, last Curves. Of course you can skip any tool, to your preferences and depending on the image. But once you have set Levels, and you change Exposure/HDR, you have to evaluate Levels again. Once you have set Curves, and you change any of the other tools, evaluate curves again.
  
  This is theory (to my best knowledge and understanding) and please handle differently to your liking and to create the effect you want.

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