Very important HDR merge feature in Capture One broken? Merged image looks very bad. Pls help.
Hello. I am very confused right now regarding this HDR merge feature in capture one. I tried using it and the resulting image looks very bad. Cannot even be saved. Very distorted colors and noise patterns.
I tried merging the bracketed photos on another image editor and it works just fine; the merged image looks good. With capture one the merged image looks horrible.
I didnt follow the recommended 2 stop increments of bracketing by capture one. I only used 1 stop.
I hope this is just a user error on my part and be fixable. If this is not, I just wasted my money on a software that doesnt work for what I am intending to use it for. I havent noticed it earlier than I wanted to because now is the only time I am implementing HDR merging on my work.
I hope someone can help me. Thanks.
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I've found that mostly it's good but sometimes not so good (too often) with results similar to what you're describing. Definitely needs some improving.
How many have you done? Are they all like that?
I've been meaning to submit a Support Request with some samples to make them aware of how it's going and and to see if they can do some work on it. Suggest you also send them some samples with Annotations together with the raw files so they can replicate it and work out how to fix it.1 -
I agree, I will try doing more samples and use the recommended bracketing stops. I will try to submit a request if the issue is still not fixed.
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Hi, any feedbacks by any chance? I also have big problems with HDR merging on C1, every single of them, landscape, studio portraits, exposure bracketing (SS) or ISO bracketing, the png files C1 produces are just close to unusable, very strong saturation, noise, impossible to fix the WB, it’s like the tone mapping is going wild wild wild, am I doing something wrong or the HDR feature of C1 is just unusable? I get way better results on Affinity Photo,(like a world of difference), though it does not have a good reputation when it comes to developing raws.
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Did you follow the recommended settings of using three exposures, one at the "right" exposure, one 2 stops over, and one 2 stops under?
Ian
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Yes of course (that’s kind of the point of HDR) I see on forums a lot of peiple are struggling with this feature on C1
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Yes, I realise that is the point of HDR, but my question was whether you are using, as recommended, exactly three exposures (not some other number) and +2EV, 0EV, and -2EV, not some other settings.
If so, how about a screenshot to show us the problem?
Ian
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What surprises me is that some achieve to obtain good results on rare occasions, I never managed to get a single one right out of dozens of tries, So perhaps I am doing something wrong. As I said I tried a lot of different pictures, one and two stops steps, it never works, the saturation and bad colors I can deal with but, the noise sometimes ghosting not really, and the white balance is just untouchable, it goes sideways as soon as you push the slider (Btw I use a mac book pro m1)
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And a screenshot of an example?
Ian
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I have many issues with C1 HDR merge too. Creating weird artefacts, noise patterns on simple walls, cannot really handle high contrast scenes (the reason we shoot brackets -2,0,+2). Cannot handle 5 shot brackets. I checked the same files in 3 other softwares and all of it merges perfectly, except C1.
One example attached. Weird greenish wb and noise patterns on the wall.
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unusable at me as well, it puts weird things on it
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RBeci - what version of Capture One are you using? What version of MacOS or Windows? What camera do the images come from? How many shots are you trying to merge? (The recommendation for the HDR feature is to take one shot at the "correct" exposure, one shot at +2EV and one shot at -2EV.)
Ian
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RBeci This function in Capture One is fundamentally broken. I even had support cases about this, and the support admitted that they know it doesn't work as it supposed to but as they said: "Rigth now, it is not a priority." Even if you keep all their recommendations, it is a hit or miss. Every other software merge these files perfectly. Sadly not C1.To be honest, after that long back and forth with their support I cancelled my subscription. I think C1 has huge potential, but they try to get more new users, not keeping the older ones. They aren't interested in solving issues.
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Dear Ian and Tamas,
Since then, I have delved much deeper into HDR photography. After all, it works well in Capture One too. Even Affinity struggles with the sunlight reflecting on water, as mentioned above. It's worth combining several methods to achieve the desired result, but Capture One also produces usable and beautiful outcomes. I'm using Sony A7III ARW raw files, shooting 5 exposures with 1EV steps.
Best regards, Béci
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Mixed editing with C1 & Affinity
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shooting 5 exposures with 1EV steps.
Is the outcome better or worse if you only use 3 exposures with 2EV steps? It probably doesn't need the overlap you get using 5 exposures. 3 with 2EV steps still means that the whole dynamic range you are trying to include is covered,
Ian
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The result was the same with 5(+1 EV) and 3(+2 EV)
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... in which case, using 5 at 1EV is unnecessary. (Some users find that in some cases it makes things worse.)
Ian
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Thank you so much dear Ian!
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