I just received a note from on one software about an HDR program. In the demo they combine 7 different images to make one. My question is....how do you set up for this? I know how to do 3 images but beyond that what do you do?

Most cameras won't automatically bracket more than 3. This link lists many cameras and what they will do. Beyond that I can't help.


http://www.hdr-photography.com/aeb.html

Well, whaddya know..

Canon EOS 50D Users / Discuss - "Bracketing For HDR"


From the above discussion;

"So, to sum up your comments, the 50D will only auto shoot one frame either side of the original, with up to 3 stops of variation. Where the [Nikon D] 300 is able to auto shoot 3 frames either side of the original?

I had another look at my 50D manual last night and the section on auto bracketing is very sparse, to say the least and confined to aperture changes, whereas the guy who gave the talk suggested he always uses shutter speed bracketing, which the 50D doesn't appear to have?"


"Again you are correct.

To answer your other part of your comment is Ev compensation is actually a combination of ISO, Aperture and Shutter. I think it's that order, but I might be incorrect in that. The human eye can adjust at each cone/rod and meter at each of them. The Iris does not change (aperture), and the shutter speed (your brain's refresh rate) doesn't change either. Exposure compensation is a quasi modern day version of doing the old hack of using the ISO dial on film cameras as a poor mans Exposure Compensation. That said, Shutter alone bracketing is not the best simulation of the Human Eye or true HDR. When the Atom Bomb was first dropped, the first HDR was created from single negatives which were exposed at different levels and then combined to create the HDRI positive image. Again, this is HDR in the purest and truest sense of the word.

I digress though. If you objective is to tone compress shadow details, then 3 shots is plenty. I used to use Photomatix but have since gone to my own technique of compressing tones. I actually prefer to use exposure stacking and averaging the frames. I can put more emphasis on individual channels and run any custom masks to accomplish my goals."


More at the above link, including some tips and advice on HDR imaging and the alternative of exposure stacking.

A short article and discussion on the Canon 50 D Auto Exposure Bracketing:

"Canon 50D Auto Exposure Bracketing"


"Canon has made serious improvements in the Auto Exposure Bracketing in the new EOS 50D although it still lacks the ability to take more than three bracketed exposures at a time. In the EOS 50D, Canon has combined Auto Exposure Bracketing with Exposure Compensation in a way that should make photographers working with HDR (high dynamic range) techniques very happy.

As you can see in this image, photographers can now use this feature to easily shoot a series of bracketed exposures covering the histogram from -4 EV to +4 EV in increments as fine as 1/3rd stop. For my own HDR work I generally use the following series of nine exposures to provide the maximum dynamic range. I can take four continuous bursts of three bracketed exposures (I generally delete the three duplicate exposures) in less than 10 seconds using the 50D."


More links and information on the technique(s) ... contained in replies and posts to discussion.


For example;

"Sorry I misunderstood your reply. You are correct, "it's the combination of exposure compensation and auto exposure bracketing that does the trick"."

Thanks for all the info.