Photomatix- are there any satisfied customers?

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Robert T Higaki

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I got off the phone with a friend in LA. He suggested this product called Photomatix for shooting high contrast situations. I want take advantage of this forum to reach out to more people and get more opinions on this product.

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
 
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Bob, I am one very happy customer. I have used it for over a year now and it works really well, with plenty of adjustments for tone mapping as well as exposure, blackpoint etc.

Because I mainly handhold when bracketing, I now use PS4 to align the pictures first, then save the file as an .EXR extension, before going to Photomatix. This is because PS4 does a better job of alignment, compared with Photomatix.
 
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I endorse the program whole-heartedly-provided it is used for good and not evil. Like happycranker, I think CS4 does a better job aligning but the processing of the HDR into a visible image is much better in Photomatix. I use it on both the MAC and PC and love it both places.

Be careful. It can become seductive and in the wrong hands many gaudy images result.
 
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Thanks for the feedback. I do not have PS4/CS4 but can I avoid the alignment problems using a tripod?

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
 
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I've used it too and agree that it's a great little app in the right hands. The tone mapping features are in my opinion better than those in PS. And, yes, you can get around alignment issues if you shoot with a tripod.
 
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From what I've read the newest release does an excellent job of aligning.... better than the older version.
 
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[quote author=LJR69 link=topic=7368.msg5'239#msg5'239 date=1248787922]
I already purchased Photomatix Pro. I'll need to go back to the site to see if I can download the LR plugin.
[/quote]

The plugin is included in the latest version of Photomatix and will install automatically.
 
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Coolio. I just fired up Photomatix Pro and had it download the latest update and you're spot on right. The plugin was available in the folder. Just installed it and now able to use it from within LR.
Thanx
 
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Another vote here from a happy customer. Have been using it for about 18 months and still learning not to overdo it.....

I tend to always use a tripod and use AEB to take 3 quick shots to minimize movement (not always sucessfully)

Typical example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike-watson/373572''18/
 
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just started using photomatix today and its pretty good!!
can recommend it to anyone who wants to check out HDR creation.
 
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Thank you for the positive feedbacks. I will be purchasing Photomatix shortly.

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
 
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I have been playing with the trial version and it looks promising. I think there is a learning curve to producing good results though. It can also auto stack the finished image back in the library.
 
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[quote author=Robert T Higaki link=topic=7368.msg51357#msg51357 date=1249944351]
Thank you for the positive feedbacks. I will be purchasing Photomatix shortly.

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
[/quote]

See this link for a 15% discount on Photomatix Pro.
 
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[/quote]

See this link for a 15% discount on Photomatix Pro.
[/quote]

Kees de Bruin,

Thank you very much for sharing that!

Bob- the slide shooter at heart

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
 
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I just purchased the product. Again, thanks to all for taking the time to give your opinions. And big thanks to Kees for the tip on the electronic discount!

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
 
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Robert,

Have fun and show us some of the results!
 
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I will and I will try to post results within a reasonable time.

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
 
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Ok, I promised to post something so here it goes. I had to pick a subject which the entire world would recognize-John Lennon
There are four shots: #1( no number) I used matrix metering- no adjustments
#4 exposed the highlight using my Pentax Digital spotmeter
#3 exposed the shadows " " " " "
#2 is the merges photos of three

I am impressed with this program. In fact, I am going to leave my split neutral density filter home when I leave for China for landscape photography.

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
PS: if you are wondering about the cord coming out from John Lennon, there is a light bulb in the back which gives him the " glowing effect."
 
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Agree with previous comments Photomatix is an excellent program.
I also purchased 'A Complete guide to High Dynamic Range Digital Photography' by Ferrell McCollough from Amazon for under £12 (free P&P in the UK)
The book gives examples of HDR Photographs taken with various HDR software (some free) but the focus is on Photomatix.
It's worth a look if you are just starting out in HRD photography.
 
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Thank Duncan22 for the book recommendation. I will definitely buy one.

The only situation I can think of where this program will not work is if you have a moving object in the scene like this:
Here, I shot this at Upper Waterton Lake standing next to Prince of Wales Hotel( Alberta, Canada). There is a man in a canoe going across the lake. So, if I were to take three or more shots, the canoe would be totally out of alignment with respect to the rest of the scene.
I have only six days experience with this program. Do you guys concur with my statement? Over all, I am really happy with this software. Now, I can shoot at mid-day and not worry about the harsh shadows- granted if it does not move.

Bob- the slide shooter at heart
 
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Yes, generally the subject should be static when taking HDR which is why in my original post I talked about alignment issues when handholding, even things moving in the wind like trees, grass etc can be a problem. I always use the highest frame advance speed, but you will still have long exposures depending on the light. With your scenario you could remove the blurred person in Photoshop and add a single frame as another layer on top of the HDR.
 
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[quote author=Robert T Higaki link=topic=7368.msg51862#msg51862 date=125'5612'6]
The only situation I can think of where this program will not work is if you have a moving object in the scene like this:
[/quote]

It's referred to as 'ghosting' in HDR speak, it can look quite artistic sometimes !
 
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