HDR and Canon bracketing

[iND]

Does anyone know if canon has considered increasing their bracketing from 3 to 5 or more for the increasing popularity of HDR?

[neuroanatomist]

Consider it? Of course they have - and they've already implemented it. The 1-series bodies can take up to 7 AE-bracketed images, and have been able to do so since the Mk II versions of the 1D and 1Ds (which were available in 2004, a year before CS2 introduced the Merge to HDR function!).


It's also worth noting that although all other non-1-series Canon dSLR bodies can only bracket three frames, on the 7D you can bracket 3 EV steps, just like the 1-series (the others are limited to 2 EV steps). So, with the 7D you can cover a 6 EV range in three frames at 8 fps (i.e. handheld HDR).

[alex]

So, with the 7D you can cover a 6 EV range in three frames at 8 fps (i.e. handheld HDR).
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Well, you can if the longest shot is shorter than 1/30s or so, which is definitely my limit for a sharp IS handheld shot. Most of the time my "overexposed" shot of the three is longer than that. I can't tell you how many HDRs I've tried and FAILed at because I got cocky and thought, "Hey, I can handhold this, I have IS!"


GHOSTING FAIL! [:@]


But neuro, if I understand you correctly, on the 7D you can have in increased bracketed range over the xxD and xxxD bodies, but you can still only take 3 shots in one set?

[neuroanatomist]

But neuro, if I understand you correctly, on the 7D you can have in increased bracketed range over the xxD and xxxD bodies, but you can still only take 3 shots in one set?






Correct. Only 1-series bodies can take more than 3 shots in a bracketed set - all other Canon dSLRs (including the 7D) can take just 3 shots in a set.


On the 5D/5D2, xxD and most xxxD bodies (the new T2i/550D is an exception), the entire exposure compensation range is&plusmn;2 EV, and the autoexposure bracketing range is the same, so you can get a 3-shot, 4 EV bracket within an 8 EV range:


http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_50D/images/menus/Canon50D_exp_bracketing.jpg


TheT2i/550D has an EC range of&plusmn;5 EV, but still has the same AEB range of&plusmn;2 EV that is found all the otherxxD and xxxD bodies. So, with the T2i, you get a 3-shot, 4 EV bracket somewhere within a 14 EV range:


http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_550D_Rebel_T2i/images/menus/Capture-1010014.jpg


Withthe 7D, the EC range is the same as the T2i (&plusmn;5 EV) but the difference is that AEB is also wider at&plusmn;3 EV, so you can get a 3-shot,6 EV bracket somewhere within the16 EV range:


http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_7D/images/menus/Capture-1007.jpg

[alex]

Awesome! Thanks for the explanation, neuro, with visual aids even! [:D]