HDR

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  • CyanogenMod 10.1 stock camera app now sports HDR shooting

    by 
    Alexis Santos
    Alexis Santos
    02.20.2013

    CyanogenMod 10.1-toting photography fans are in for a treat: the latest version of the modified Android OS now packs an HDR mode, which was in development for three months, within its stock camera app. When a user snaps a photo with the function, a total of three pictures (one at minimal, neutral and maximum exposures) are taken and combined into a single HDR image with the help of an algorithm. Differences in shutter speed, sensors and optics means quality will vary across smartphones, but the CyanogenMod team says that mid- to high-end devices outfitted with decent imaging hardware -- especially those with zero shutter lag -- should perform admirably. Of course, the group also recommends using a stand or tripod to thwart movement and vibration from fouling up photos. Android Central points out that a few handset builds haven't received the update, so a handful of CyanogenMod-wielding photogs will still have to get their HDR fix elsewhere.

  • Leaked images point to waterproof 'skeleton' structure, HDR video for Sony Xperia Z

    by 
    Steve Dent
    Steve Dent
    01.04.2013

    With all the recent leaks of Sony's upcoming 5-inch Xperia Z, it's a good thing the smartphone will have a water resistant body, according to the latest one. The formidable device will also sport HDR photo / video capturing capabilities, a "skeleton frame structure" for durability and a so-called Full-HD reality display, according to a fresh leak from Chinese retailer E-price and micro-blogger Weibo. Those go along with specs that Sony inadvertently revealed on its own site a few days ago, including a 1080P display, quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, 13MP Exmor RS-equipped rear cam and Adreno 320 graphics. While these latest tidbits ought to be digested with the requisite NaCl, they jibe with the other specs floating around -- so, hopefully Sony will have something to report when it outs the camera for real at CES on January 7th.

  • LG Optimus G review: a quad-core powerhouse with Nexus aspirations

    by 
    Myriam Joire
    Myriam Joire
    10.19.2012

    More Info LG Optimus G: hands-on with Korea's latest powerhouse LG Optimus G for AT&T hands-on LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on You've heard it before: the more things change the more they stay the same. It wasn't that long ago that we reviewed LG's flagship Optimus 4X HD, the world's first quad-core HSPA+ handset. Despite representing the company's best engineering and design effort to date, it wasn't quite able to match the competition's global offerings -- Samsung's mighty Galaxy S III and HTC's lovely One X. Today, just a few months later, quad-core LTE superphones are the state of the art. Samsung's selling the global Galaxy Note II, HTC's just announced the One X+ and LG's betting everything on the Optimus G -- the first handset to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro together with an LTE radio. The Optimus G is a pivotal device for the Korean manufacturer, especially in the US, where rival Samsung is massively popular and LG's success has been hampered by a series of forgettable products (hello, Intuition) and a lackluster track record for software updates. It's so critical that LG even invited us to spend some quality time with the Optimus G at the launch event in Seoul last month. In the US, LG's partnering with Sprint and AT&T and there's strong evidence that Google's upcoming Nexus will be based on the Optimus G. So, does the company's latest powerhouse measure up to the competition? How different are the US versions from the Korean model? Does LG finally have a winning formula with the Optimus G? Find out in our review after the break.

  • Sony's stacked Exmor RS phone camera sensors detuned over quality worries

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    09.21.2012

    Sony would still like you to get excited about its upcoming Exmor RS stacked CMOS image sensors -- just not too excited. Both the 8-megapixel IMX134 and 13-megapixel IMX135 are scaling back from their original RGBW (red, green, blue, white) coding to an ordinary RGB over concerns that they aren't meeting Sony's "image quality standards" as originally designed. Consequently, either sensor will be less sensitive to light and diminish some of that high dynamic range magic. The company also doesn't want to get our hopes up for a quick arrival on shelves and clarifies that there's a phased launch starting in January. Mobile shutterbugs may be crestfallen knowing that Sony won't have the best possible camera sensor in future Xperia phones, but the honesty at least guarantees that the company gets a timely return on its $994 million investment.

  • LG Optimus 4X HD review: runner-up to the quad-core throne

    by 
    Myriam Joire
    Myriam Joire
    07.09.2012

    More Info LG Optimus L7 review LG Optimus 4X HD unveiled LG Optimus 4X HD hands-on LG has an ongoing smartphone problem: despite a few valiant efforts (the G2x comes to mind) the company continues to live in the shadow of rival Samsung. Most of this malaise can be attributed to hit-and-miss hardware combined with lackluster software (we're looking at you, Spectrum). Last February, at Mobile World Congress, LG spiced things up with an attractive collection of devices including the Optimus L7, Optimus Vu and Optimus 4X HD -- the latter being one of the first quad-core handsets announced. Now, six months later, we live in a world where the global versions of HTC's One X and Samsung's Galaxy S III dominate the superphone market and share the quad-core crown. With me-too features like a Tegra 3 processor, 4.7-inch HD display, 8-megapixel camera and Ice Cream Sandwich on board, the Optimus 4X HD appears ready to play in the big leagues. Does it succeed or is it just a flash in the pan? Is it all style over substance or does it bring something unique and meaningful to the table? Hit the break for our full review.%Gallery-159951%

  • Sony pumps $994 million into building stacked CMOS that lets smartphones record HDR Video

    by 
    Daniel Cooper
    Daniel Cooper
    06.22.2012

    Sony is pumping 80 billion yen ($994 million) into its Nagasaki Technology Center, the home of its innovative stacked CMOS. Unlike traditional versions, the image sensor and circuit are mounted on top of one another, rather than side-by-side across a supporting substrate. The tweak means it shaves valuable millimeters from its body while producing far clearer images and, best of all, HDR Video. With the investment (and some Government subsidy) the company aims to pump out 60,000 wafers per month by the end of 2013. Given that both Samsung and Apple both use Sony's imaging equipment in their flagships, we can hope that the 13-megapixel units find their way into the next generation of handsets.

  • Fotor CameraBag -- Get this super iOS photo app while it's free

    by 
    Mel Martin
    Mel Martin
    06.04.2012

    I'm always on the prowl for great photo apps, so let me tell you about Fotor CameraBag (now renamed simply Fotor). It's free for a limited time, usually selling in the App Store for US$1.99. There are a lot of iPhoneography apps that try to do everything, but many of them perform their functions poorly. Fotor CameraBag, on the other hand, does a lot of things and does them very well. First, it has excellent HDR imaging. Take a photo from within the app, and you can make final adjustments and tweaks before you save. I put it to the test with a darkened interior room with bright morning sun in the windows and the results were excellent. Next, for non-HDR imaging you get a variety of filters, a one-tap enhance option, frames, and something rare in an all-in-one app -- the ability to make collages. There's also a tilt-shift option called Big Aperture that simulates the effect of a tilt-shift lens. Fotor CameraBag also includes the usual social sharing options, including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and email. With all of those features, there are a few annoyances. The work flow can be convoluted. You can't save directly to the camera roll of your iOS device; you save to the app's own library, and then export to the camera roll. That's just not necessary, and it should be an option you can turn off. The Color Splash tool, which allows you to selectively add or erase color, is a bit confusing. The icon to adjust brush size is simply called 'brush'. Until I clicked on it, I had no idea what it was for. Don't let these mild criticisms put you off. Fotor CameraBag is a very powerful app, and if you want just one app for editing that includes excellent HDR, I'd give this app serious consideration. The fact that it is currently free is the icing on the cake. The app is a 22 MB download, and works on the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad. It requires iOS 4.3 or greater. This app has no relationship to the similarly named CameraBag, which has received positive reviews. It is an excellent filter collection, but not an image creation app. I've got an example HDR and some screen shots in the gallery below. %Gallery-156873%

  • Olympus creates world's thinnest industrial videoscope, packs HDR (video)

    by 
    Alexis Santos
    Alexis Santos
    05.29.2012

    Though its medical brethren are considerably slimmer, at 2.4mm in diameter, Olympus says its iPLEX TX is the most slender industrial videoscope on our big blue marble. Rather than using traditional fiber optics to capture footage reminiscent of comic book print, the iPLEX TX houses a miniature CMOS atop one end of the scope and an HDR image processing technology called WiDER to preserve detail and brighten images. The eagle-eyed scope is also 200 times more resistant to frictional wear than fiberscopes and has over double the slip strength. If you're itching to poke inside impossibly cramped and complex pieces of machinery, jump past the break to catch a glimpse of the video-enabled snake in action from DigInfo.tv.

  • Apple's iOS 5.1.1 update for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone: fixes AirPlay and network bugs, jailbroken already

    by 
    Darren Murph
    Darren Murph
    05.07.2012

    Plugged your iDevice into an iTunes-equipped machine lately? You should. Apple has just let loose iOS 5.1.1, a seemingly minor point update that actually promises to fix quite a few (potentially) substantial quirks. Coming two months to the day after the iOS 5.1 software update, the extra 0.0.1 is said to improve reliability of the HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut, address bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks and solve a few issues that were affecting AirPlay video playback "in some circumstances." There's also improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List, and Apple has purportedly fixed an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase. Sucked the update down yourself? Let us know how it goes in comments below, and peek the full changelog just after the break. Update: Looks like iOS 5.1.1 has already been jailbroken. Huzzah! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

  • HTC One X review

    by 
    Myriam Joire
    Myriam Joire
    04.02.2012

    More Info HTC One X hands-on at MWC 2012 (video) HTC Sense 4 review HTC One S review It's been a difficult year for HTC. After several successful quarters, things have started looking less rosy in recent months with the company facing stiff competition and suffering from apparent brand dilution -- the results of launching too many handsets with forgettable names, making too many compromises for the carriers, continuing to rely on Sense, and lacking an iconic flagship to take on Samsung's mighty Galaxy S II. We knew something important was coming for Mobile World Congress after HTC timidly revealed the Titan II at CES -- after all, the company has a long history of innovation. A few days before flying to Barcelona and after being sworn to secrecy, we were quietly whisked into a San Francisco conference room with clear instructions: no pictures or video. There, in the middle of the table, was a white phone that instantly caught our eye -- the HTC One X. To write that we came away impressed after briefly using it is a massive understatement. This was obviously a halo device made for geeks like us, something designed to take on the Galaxy Nexuses of the world, something with the mother of all spec sheets, something running Ice Cream Sandwich with a significantly thinner and lighter version of Sense. Better yet, there were two other handsets with the same impeccable attention to detail -- the One S and the One V. HTC was finally showing some vision again with strong branding, gorgeous design and a polished user experience. While first impressions go a long way, there's a lot to be learned about a product by living with it for a few days. So is the One X truly HTC's comeback device? Are we still delighted? Is this the Engadget phone? Hit the break for our full review.

  • Engadget Primed: Camera metering explained

    by 
    Sean Arbabi
    Sean Arbabi
    03.23.2012

    Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. You can follow the series here. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. Is learning how to meter with your camera really necessary? With all the intelligent models out today, who needs it, right? Well, you may, depending on the type of killer photography you hope to produce. When it comes to the person behind the camera, there are a few types of photographers. First, there's the photog who just wants to snap away, not terribly concerned about how their photos turn out -- or, at the very least, not interested in knowing how to alter the camera. If this describes you, that's fine -- the latest-and-greatest compact cameras may be your cup of tea. But then there's the amateur shooter who desires a better understanding of how their cameras determine exposure, and if you fit into this category, this piece should be right up your alley.Metering is not a subject you can easily master, let alone explain entirely in an article of this length, but we can give you an idea of how it all works. I consistently see the faces of my workshop students glaze over as I wax rhapsodic about the wonders of metering, but I also notice wry smiles from time to time, which shows me the wheels are turning -- they begin to realize all the things they can do if only they can conquer this aspect of photography. However, comprehension and applied mastery are two separate balls of wax. Putting what you learn to practice is the start, and you can improve over a number of months, but true metering control in any situation requires years of practice.So for our 2012 pre-apocalyptic installment of Primed, we'll break down the world of camera metering, giving you a bit of history, dissecting the main components, describing what your camera wants to do and telling you what the future may hold. By the end, you'll have a better understanding of this vital photographic topic... either that or you'll be in a nice deep sleep.Note: Check out our recent Primed articles on aperture and image sensors to add to your metering knowledge.

  • Researchers turn a DSLR into hyperspectral camera using PVC and duct tape, MacGyver green with envy

    by 
    Michael Gorman
    Michael Gorman
    12.15.2011

    Hyperspectral imaging is a method that captures a far greater amount of the electromagnetic spectrum than a regular photograph. This makes it ideal for a variety of uses, from night vision to identifying mineral deposits from afar, but the problem is that hyperspectral sensors don't come cheap. However, some intrepid imaging scientists have come up with a way to turn your DSLR into a hyperspectral camera using stock SLR glass, a gel diffraction filter, PVC pipe, duct tape, some serious ingenuity and plenty of elbow grease. Thusly did they build a (relatively) cheap-as-chips imaging spectrometer that can deliver spectral resolution equal to that of commercial solutions at a far lower cost. The result of their labor is a computed tomography image spectrometer (CTIS), which takes hyperspectral images by splitting light into spectral bands with a diffuser and recording them using a Canon EOS 5D Mark I in HDR mode. As constructed, the prototype takes a spectral resolution of up to 4.89nm in a 120 x 120 pixel area, though at a longer exposure time than dedicated devices. Having proven their concept, the plan is to build another lens extension using custom tubes and lenses that'll both reduce weight and increase the aperture to shorten the exposure time -- all for less than a grand. You can see both the camera's construction and some sample images in the gallery below, plus you can dig deep into the nitty gritty behind this bit of imaging black magic at the source link. %Gallery-141944%

  • 360 Panorama app now available for Android users, no gyroscope necessary (video)

    by 
    Amar Toor
    Amar Toor
    11.22.2011

    Looking to capture panoramic photos on an Android handset? Well, you've certainly got plenty of options -- including, as of today, Occipital's 360 Panorama, which just hit the Android Market. Compatible with devices running Android 2.3 or above (with the exception of Honeycomb), the app offers much of the same functionality you'll find on the previously released iOS version. Just tap a button, pan your handset across any given area and watch your photo come to fruition before your very eyes. The tool also allows exposure to fluctuate as a user pans his or her device, thereby creating the potential for HDR panoramic shots during transitions from dark to bright areas. Interestingly enough, this version relies not upon an actual gyroscope, but a "simulated" one, created from motion-tracking algorithms (that's how it works on older 3GS handsets, as well). Users who already have a 360 Panorama account can still use it on their Android handsets, allowing them to upload and store all their photos in one place. Eventually, this storage system will allow for syncing across both iOS and Android hemispheres, though at the moment, it's a strictly web-based affair. Pan past the break for a brief demo video, or check out some sample shots in the gallery, below. %Gallery-140050%

  • iOS 5 features: Changes to Camera and Photos

    by 
    Steve Sande
    Steve Sande
    10.12.2011

    With the release of iOS 5, iPhone and iPad photographers now have a few new settings and features. The Camera and Photos apps have both been updated in iOS 5, but how those updates appear depends on the device you're using. On the HDR-equipped iPhone 4 (and likely on the 4S as well), the Camera app now displays an Options button at the top of the screen between the flash and camera selection buttons. A tap on the button displays two switches -- Grid and HDR -- that are used to turn on or off a rule of thirds grid and the High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDR) capabilities of the camera. On the iPad 2 and iPhone 3GS, neither of which have HDR capabilities, the grid switch is still available to assist in taking more aesthetically pleasing photos. %Gallery-136297% When you switch between the Camera and Photos apps, the Photos app now displays a bright blue camera icon so you can immediately jump back to the Camera to take another photo. The Photos sharing button now adds "Tweet" as a function in addition to emailing and messaging photos, assigning a photo to a contact card, using a photo as wallpaper, and printing. Probably the biggest addition to Photos in iOS 5 is the ability to edit photos within the app. When viewing an image in the photo library, tapping the new Edit button brings up an edit screen with four buttons: rotate, enhance, red-eye correction, and crop. Rotate spins the image 90 degrees counterclockwise with each tap, while Enhance works just like the same button in iPhoto. If you've taken a flash photo and are faced with a picture of a person who looks demonic, the red-eye tool works to "get the red out." Cropping is now possible, both free-form and constrained to different aspect ratios. Of course, there's also the ability to use Photo Stream to upload your new photos to iCloud and sync them to all of your other devices. That feature is so seamless that it really doesn't feel like a feature -- it just happens. I do find Photo Stream to be a great way of getting my photos back to the Mac. I take a photo when I'm out and about, and know that it's going to appear on the Mac by the time I return home. Photos works hand-in-hand with iPhoto, so any groupings by Faces or Places appear on your iOS device. That's fun, since you can quickly pull up all of the photos of a particular friend or family member, or view the pictures taken at a particular place. The changes to Photos make it a rough iOS version of iPhoto, making me wonder if the next version will gain even more features and be renamed to iPhoto. While the updates to Photos and Camera aren't earth-shattering, they definitely add functionality to these built-in apps that will be useful to those who don't want to buy third-party photography apps.

  • Daily Mac App: Hydra Pro 3

    by 
    Mel Martin
    Mel Martin
    10.10.2011

    HDR photography is a technique that produces images with a very high dynamic range. To produce an HDR image, you take several shots at varying shutter speeds and combine them using a technique called tone mapping to produce the final photograph. Hydra Pro 3 will allow you to combine up to seven exposures of a scene to wring out the most dynamic range so skies don't get overexposed and shadow details aren't lost. This new version has a 12-preset tone mapper, ghost artifact removers, cropping tools, batch processing and export to Facebook, Flickr, Lightroom, Aperture and OS X Mail. You can create a frame around your image, but the color options are limited. I've been testing the app for a few weeks and found it easy to use and getting solid results. You do get extensive control of your image, and you can make it as realistic or as surreal as you like. If you play with the HDR setting on the iPhone, you can get a taste of the technique, but HDR comes into its own when you work with a higher-quality digital camera and more exposures than the iPhone can provide for combining. I compared Hydra Pro 3 to my first choice in HDR programs, Photomatix Pro. In each set of images I processed, I preferred the Photomatix output. There was more control, and I thought the images had better depth and color. You can see a comparison in the gallery. Hydra Pro 3 failed a few times to automatically align photos. I switched to manual alignment, and that worked fine. Although there is a help menu it did not bring up help, but instead took me to the Creaceed website, where there was no manual for Hydra 3 Pro there either. The company says the manual will be online next week. Swing and a miss. Hydra 3 is roughly half the cost of Photomatix, and you can sample most of the features of Hydra Pro 3 using Hydra Express 3 for US$24.95. Hydra Pro 3 also includes plug-ins for Aperture and Adobe Lightroom, which is a price advantage over Photomatix which charges for those plug-ins. Hydra Pro 3 has a pleasing and clean interface without a lot of arcane sliders. Of course, simplicity is a trade-off for control, but the end result is good. Hydra Pro is US$49.99 for the next few days, which is a 50% savings over the normal cost. %Gallery-136129%

  • HDR Fusion for iPhone is free today only

    by 
    Mel Martin
    Mel Martin
    09.30.2011

    Even though I do a lot of high end photo work, I still enjoy using the iPhone's camera, and i was especially happy to see Apple add HDR capabilities to the iPhone 4. HDR lets you get good pictures under challenging conditions when there is a mixture of very bright light, like the sky, and objects in shadow. I've also checked a lot of the third-party HDR apps, and most exceed the quality of the built in HDR feature. Today only, HDR Fusion is free, so it's a nice Friday present for those thinking about going beyond the Apple HDR and trying something a bit better.The app is normally US$1.99. HDR Fusion grabs two images, one underexposed and one overexposed, then tone maps them to a combined exposure that doesn't blow out the bright parts or lose the shadows. In my quick tests, the app worked well in both the auto mode and manual mode. If you are manually shooting, you drag two markers around the field of view, one to the darkest shadowed area, the other to the bright highlights. Processing is faster than most of the other third party apps I've tried, but not as fast as Apple's almost instant implementation. Picture quality is pretty good -- exceeding the Apple feature in some of my tests, in others about on par with it. In general, I still prefer Pro HDR on the iPhone, but at least today there is a free alternative. HDR Fusion also includes a self-timer, which is a handy feature. The app is a pretty small download, just over half a megabyte. Free is good, so give HDR Fusion a try and save yourself two bucks. The free offer will expire at different times in different time zones, so be aware that the offer will likely end at midnight EDT in the U.S. In the gallery, I've compared the app to the built-in Apple HDR and Pro HDR, which is still my go-to app for HDR on the iPhone. %Gallery-135350%

  • True HDR for iPhone adds features and goes on sale

    by 
    Mel Martin
    Mel Martin
    08.22.2011

    I've looked at TrueHDR in the past and found it a competent app for getting good photos in challenging exposure situations. HDR techniques are excellent when you are faced with taking photos of people when there is a bright sky behind them. The app has been updated today with some worthwhile features and a sale price of US $0.99 for a limited time. New features include post-processing control of warmth, saturation and brightness, and there are now some effects like sepia, monochrome and vignetting. I gave the app a quick test this morning and found the image quality quite good when there was both a bright sky and some deep shadows. I've included some screen shots in the gallery. The app allows you to manually set exposure in different parts of the viewfinder or it can do it automatically. Images can be saved to your camera roll, emailed, or sent to Twitter or Facebook. This is a nice update to an already good app. Processing and merging images into an HDR finished product takes under a minute, but it would be good if the app did the processing in the background. If you exit for a call or to check email, the rendering stops then resumes when it is active again. If you are interested in better iPhone photos, TrueHDR is is a good way to start, and I think you will get better results than from the Apple built-in HDR feature. %Gallery-131346%

  • T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide review

    by 
    Myriam Joire
    Myriam Joire
    08.02.2011

    Not too long ago, things were pretty simple in T-Mobile's Android land. For us (the nerds, geeks, power users, early adopters, and other misbegotten social deviants) there was the G series of phones with plain Android, culminating recently with LG's delightful G2x. If you wanted to buy your mom an Android smartphone, you'd point her at the myTouch series of handsets with custom HTC Sense-based skins, like last winter's myTouch 4G. Life got a bit more complicated with the introduction of LG's Optimus T, Samsung's Galaxy S 4G, and other devices that don't neatly fit into the carrier's grand branding scheme. Well, fear not! T-Mobile and HTC went ahead and refreshed last summer's lovely myTouch 3G Slide with a dash of dual-core tech lifted right from HTC's Sensation flagship and a bespoke 8 megapixel shooter said to be "the most advanced camera of any smartphone". Those are fighting words... so does the myTouch 4G Slide (as it's called) beat the likes of Samsung's Galaxy S II, Sony Ericsson's Xperia Arc, and Nokia's N8 in terms of imaging performance? Is the sliding keyboard as pleasant to use as its predecessor? And most importantly, is this your mom's next phone? Read on for our full review. %Gallery-129747%

  • HDR Darkroom Pro is a fast and inexpensive app for creating impressive landscape images

    by 
    Mel Martin
    Mel Martin
    07.27.2011

    It's nice to see more awareness of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. The iPhone has a built-in HDR mode, and more and more software is supporting the combining of images shot at different shutter speeds, combined to create an image that captures more shadow detail without blowing out the highlights. HDR Darkroom Pro for OS X is on sale at a rather dramatic introductory price of US $19.99. It's a 75% off savings. Most HDR apps hover around $100 so this app qualifies as a good bargain while it is on sale. To use the app, you import 3 or more images show at different exposure settings. HDR Pro Darkroom will align the images, and produce a tone-mapped image that will almost always be more pleasing to the eye than a single image with standard exposure. Of course, like anything, HDR can be overdone, and I've seen some pretty horrible examples of photos that were over-saturated and surreal. On the other hand, that may be the effect you are after. HDR Pro Darkroom allows multiple methods of tone mapping, and then gives you control over white/black points, noise reduction, color balance and more. The app is very fast, easily 2-3 times as fast as my reference app, Photomatix, although it should be noted that the preview displays are very fast, the app is slow to save because that is the stage at which it renders the image. Most apps render for the preview, then do a quick save. It's not all roses however. After processing several images, I never saw output as clean as I was getting with Photomatix, or even the built in HDR feature on Photoshop CS5. I especially saw some very rough gradients (check the gallery) when the sky faded from blue to a a bright white on a sunrise shot. Photomatix rendered the transition perfectly. On less challenging material, HDR Darkroom Pro did quite well, but the interface is not intuitive and when you go to the help menu you are taken to the developers site and you have to hunt around for a PDF manual. If you can work around the limitations of HDR Darkroom Pro and want to get your feet wet in HDR photography I think this app is worth a purchase at the sale price. On the other hand, it has a lot of rough edges that simply don't exist in apps like Photomatix or HDR Efex Pro. Note: There are a bewildering number of photo apps at various prices from developer Everimaging. Be sure to go the the Mac App Store on your OS X computer to get the sale price of $19.99. %Gallery-129327%

  • T-Mobile's myTouch 4G Slide shows off its camera chops (video)

    by 
    Myriam Joire
    Myriam Joire
    07.08.2011

    We've known since its recent announcement that T-Mobile's myTouch 4G Slide will be a mobile photographer's delight and now we get to see the camera UI in action on video. As a quick reminder, the carrier's upcoming Gingerbread smartphone is made by HTC and features Sense 3.0, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, a 3.7-inch WVGA Super LCD display, HSPA+ connectivity on the AWS spectrum, and a trick 8 megapixel shooter. The f2.2 wide-angle lens is combined with a low-light capable sensor and a dual-LED flash, but it's the camera software that really shines. Like on the Sensation, you'll find support for 1080p HD video recording, but the myTouch 4G Slide adds multiple scenes, zero shutter lag technology, continuous autofocus, HDR stills capture, plus panorama and burst modes, along with a dedicated two-stage shutter key. While we doubt it will dethrone Nokia's N8 in term of raw picture quality, we're looking forward to putting HTC's latest feature-packed shooter through its paces when the handset debuts this month for $199 on contract.