Comprehensive Test of all HDR projects Features Part 4

Another new feature worth mentioning is the automatic ghosting correction optimization. After various settings were made for ghosting correction in the last software version, it was often necessary to view the image outside of preview mode to detect visible changes. Now this can be done with just one click.

The automatic function works depending on the intensity and the selected subject method, such as landscape or architecture, which change depending on the selected focus level.

If the automatic optimization still does not give the best result, further adjustments can be made as before.

In addition to the new compression slider, three new preset buttons have been added: High Contrast, Optimal, and Compressed affect the contrast dynamics displayed in the Curves panel below.

If none of these contrast presets produce the desired result, the sliders can be adjusted again manually.

This image section is at a zoom level of 100% and has not been modified except for the applied preset "Natural Brightness".

When these images were taken, both the people and the flag were in motion. More work was needed in HDR projects 4 to achieve a satisfactory result. The same result can be achieved in a few seconds in this new version.

Fusions profiles can contribute greatly to a more efficient workflow by allowing the user to define individual presets for specific photographic situations or subjects.

This can be done by simply taking time to fine-tune the algorithms and their settings beforehand. These defined settings can then be saved and exported to a location of your choice.

When uploading an exposure series similar to one previously edited, a suitable editing profile can be imported, and the editing process completed without much effort. Another useful option is to save a profile with basic settings that will be used for each exposure series. These profiles can of course also be (re)named and deleted as desired. Special characters should be avoided, however, as they always lead to an underscore - an aspect that could have been handled differently. As in the Algorithm Browser, profiles can be evaluated and selected directly from post-processing.

If you want, you can adjust the settings so that the window for editing the exposure series always appears first when you start the program, a more logical approach that was standard in HDR projects 3. After the release of HDR projects 4, the post-processing window with all previously selected algorithms and effects appears first after the image upload, which also has its advantages. The design of one's workflow here simply depends on personal preferences, as it should be.

 

This review was written by Gerhard Lang, www.ahadesign.eu