# Photoshop vs Photomatix



## JCE (Feb 15, 2014)

I'm sure this has probably been discussed before, but I did a search for a thread title containing both words and looked through about the first 5 pages of this section of the forum and found nothing, other than a post saying Photomatix is "better".

I have PS Elements 12, and have just started to play with the HDR feature. I am not real happy with the results....the detail within the merged pictures looks weird. Yes, I am shooting still subjects. But, this is also difficult because I am having to touch the camera (d3200) since it doesn't have bracketing, so I am sure there may be some movement when adjusting shutter speed and resetting the shutter delay after each shot. D7100 is in the near future if/when Nikon puts them on sale....:thumbup:

Anyway I am wondering if Photomatix Essentials would be an upgrade, or even going with the pro but I am not sure I need that since photography is just a hobby. Or, maybe another software?

Thoughts, and any obvious qualities of one over the other? Thanks.

Regardless, I understand I may not get the full benefit until I get another camera....


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## JustJazzie (Feb 15, 2014)

I have cs6 and I have the photomatix free trial. I've only played around with HDR, but I've used both and IME, the photoshop hdr seems like a joke compared to photomatix. I've never loved an hdr I've created in photomatix, but when I tried it in photoshop the results were laughable. Maybe it's because I don't understand the programs or how to do good hdr.....
Sorry I'm rambling. Photomatix should have a free trial. Mine never expired I just can't save my work until I buy the licensee, so I would just download that and decide for yourself!


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## HughGuessWho (Feb 15, 2014)

I have both photoshop cs6 and Photomatix. You can get pretty much the same results for HDR from both. However, I find Photomatix to me much quicker, easier and user friendly. Bottom line, however, is to each, his own. Give the free Photomatix trial a go. You just might like it. And the full purchased version is not too expensive.


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## JCE (Feb 15, 2014)

Been doing some more reading. The 'merge' tool in Elements seems to be lacking vs other HDR software. I agree since I can't seem to make it look decent. Photomatix it is.


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## D-B-J (Feb 15, 2014)

I've always had good success with photomatix.


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## xj0hnx (Feb 16, 2014)

JustJazzie said:


> I have cs6 and I have the photomatix free trial. I've only played around with HDR, but I've used both and IME, the photoshop hdr seems like a joke compared to photomatix. I've never loved an hdr I've created in photomatix, but when I tried it in photoshop the results were laughable. Maybe it's because I don't understand the programs or how to do good hdr.....
> Sorry I'm rambling. Photomatix should have a free trial. Mine never expired I just can't save my work until I buy the licensee, so I would just download that and decide for yourself!



There's another method using Photoshops Merge to HDR Pro with Adobe Camera Raw ...






You only use it to combine your exposures into a 32-bit .TIFF and then you use Adobe Camera Raw to process it into an awesome HDR image. It doesn't make the overcooked crazy HDR, but instead a photographic HDR that's a huge file containing all the detail from all the exposures. The one I did trying it out was 114MB.


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## Tailgunner (Feb 16, 2014)

I have both and prefer using Photomatix for my HDR images.


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## JustJazzie (Feb 16, 2014)

xj0hnx said:


> There's another method using Photoshops Merge to HDR Pro with Adobe Camera Raw ...  YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JT1b12BBHs&list=PL821B7D720DEA39FA  You only use it to combine your exposures into a 32-bit .TIFF and then you use Adobe Camera Raw to process it into an awesome HDR image. It doesn't make the overcooked crazy HDR, but instead a photographic HDR that's a huge file containing all the detail from all the exposures. The one I did trying it out was 114MB.



Thanks for this! I'm not sure that Adobe camera are actually downloaded with my CS6. It doesn't seem to be on my computer :headscratch:


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## twinrivers19 (Feb 17, 2014)

I prefer Photomatix myself, simply because it is quicker and easier. There are always a few things I do afterwards in Photoshop elements and then in Lightroom.


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