# Tone Mapping or Exposure Fusion



## Phantomht

i cant really find any youtube videos explaining if i should one or the other, ... or both?
What are you guys using?


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## ann

tone mapping is a style, Exposure Fusion is a piece of software. Tone mapping is part of the HDR process, or for that fact one can tone map any image.

HDR programs contain options for realistic vs enhanced version, the enhanced version usually intail serious tonemapping.


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## spacefuzz

If you use photomatix tone mapping is what you will do after exposure fusion or HDR merging. Other ways of blending exposures may not require tone mapping, but its a method for compressing dynamic range / modifying highlights & shadows etc.


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## Compaq

Tonemapping is enhancing local contrast, whereas fusion is global contrast. More details can be clear in tonemapping, but the overprocessed look with halos and stuff is easy to get if you're not careful.


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## Phantomht

spacefuzz said:


> If you use photomatix tone mapping is what you will do after exposure fusion or HDR merging. Other ways of blending exposures may not require tone mapping, but its a method for compressing dynamic range / modifying highlights & shadows etc.



oops.
i think thats waht i meant and titled this wrong, i should have put *HDR Merging or Exposure Fusion*.

So, if im getting this right, you pick between one or the other right? then after it has completed its merge, then go into tone mapping.
Are there situations that dictate which one works better in a given situation, or is it all personal preference?


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## Bynx

Your order of things isnt right. You load your files into Photomatix and set your preferences (lining up, noise reduction etc). Then you have a series of thumbnails of tonemapping examples and fusion. You can move the sliders to adjust your thumbnail. You choose how you want the files processed. Click Process and thats it. Then fix the output in Photoshop or some such program to adjust contrast and sharpening and noise.


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## spacefuzz

Phantomht said:


> spacefuzz said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you use photomatix tone mapping is what you will do after exposure fusion or HDR merging. Other ways of blending exposures may not require tone mapping, but its a method for compressing dynamic range / modifying highlights & shadows etc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> oops.
> i think thats waht i meant and titled this wrong, i should have put *HDR Merging or Exposure Fusion*.
> 
> So, if im getting this right, you pick between one or the other right? then after it has completed its merge, then go into tone mapping.
> Are there situations that dictate which one works better in a given situation, or is it all personal preference?
Click to expand...


I must have an older version of photomatix than Bynx.  In my version you import and it gives you the choice you mentioned, HDR or Fusion.  Pick one, it will go through some prompts and youll end up at a tone mapping screen with sliders to dink with the picture tell it looks like a masterpiece.  Then you can import that tiff into photoshop for additional work.


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## mistermonday

Phantomht said:


> i cant really find any youtube videos explaining if i should one or the other, ... or both?
> What are you guys using?


I have to believe you are really confused now so perhaps this will help:
The 1st, and primary process in creating a high dynamic range image is to combine a set of bracketed exposures, preferably in RAW format, the range of which exceeds the camera's ability to capture in a single exposure. The HDR software, using complex algorithms and decisions, takes some data out of each of the raw files (usually 16 bit depth) and combines that data into a single 32 bit file. That 32 bit file exceeds the dynamic range of monitors and printers and thus can not be properly display in that format (they look ugly). That's where part 2 of the process comes in.
The tones in the 32 bit high dynamic range image are redistributed or tonemapped into a 16 bit or 8 bit range.  HDR s/w will provide one or more modules which you can use to accomplish the task. Each module is specialized to offer certain controls that render different results. So take Photomatix for example. The fusion module strives to achieve natural results. The Fusion module "fuses" the source files and provides you with a capability to emphasize over or underexposed images but then most of the controls adjust Low Dynamic Range, like brightness, contrast, etc.
The Detail Enhancer takes a different approach. Here you have additional controls that affect the high dynamic range. The strength slider allows you  to darken the highlights while brightening the shadows resulting in tonal inversions. You can adjust microcontrast to intensify small detail. You can induce some interesting artistic and artistic effects. Which module you use depends on your end goals for the image.  The tone compressor module achieves yet another goal.  Some HDR s/w onlly offer you a single module but they include in that single module, controls which affect the high and low dynamic range. 
Regards, Murray


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## Phantomht

spacefuzz said:


> Phantomht said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> spacefuzz said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you use photomatix tone mapping is what you will do after exposure fusion or HDR merging. Other ways of blending exposures may not require tone mapping, but its a method for compressing dynamic range / modifying highlights & shadows etc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> oops.
> i think thats waht i meant and titled this wrong, i should have put *HDR Merging or Exposure Fusion*.
> 
> So, if im getting this right, you pick between one or the other right? then after it has completed its merge, then go into tone mapping.
> Are there situations that dictate which one works better in a given situation, or is it all personal preference?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I must have an older version of photomatix than Bynx.  In my version you import and it gives you the choice you mentioned, HDR or Fusion.  Pick one, it will go through some prompts and youll end up at a tone mapping screen with sliders to dink with the picture tell it looks like a masterpiece.  Then you can import that tiff into photoshop for additional work.
Click to expand...


yeh, at first i was using v3.2, which is im guessing about the version your using?
but today im using the v4.1.2


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## Phantomht

mistermonday said:


> Phantomht said:
> 
> 
> 
> i cant really find any youtube videos explaining if i should one or the other, ... or both?
> What are you guys using?
> 
> 
> 
> I have to believe you are really confused now so perhaps this will help:
> The 1st, and primary process in creating a high dynamic range image is to combine a set of bracketed exposures, preferably in RAW format, the range of which exceeds the camera's ability to capture in a single exposure. The HDR software, using complex algorithms and decisions, takes some data out of each of the raw files (usually 16 bit depth) and combines that data into a single 32 bit file. That 32 bit file exceeds the dynamic range of monitors and printers and thus can not be properly display in that format (they look ugly). That's where part 2 of the process comes in.
> The tones in the 32 bit high dynamic range image are redistributed or tonemapped into a 16 bit or 8 bit range.  HDR s/w will provide one or more modules which you can use to accomplish the task. Each module is specialized to offer certain controls that render different results. So take Photomatix for example. The fusion module strives to achieve natural results. The Fusion module "fuses" the source files and provides you with a capability to emphasize over or underexposed images but then most of the controls adjust Low Dynamic Range, like brightness, contrast, etc.
> The Detail Enhancer takes a different approach. Here you have additional controls that affect the high dynamic range. The strength slider allows you  to darken the highlights while brightening the shadows resulting in tonal inversions. You can adjust microcontrast to intensify small detail. You can induce some interesting artistic and artistic effects. Which module you use depends on your end goals for the image.  The tone compressor module achieves yet another goal.  Some HDR s/w onlly offer you a single module but they include in that single module, controls which affect the high and low dynamic range.
> Regards, Murray
Click to expand...


thank you very much for that reply.
i think im liking the Fusion route.
Plus with the v4.1.2 ive been using today it gives me a whole bunch of thumbnails of different examples to choose from and i dont even have to mess around with the sliders.
I also found out last night i can open a .tiff in Lightroom and then of course after im done with it there open it in Photoshop.
I know a few people dont like Lightroom, but i do like it for a lot of things just like i use Photoshop for a few other things. Mostly because im not a Photoshop Guru, so what i cant do in one, i most often know how to do in the other 

I followed the other guys instructions [i think from my other post] and i got this result on eliminating ghosting but ill post it in the other thread, but i CAN post another pic i worked on and was kinda pleased with.
i think im getting better at it but still have a ways to go to catch up to you guys


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## ann

Sorry if I was misleading with my response. THere is a software program with the same name as an option in Photomatrix.


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