# Photomatix: Pro vs. Light



## billy_the_kid43 (Feb 18, 2010)

What's the difference in the two versions?  Is it really worth the extra $60 for the pro version or can most any HDR be done with the light program?  If the pro is that much better, what is provided that makes it so much better?


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## Sirashley (Feb 18, 2010)

Well, it looks to me like the light just does tonemapping, and doesn't really have the tools to reduce movement in the photo...

Take my advice, BUY THE PRO... its a freakin awesome program that I will tell you that 99$ is a small price to play...

Edit: because I realized you replied to my other post


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## billy_the_kid43 (Feb 18, 2010)

Thank you sirashley.  I will get the pro version on your recomendation.  I look forward to your future tutorials.  I find them very informative.:thumbsup:


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## Sirashley (Feb 18, 2010)

billy_the_kid43 said:


> Thank you sirashley.  I will get the pro version on your recomendation.  I look forward to your future tutorials.  I find them very informative.:thumbsup:



Cool man, I'm really glad to see that people find them useful...It makes it all worth while... I'm hoping next time to do some videos of actually being out there with the camera and showing people how to frame and compose the shots as well... So check back as I'm going to be updating it often... and trust me, you are going to love Photomatix!


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## Tulsa (Feb 18, 2010)

I was lucky enough to use the education discount for the Pro version, costs 60 cents more than the light. I guess I should say my wife who is the student bought it! I have only done tone mapping with it, look forward to figuring it all out. 
But to answer your question, if you can afford PRO, get PRO


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## rallysman (Feb 18, 2010)

I tried the light version for quite a while and one night I got drunk and bought the full version.

That was the best drunken purchase ever. It's so much easier to use and I do feel that even for just tone mapping it produces better results. They're not compressed either, which is a huge plus. 

Bottom line: it's worth it. 
It's very controllable or you can go into surreal mode of you're in the mood.


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## hankejp (Feb 19, 2010)

rallysman said:


> I tried the light version for quite a while and one night I got drunk and bought the full version.
> 
> That was the best drunken purchase ever. It's so much easier to use and I do feel that even for just tone mapping it produces better results. They're not compressed either, which is a huge plus.
> 
> ...


 

hahaha, a drunken purchase.  Thankfully I haven't done that yet.


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## Sirashley (Feb 19, 2010)

I always hate that feeling... You know, that feeling... When you wake up in the morning and you are like, "Did I really bid on that..." then you have to go and check your ebay to see if you really did or it was just a dream...LOL... I can get into allot of trouble when behind the ebay wheel while intoxicated...but... you gotta love drunk purchases


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## rallysman (Feb 19, 2010)

luckily it turned out the way it did


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## KmH (Feb 19, 2010)

To do HDR right, takes more than just Photomatix, even if you have the pro version. I need to upload the Light and give it a workout.

Those that already have the Pro version get the Light version gratis. :thumbup:

The standalone version of Light can merge bracketed images.


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## Edimus (Apr 30, 2010)

I was looking at the stats on the webpage and it looks like the aperture plugin might be more similar to the light version than the pro version. Does anyone know for a a fact? I am trying to decide if I need to get the pro version or if I can just get the aperture plugin.


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## Kiriakos (Oct 5, 2010)

I do not know what you are saying but I for some reason have better results with the Lite version. Go figure. I am sure of course that if  the standard version is tweaked by an expert it will outshine the Lite. Buy still is $60 more.

I have also looked at 8 other programs and strangely enough a cheap  program Easy HDR at $35 it is not a bad deal. Its main disadvantage is that it is slow in executing and has more steps than usual. 

I did not like at all some well known products such as the Topaz Adjust, Dynamic HDR, FDRTools and Essential.


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## makr (Jan 17, 2011)

Does anyone know whether Photomatix will enhance a single exposure?  Seems like that would be a very useful feature.  Easy HDR's website says their software can do it.  

I suppose a similar process could be done by fixing highlights in Photoshop and saving the photo, then fixing shadows and saving as a seperate photo, then running the two resultant photos through an hdr program.  But that sounds like a lot of trouble.


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