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When did HDR start taking on this meaning? Iir, when I first heard it it meant an image that actually had high dynamic range, I.e. More detail in the shadows an

When did HDR start taking on this meaning? Iir, when I first heard it it meant an image that actually had high dynamic range, I.e. More detail in the shadows and highlights than could be shown on screen. These images could be used as light sources for global illumination in 3D graphics programs. It seems nice to be able to control the exposure of different parts of an image independently, but that doesn't seem special enough to warrant a special label. I dunno.

masterj 16y ago
I think you're referring to the dynamic range of the screen, which might have been the original interpretation, but most people these days think of the range of exposure that the sensor can handle. I first heard it in reference to Half Life: Lost Coast, but since then I've only heard it in reference to multiple exposures in photography. I might be wrong, but I'm that the sensors in modern professional SLRs can handle much more difference in exposure latitude than smaller digicams and especially cell phone cameras, with film holding even more latitude. Though I cringe at most over-processed HDR-styled photos, this seems to be a valid use of the technique, overcoming the technical limitations of such a small sensor.
- Aqua_Geek 16y ago
  "I might be wrong, but I'm that the sensors in modern professional SLRs can handle much more difference in exposure latitude than smaller digicams and especially cell phone cameras, with film holding even more latitude." Correct. Here's an example of 16mm negative of Kodak's Vision 3, for example, that shows the various meterings in the scene: http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Products/Production/Color_Negative_Films/5219/data5219.htm http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Products/Production/Col.... It's easily 7 stops - I think you'd be hard pressed to pull off the same image on your iPhone camera (though I am interested to see how well the new HDR stuff works).
angusgr 16y ago
One comment I've read from photography tech types is that the correct term for this is "tone mapping" not "high dynamic range". I don't think it's ever caught on outside of pedant circles, though. :)
- wtallis 16y ago
  We know that the iPhone will do on-the-fly tone mapping, but there's also a slim chance that it will store a proper HDR image (such as a 12-bit JPEG or OpenEXR) for later processing.
icegreentea 16y ago
HDR and the tone-mapped results of HDR images have been used somewhat interchangeably for the last while (go look at flickr or deviantart). When someone shows you an 'HDR' image, its just 'understood' (or misunderstood...) as the result of tone mapping. Furthermore, when you start talking about video games, when people refer to HDR, it means that they're doing the tone-mapping on the fly.... and also conflating (an already conflated) HDR with light blooming. And yeah, automatic tone-mapping can (CAN!) result in some hideous looking images. Used aggressively and without care, skin just turns to porcelain and every building against the sky now has a crazy halo around it.

masterj 16y ago

I think you're referring to the dynamic range of the screen, which might have been the original interpretation, but most people these days think of the range of exposure that the sensor can handle. I first heard it in reference to Half Life: Lost Coast, but since then I've only heard it in reference to multiple exposures in photography. I might be wrong, but I'm that the sensors in modern professional SLRs can handle much more difference in exposure latitude than smaller digicams and especially cell phone cameras, with film holding even more latitude. Though I cringe at most over-processed HDR-styled photos, this seems to be a valid use of the technique, overcoming the technical limitations of such a small sensor.

Aqua_Geek 16y ago
"I might be wrong, but I'm that the sensors in modern professional SLRs can handle much more difference in exposure latitude than smaller digicams and especially cell phone cameras, with film holding even more latitude." Correct. Here's an example of 16mm negative of Kodak's Vision 3, for example, that shows the various meterings in the scene: http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Products/Production/Color_Negative_Films/5219/data5219.htm http://motion.kodak.com/US/en/motion/Products/Production/Col.... It's easily 7 stops - I think you'd be hard pressed to pull off the same image on your iPhone camera (though I am interested to see how well the new HDR stuff works).

angusgr 16y ago

One comment I've read from photography tech types is that the correct term for this is "tone mapping" not "high dynamic range". I don't think it's ever caught on outside of pedant circles, though. :)

wtallis 16y ago
We know that the iPhone will do on-the-fly tone mapping, but there's also a slim chance that it will store a proper HDR image (such as a 12-bit JPEG or OpenEXR) for later processing.

icegreentea 16y ago

HDR and the tone-mapped results of HDR images have been used somewhat interchangeably for the last while (go look at flickr or deviantart). When someone shows you an 'HDR' image, its just 'understood' (or misunderstood...) as the result of tone mapping. Furthermore, when you start talking about video games, when people refer to HDR, it means that they're doing the tone-mapping on the fly.... and also conflating (an already conflated) HDR with light blooming. And yeah, automatic tone-mapping can (CAN!) result in some hideous looking images. Used aggressively and without care, skin just turns to porcelain and every building against the sky now has a crazy halo around it.