The New Canon G12 adds HDR, High Dynamic Range Photography
The New Canon G12 is the latest compact digital camera to include HDR (High Dynamic Range) image capability. Until recently HDR imaging has only been available as software applications for post image processing, it's in Photoshop and is available as standalone software. HDR imaging involves capturing multiple images at multiple exposures that cover the entire contrast range of the image subject area.
Essentially the idea is that most images have a contrast range, the range between shadows and highlights that are not recordable by digital CCD's or film alone (the range that the human eye can see) so engineers had to come up with something that makes this possible. HDR is the current fix. It's not perfect but it is an alternative to traditional exposure manipulation. It works by taking a series of images that records detail in the shadows all the way up to images that show detail in the highlights and combines them to bring the full contrast range back into the image, close to how the human eye sees it. The Canon G12 does this by taking three images and combines them together to create an image more closely resembling what the human eye actually sees.
Most software applications use more images to record a wider contrast range but they have the benefit of a larger computer processor to crunch all this information. With the current technology, applying such processor intensive imaging to DSLR and smaller compact digital cameras like the Canon G12 on the fly will probably not happen for awhile. However, having this feature in the Canon G12 will make it possible to capture image details that were not possible in past models of Canon's G-series cameras or in most other current compact digital camera models.
Having the ability to capture a broader range of image detail with this new Canon G12 feature will give camera users of all levels the capability to successfully improve the overall qualiity and quantity of the images that they shoot.
Essentially the idea is that most images have a contrast range, the range between shadows and highlights that are not recordable by digital CCD's or film alone (the range that the human eye can see) so engineers had to come up with something that makes this possible. HDR is the current fix. It's not perfect but it is an alternative to traditional exposure manipulation. It works by taking a series of images that records detail in the shadows all the way up to images that show detail in the highlights and combines them to bring the full contrast range back into the image, close to how the human eye sees it. The Canon G12 does this by taking three images and combines them together to create an image more closely resembling what the human eye actually sees.
Most software applications use more images to record a wider contrast range but they have the benefit of a larger computer processor to crunch all this information. With the current technology, applying such processor intensive imaging to DSLR and smaller compact digital cameras like the Canon G12 on the fly will probably not happen for awhile. However, having this feature in the Canon G12 will make it possible to capture image details that were not possible in past models of Canon's G-series cameras or in most other current compact digital camera models.
Having the ability to capture a broader range of image detail with this new Canon G12 feature will give camera users of all levels the capability to successfully improve the overall qualiity and quantity of the images that they shoot.
Source...