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 Easy HDR program is fully devoted to hdr images processing. The three workflow steps it employs include merging, tone-mapping, and post-processing. The third step makes Easy HDR more or less independent and lets users to produce hdri without referring to any other image editor.
Easy HDR interface with tools and functions reduced to hdr making is not overloaded. Main window only contains major functions as loading/saving images, preferences, projedct saving/loading, help and the like. All tools and settings for each of the hdr images production steps are set in three tabs.
EasyHDR can load quite a broad selection of image formats: JPEG, TIFF (24 and 48-bit), RAW (almost all formats, converted by a built-in RAW converter (DCRAW). Also supported are FITS file format (EasyHDR additional feature - it can process hdr for astrophotography), Radiance RGBE (*.hdr), and 96-bit, floating point TIFF.
When loading raw files, the DCRAW opens automatically.
Loaded images are shown in a Radiance Map generation screen. Each image has its exposure value nest to it. It is either taken automatically from exif or calcualted by EasyHDR. The program help recommends the latter as a more exact means.
Most of the images intended for hdr need alignment. They can be aligned automatically (with setting a 'master copy') of course but there's also a manual method.
Manual alignment is done with the help of 4 markers or pins placed on the alligned images for allignment. The program gives each placed marker a score (0 to 100) where values below 50 considered too bad. As my experiences showed manual aligning is in no way a simple procedure.
Pitifully, Easy HDR does not do anything about ghosts of moving objects. They stay right there.
If aligning is a usual and quite natural thing to do when merging image to hdr, EasyHDR introduces a couple of exclussive settings. One of them, Size Reduction, is purely technical and decreases hdr generation time while saving on preview quality. The second one, Anti blooming, affects the image itself. Antiblooming deals with large overexposed areas in images. It also affects the amount of noise.
HDR radiance map generation screen also offers a Stacking method, that is not hdr at all but a simple taking of the average of the input images. The dynamic range of the stacked image is expanded although is not as "high" as with hdr. The method also can be used as a means of noise reduction
The processed image is ready to tonemapping (they can also be saved to hdr. or tiff format). Here EasyHDR provides two methods or operators - a local and a global ones. If the "Mask" checkbox is checked the local operator is turned on. The global operator is always enabled. It is recomended by the manufacturer to use both operators respectively. As global operator is always on by default you cannot use local method independently though.
With a lot of big images to process you can employ Easyhdr batch process. The images are added as tasks to the batch queue and you choose the settings for hdr generation. The program does the rest automatically, the process is reported on a separate screen.
On the whole, easy hdr is indeed easy to use and quite user friendly. The interface is mostly self-understandable and you can always refer to online tutorials.
Easy HDR can be purchased for 30 E at www.easyhdr.com.
To compare EasyHDR with other hdr tools see HDR tools - Comparison and HDR tools - Rating articles.
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