An HDR sunset at Gleniffer Lake, Alberta


HDR means "High Dynamic Range."  The term range refers to the capture of light within certain levels of brightness.  You can increase the range by taking several photos of the same image but shooting them over a wide selection of exposures.  This can be done manually, with an ABE (auto bracketing exposure) feature, or using an automatic mode and altering exposure compensation.  I find that 5 photos ranging from +2 to -2 stops are enough; in this case I used 3 exposures, one at 0 stops, one at -2 stops, and the third at -3 stops.  

The lens I used was Nikon's 24-70mm f/4s built for the Z series cameras.  I often find that including the sun in a shot results in severe flares, also called ghosts.  There are none in this image.  That is a testament to the quality of the lens and the coatings present on the internal elements.  Ghosting results from light refracting and reflecting inside the lens body and its various components.  Overall, I have to say that the lens performs very well.

Another interesting fact is that I used a Nikon Zfc camera which has a smaller APS-C sized sensor.  Shooting at 24 mm, the compact sensor rendered the image as a 36 mm lens would.  So far I am enjoying the Zfc camera; it's a retro design with top-mounted control knobs allowing the user to alter all aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings with ease.  My only complaint is that it doesn't use the ubiquitous EL-EN-15 battery which means that I can't use the battery from another camera if needed.  I have to buy another proprietary battery for backup purposes.  

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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