HDR Bracket Calculator

Bracket count and EV spacing from scene dynamic range.

Inputs

Brightest area (EV)

Darkest area (EV)

Camera dynamic range (stops)

EV spacing per bracket

ISO

Aperture (f/)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Brackets needed

Fastest shutter (sec)

0.13

Slowest shutter (sec)

0.13

Scene dynamic range (stops)12

EV spacing2

Middle exposure (EV)9

Total covered DR (stops)12

Total shoot time (sec)0.13

Dr Headroom Stops0

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the scene dynamic range in stops from highlight to shadow.
Set your camera sensor dynamic range from spec sheets or DxOMark data.
Input your desired base exposure EV.
Review the Number of Brackets Needed and the Exposure Step Size in stops.
Use the Bracket Sequence output to pre-program your camera's auto-bracket settings.

How the result changes with Brightest area (EV)

Brightest area (EV)	Brackets needed	Fastest shutter (sec)	Slowest shutter (sec)
-3	1	64	64
4.5	1	4.76	4.76
14	1	0.18	0.18
21	5	0	0.25

What each input means

Brightest area (EV): Exposure value of the brightest part of the scene.
Darkest area (EV): Exposure value of the darkest part of the scene.
Camera dynamic range (stops): Your camera sensor's dynamic range in stops (typically 11-15).
EV spacing per bracket: EV step between each bracket (1, 2, or 3 EV common).
ISO: ISO setting for the bracket sequence.
Aperture (f/): Aperture stays constant during HDR bracketing.

What each result means

Scene dynamic range (stops): Total dynamic range of the scene in stops.
Brackets needed: Number of exposures needed (odd for symmetry).
EV spacing: EV step between each bracket exposure.
Middle exposure (EV): EV of the middle (metered) bracket.
Total covered DR (stops): Total dynamic range covered by all brackets combined.
Fastest shutter (sec): Shutter speed for the brightest bracket.
Slowest shutter (sec): Shutter speed for the darkest bracket.
Total shoot time (sec): Combined exposure time for all brackets.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Brightest area (EV) = 15, Darkest area (EV) = 3, Camera dynamic range (stops) = 12, EV spacing per bracket = 2 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Brackets needed
Brackets needed
1 = 1
Calculate Fastest shutter
Fastest shutter = middleShutterSec / pow(2, halfRange)
0.125 = 0.125
Calculate Slowest shutter
Slowest shutter = middleShutterSec * pow(2, halfRange)
0.13 = 0.13
Calculate Scene dynamic range
Scene dynamic range = abs(brightestEv - darkestEv)
12 = 12
Calculate EV spacing
2 = 2

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