5D Mark III AEB/HDR Question????

[infared]

OK....I shoot a lot of HDR with my 5D MarkII.
I may be insane..but I have read on a number of blogs that with the 5D Mark III you can bracket up to SEVEN images (still not enough in my world..and my little MFT Panasonics have done that for years now), automatically.
I think I may have read bad information.

Can anyone tell me if I am incorrect about the 7-shot bracketing information? (I would consider buying the MK III just for the increase bracketing alone.   I just downloaded the user manual for the 5D Mark III and checked in both the HDR section of the manual and the AEB section on the manual. Both sections say that you can STILL only bracket THREE photos??? Is this true? It is 2012. This is a $3500 camera body. It can only bracket 3 images without touching and resetting the camera?  Someone PLEASE tell me I am mistaken... LOL!!! 

Also. currently with my 5D Mark II...I use a Promote Unit with two cords attached to camera (very cumbersome, slow, non-fluid way to work, no doubt). Have to load in manual exposure information to the Promote Unit and can bracket all I want without touching the camera...EXCEPT if the exposure is over 30sec. Then I have to adjust the camera to bulb in the middle of the bracket, something I would love to avoid.   Does the 5D Mark III still not allow you to bracket past 30 secs?

I know this is sniggly info that I need...but I would love to have a high rez, full-frame camera that can shoot a wide range of brackets automatically. I believe the Nikons have no problem with this ...but I could be wrong.
Thanks to anyone who can give me solid info regarding this situation!!!!!

This HDR AEB chart on the web states that the 5DMarkIII can bracket 3,5, or 7 frames (shots?).
http://www.hdr-photography.com/aeb.html

[JerryKnight]

Well, the in-camera HDR is really a gimmick for casual users. It's JPEG only, and the HDR options are limited. For the in-camera HDR, it can only burst 3 exposures +/- 3EV. For normal AEB, it allows up to 7 exposures, also +/- 3EV.

So the HDR function is just a subset of AEB, since it still saves the 3 raw files (if you keep the default options). You could just as easily do a 3 exposure AEB instead of using HDR.

Since you shoot HDR so much, you really shouldn't consider the built-in HDR on the 5D3. I'm sure that you'd be disappointed by it. It's interesting, but not a serious attempt at good, professional HDR. As you suspected, the AEB is really what you need, but since it's limited to +/- 3EV, you'll probably still end up doing manual bracketing, so that you can go well beyond 3EV.

I'm not sure why they limit it, since theoretically the camera should be able to automatically go up and down with the exposure as much as you want.

[neuroanatomist]

Yes, you can bracket 7 images if you change the default setting.

[fotoray]

Well, the in-camera HDR is really a gimmick for casual users. It's JPEG only, and the HDR options are limited. For the in-camera HDR, it can only burst 3 exposures +/- 3EV. For normal AEB, it allows up to 7 exposures, also +/- 3EV.

So the HDR function is just a subset of AEB, since it still saves the 3 raw files (if you keep the default options). You could just as easily do a 3 exposure AEB instead of using HDR.

Since you shoot HDR so much, you really shouldn't consider the built-in HDR on the 5D3. I'm sure that you'd be disappointed by it. It's interesting, but not a serious attempt at good, professional HDR. As you suspected, the AEB is really what you need, but since it's limited to +/- 3EV, you'll probably still end up doing manual bracketing, so that you can go well beyond 3EV.

I'm not sure why they limit it, since theoretically the camera should be able to automatically go up and down with the exposure as much as you want.

+1   

I shoot HDR using the Promote Control unit you mention, and I find it very effective.  I find HDR is best done shooting manually via the camera mini-USB port, varying only shutter speed and taking all the images without touching the camera.  As you mention it is possible to bracket a very large range of exposures - but not exceeding 30 sec.

The AEB on the 5D3 allows up to 7 images, and this usually covers needed range for most HDR situations.  I process these in post using Photomatix.

I too wish that the HDR option built into the 5D3 had more options, mostly more than a 3-image bracket range.

[infared]

To neuroanatomist above. THANK YOU!   I went to the HDR page and then Page 173 in the manual (the AEB page) and NO WHERE there do they mention that you can do more than three shots. There isn't even a foot note?
It says three shots only!  (what idiots).  Then in the back of the manual (you rock for giving me the page printout!) on page P. 316 in the "custom settings" section...it lets you know that you can change the AEB shot count?
AHHHHHRRRRERGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! LOL!.

Just to the posts above. Yeah...I would NEVER use the in-Camera HDR...I am way past that.
Why they cannot have 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 brackets on a $3500 camera body is beyond me. I have had situations where I need 9 shots. Extreme..but it does come up. Obviously it would be soooooooo simple to implement in the firmware.

About the Promote Unit...yeah ...it works ok. Great actually...but my beef is ...why should I have purchase,  set up, plug in TWO cords from a $350 devise into my $2500 camera body every time I want  to auto bracket past 3 shots. (something that a $300 Panasonic camera body does with EASE, I might ad).   It is cumbersome,(I have plenty to carry and set up already,), time consuming, awkward and REALLY takes away from the focus and flow of creating the image which is what this is all about, anyway. The camera is a tool to create images.
HDR has been around for years! Canon ....you need to give me more.
Canon is not much of a photographer-oriented company if they could not include a simple timing, bracketing feature in the computer of at least their better camera bodies. Finally in 2012 they come up with an improvement (that my little Panasonic did 4 years ago)...but it is still lacking, also..I can only do exposures up to 30sec. Why not more?...I find that to be quite lame.  Canon gets a LOT of things right ...really right.....but this is a pet peeve of mine. It is such an easy thing for the company to improve..I am not asking for night-vision lenses or anything ridiculous (although that could be handy). LOL!!!  OK>> I am done ranting.!

At any rate THANK YOU ALL for the help...the issue is cleared up...

[wickidwombat]

if you have an iphone and want to do unlimited HDR exposures on the 5Dmk2 try this
it works really well. much much cheaper than a promote

http://www.dslrbot.com/

[revup67]

You can still get around the 7 bracketed exposures.  Not sure what the big deal about doing that is - quite simple.  Put the unit in 7 bracket mode as mentioned above.  Go to Exposure Comp./AEB setting and choose how you want the 7 laid out.  Ex. all in 2/3 EC stops starting from 0 backward (Move M-Fn wheel until the layout is as you want it - in this case -4 would be the last one and 0 the first).  Make sure camera is on tripod with release cable (best).  Take the 7 shots.  Go back and move the M-fn wheel so that +4 is the last one with the same 2/3 EC spread.  Follow same procedure.  Boom - done.  Now you have 14 bracketed shots with two overlapped on 0.  Simple.

[JerryKnight]

You can still get around the 7 bracketed exposures.  Not sure what the big deal about doing that is - quite simple.  Put the unit in 7 bracket mode as mentioned above.  Go to Exposure Comp./AEB setting and choose how you want the 7 laid out.  Ex. all in 2/3 EC stops starting from 0 backward (Move M-Fn wheel until the layout is as you want it - in this case -4 would be the last one and 0 the first).  Make sure camera is on tripod with release cable (best).  Take the 7 shots.  Go back and move the M-fn wheel so that +4 is the last one with the same 2/3 EC spread.  Follow same procedure.  Boom - done.  Now you have 14 bracketed shots with two overlapped on 0.  Simple.

That's great, but it's not only about the number of images, it's about the total dynamic range you can capture. From what you describe, you're getting a +/- 4 EV range. It should be possible to get, for example, a +/- 10 EV range. It doesn't have to meter to -10 EV; it just has to meter the scene normally and subtract 10 stops and increment from there.

Honestly, since you can do this exact procedure by hand, I think the simple (and obvious) solution is to get a solid tripod (which you should already have for landscapes), meter the scene and then slide the shutter speed as far down as possible and start manual shooting with faster shutter speeds. That's all they would have to do in firmware, so it's confusing why they always choose to limit AEB to +/- 3 or 4 EV.