Does LR4 do away with HDR for you?

[dilbert]

I've been working with a bunch of images that I previously took for HDR purposes and I'm finding that with LR4 and "process 2012", I can normally work with one of the more over exposed images and achieve the look I want a lot easier. it's like earlier versions of Lightroom (and DPP too!) are hiding a lot of highlight detail.

What about others?

[LetTheRightLensIn]

I've been working with a bunch of images that I previously took for HDR purposes and I'm finding that with LR4 and "process 2012", I can normally work with one of the more over exposed images and achieve the look I want a lot easier. it's like earlier versions of Lightroom (and DPP too!) are hiding a lot of highlight detail.

What about others?

Not in general, but it sure works well so I do get your point all the same. The new sliders are a dream and how you'd always wished sliders would work. They do let you most much more easily manipulate a single file than before. They can let you get away with not needing to split a single file into two layers and HDR combined or using more time consuming masking tricks and plugins and such as much so it saves time.

[pwp]

There is a role for dedicated HDR software, or for a multi layer masking/brushing approach to achieve an HDR effect. But LR4.1 really does go a very long way to delivering great outcomes from a single file.

Another use for these LR4.1 strengths is to flatten out very high contrast images. I'm currently working on files shot for an anniversary event at a steelworks which was outdoors, in bright sun across the middle of the day. Fill flash & HSS and careful use of backlighting helped a lot, but a lot of shots are very tough high contrast killers. The sliders in LR4.1 are truly extraordinary for retrieving images like these, a sort of HDR process with the intention of stretching the dynamic range of an image from being unusable to a half-decent deliverable image.

-PW

[Jim Saunders]

I don't have the depth of experience to say that LR4 is better than anything else, but I for one find brushing on exposure adjustments (a tablet helps a lot) to be a phenomenal tool for fixing up lighting problems.

Jim

[Mt Spokane Photography]

LR4 doesn't really overcome all my lighting issues.  After trying out a D800, I see what low ISO DR can do.  Unfortunately, I shoot at high ISO's and the D800 is not so good at High ISO's.  The 5D Mark III has more DR at high ISO's.  Its in the DXO data, they just forgot to mention it or factor it into their high ISO rating.