Using the 50d's Automatic Exposure Bracketing feature for HDR

For HDR you need a sequence of pictures at different exposures. Ideally the cameras Exposure Bracketing feature would take all these pictures for you varying exposure between each shot. While the 50d can do this it can only take 3 pictures in the bracket. Ideally you want between 6 and 9 to give the HDR software enough data to play with.

At the following blog you can find a technique which takes advantage of the 50d's method of setting up Automatic Exposure Bracketing to easily shoot a series of bracketed exposures covering the histogram from -4 EV to +4 EV in increments as fine as 1/3rd stop. This would result in giving you 9 images to feed to the HDR software. It would be better if the camera 'just did it' but we work with the tools we have right? :)

I have configured my Func. button operate my Exposure Comp/AEB settings via C.FnIV.7 option 2 to allow me to take HDR sequences more easily.  I have also set my Exposure Bracketing sequence to option 1: -, 0, + as this seems more logical to me.

http://jefflynchdev.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/canon-50d-auto-exposure-bracketing/

For reference this technique results in the following:

EC Value | AEB Amount

+2 EV | +/- 2 EV = +4 EV, +2 EV, 0 EV
+1 EV | +/- 2 EV = +3 EV, +1 EV, -1 EV
-2 EV | +/- 2 EV = -4 EV, -2 EV, 0 EV
-1 EV | +/- 2 EV = -3 EV, -1 Ev, +1 EV

Results
-4 EV, -3 EV, -2 Ev, -1 EV, 0 EV, +1 EV, +2 EV, +3 EV, +4 EV