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

Live View: Manual focus on a tripod.

I steer clear of manual focus in part because I do not have perfect eyesight (I can't shoot with glasses on and the dioptre adjustment does not go far enough) and because the viewfinder is too small for me to do this effectively (others may not have the same problem). However, there are certain situations where having manual focus capability would be fantastic including in macro photography and also in a studio portrait environment. In both of these situations the camera is typically mounted on a tripod and the subject is not moving meaning that you can take your time to focus properly. Also, in both of these situations you often end up with or choose to have a shallow depth of field and it is critical get get a specific part of the composition in focus (e.g. the eyes in a portrait).

Live View gives you the ability to focus manually while being able to see the picture on the nice big bright display on the back of the camera. Furthermore, you can zoom in to the image to ensure that you get the critical part of the picture in to focus.

When in Live View it is typically best to use Live View focus mode (as opposed to quick mode or face detect). You can move your focus point using the joystick and use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out. The video below explains this in more detail.

My Menu and Func button on the 50d

There are many menu pages on the 50d which cover a wide range of settings. I use some of these much more frequently than other and it would be a real pain to have to dig through the menus to find those settings every time. Thankfully Canon created an additional menu category called My Menu. This is a blank menu and you can put your most frequently used items in to my menu. Furthermore, you can choose an option relating to My Menu which means that you ALWAYS go to My Menu when the menu button is pressed. You can still get to the other menus but you start in My Menu. The below YouTube video explains how to set this up.

For now I am using the following in My Menu. I will edit this post should I change them in the future:

- Mirror Lockup
- Erase Images
- Flash/Speedlite Control
- Shutter Button/AF-ON
- Camera User Settings
- LCD Brightness

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.

Using the joystick to select your focus point

I was getting REALLY annoyed with trying to select a focus point with my eye to the camera. I would constantly hit the wrong button. The answer to this problem is extremely simple. On the 50d you can assign the joystick to the top right of the display on the rear of the camera to be select your focus point. You simply push the joystick in the direction of the focus point you want to choose. Simples. The joystick still acts as a joystick when you need it to, for example when you are in the Quick Control Screen.

Speaking of the Quick Control Screen, you normally get that up by pushing the joystick in. However, if you reassign your joystick to select a focus point pushing the joystick in simply selects the centre focus point. To get to the Quick Control Screen simply push the SET button in the middle of the large round wheel on the back of the camera.

To make the joystick select your focus point simply click on Menu and then select set Custom Function III-3 to 1: Multi-Controller direct.

User presets C1 and C2 on the 50d

Previously I wrote about how setting your camera to f4, 1/60s and ISO 800 was a good place to start with indoor flash photography when you don't have time to set the camera up properly.  Well, you can program all of these settings in to one of two modes on the dial which you use to select M, Tv and Av modes normally.

I set the camera up the way I wanted and then hit the menu button.  In there I found the Camera User Presets option.  I selected the Register option and then chose which dial mode I wanted to assign my settings to (c1 or c2).

You can set up a lot of things in addition to the ISO, shutter speed and aperture values.

The idea of doing this is so that when I am in a hurry I can quickly dial in C1 for flash photography and have my camera be set to Manual mode, f/4 aperture, 1/60s shutter speed and ISO 800 along with all of my other usual settings.

I have set up C2 for HDR photography.  C2 puts my camera in to motor drive mode, enables automatic exposure bracketing (+1 and -1), and puts the camera in to Av mode.

The attached video from YouTube explain this better.

Shutter Release Cable

I invested in a shutter release cable.  My primary reason for doing this is to be able to take long exposure shots (at night or using an ND filter for example) without introducing motion blur due to my being heavy handed with the shutter release button.

The original parts from Canon are ridiculously expensive.  I opted for an eBay clone part from Hong Kong that also has the ability to introduce a timed shutter release and to take multiple pictures with a programmed interval between each shot.  I bought the Yongnuo TC-80N3a (http://www.hkyongnuo.com/e-detail.php?ID=232).  I bought mine from a Hong Kong based eBay reseller.

In order to completely minimise blurry images from camera shake I will:

• Use a tripod to prevent my shaky hands causing motion blur
• Use mirror lock-up mode to prevent the internal mechanics of the camera introducing vibration which can introduce motion blur
• Use the shutter cable release to prevent my pressing the shutter release on the camera from introducing camera shake and motion blur