Photomatix File Formats

Photomatix Pro will work with a variety of file formats.  Specifically, the software will open and save images with the following formats:

JPEG, TIFF (8-bit, 16-bit and Floating Point), Radiance RGBE, OpenEXR, and RAW files from supported cameras.

A list cameras which the current version of Photomatix Pro and Light support RAW files are available on the HDRsoft website, here:

http://www.hdrsoft.com/support/raw.html

There are also a few file formats which are supported in read only.  These are:

PSD, and PNG (Mac only)

Generally, the suggested workflow is to convert your RAW files to either TIFFs or JPEGs prior to combining them in Photomatix.  However, this isn’t always true and depends upon your particular needs.  There is more information about this on the HDRsoft website, here:

http://www.hdrsoft.com/support/faq_photomatix.html#process_raw

It is also possible to use a single RAW in Photomatix Pro in the following ways:

1.  Open the RAW file and tone map it directly in the software.

2. Convert your RAW file into a 16 bits/channel image in your favorite RAW converter, open it in Photomatix Pro, and tone map it.

3.  Create multiple exposures out of your single file in your your RAW converter, and then combine them in Photomatix in the same way that you would actual bracketed exposures.  This option typically gives the best results.

If you choose to make an HDR image with a single RAW, it is best to shoot the image at the lowest ISO possible to prevent noise, such as ISO 100.  Also, it is best to expose the image for the shadows, which will reduce noise.  This will result in overexposure of your scene, but you should be able to recover the lost details during RAW conversion.

If you decide to purchase a license for any Photomatix product, you will get an instant 15% discount by entering the following coupon code during your order: photoluminary

Also, please see my comprehensive HDR Photomatix tutorial.