Sony Sky HDR app

[Ed Rooney]

Has anyone tried this Sony app? It allows owners of some Sonys to apply a graduated ND filter effect in camera.

 

https://www.playmemoriescameraapps.com/portal/usbdetail.php?eid=IS9104-NPIA09014_00-000017

[wiskerke]

Maybe it's a way to circumvent Photoshop=verboten.

The video looked promising and gave me an idea for even better photoshoppery ;-)

 

wim

[Ed Rooney]

oh oh  

[John Mitchell]

I've yet to try any of the Sony apps, but this one looks as if it might be useful. Shall have a closer look.

 

Come to think of it, I don't even know how to download and install apps on my NEX-6. Is it easy to do?

[Ed Rooney]

I don't know how to do it either, John. Although this app does seem useful for landscapes and such, I can't see myself needing it here in the city. 

[Bryan]

Thanks for pointing this out Edo.

 

I seem to recall downloading an App some time ago but can't now remember how I did it, or what it was! Clearly not overly useful in that instance.

 

I can see this feature saving some PS work, but involving more messing about at the time of the shot, when there may, or may not, be time available.

 

The examples given look a tad overwrought to me, but maybe it's possible to tone it down a bit.

 

Feeling a tad cynical this evening, it may be worth a try.....

[Chris Nash]

I bought it a couple of days ago but have had little chance to use it yet because of the weather and other commitments. Because of the way it works, taking two pictures and blending them, any movement in the blended area can show as a double image. This has been obvious with the very high winds we have at the moment, especially If they are near. Because some adjustments can be made to the blended area after the picture has been made it's not been too bad.

 

It's early days but so far I'm glad I bought it.

 

Now the difficult bit. I spent ages trying to download it from Sony's Play Memories website to my computer only to find that it does not work with Windows latest browser, Edge. I had to download it from my Nex 6 directly, but had to change a the USB connection in the menu to AUTO rather than MASS STORAGE and it connected.

 

The other app worth looking at is one called Smooth Image. It works like a neutral density filter. 

 

I hope this helps.

[Bryan]

It will be interesting to see how you get on with it Chris.

You've jogged my memory now and I recall taking two or three shots at different exposures with the camera on a tripod, and then manually blending them in PS. Often there were problems with movement of branches etc.

The other long standing solution is the graduated filter, but that's only really successful if the landscape is flat. I suspect that this App might also suffer from the same problems, but maybe it's clever enough only to darken those pixels that are light in the sky?

In recent times I've used adjustment layers in PS, or combined two raw conversions, to achieve the result. The latter method has the advantage that you can wind up the noise control for the sky, as there is no detail there.

[Betty LaRue]

I'm doing a similar effect by using the dehaze filter with layers. A quick brush out of the effect on the foreground and I'm in business. Also easier to get the horizon just right.

I'd rather do it there than fiddle in-camera. I'd probably get impatient with the App and justforgetaboutit.

 

Image F9H71A was developed with the dehaze filter using layers.

 

I develop the image first, (LR or PS) then in PS, duplicate the background, open using Camera Raw under Filters, use dehaze, open into PS again and brush off the effect where I don't want it.

Yes, I know it can be done in LR, but it is more fiddly and my method is finished in about one minute. Takes longer to list the steps than to do it.