Operation
|
Photoshop
|
Photomatix Pro
|
FDRTools
|
Hydra
|
Image selection
|
Interactive selection with CS4, basic
selection in CS3.
|
Basic selection
|
Interactive selection of images and dynamic ranges
|
Crashed with use of more than 4 exposures
|
Image alignment
|
Automatic alignment with some manual adjustment available
|
Two options for automatic detection
|
Automatic alignment, with some manual adjustment available
|
Powerful automatic alignment, with extensive manual correction support; allows use of handheld brackets
|
Batch processing
|
Powerful tools but not well integrated with HDR functions
|
Will automatically process images in a folder with the bracket number specified
|
Extensive support but not as simple to use as Photomatix
|
Not available but available as Aperture (Apple Corp.) plugin
|
Tonemapping preview
|
Automatic update, likely to change in CS4 version
|
Fixed size real-time preview
|
Flexible sized automatic update preview, not real-time
|
Real-time preview available but buggy
|
Operating system
|
Windows, Mac OS X
|
Windows, Mac OS X
|
Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (under development)
|
Mac OS X
|
Cost at time of writing (educational version)
|
$300 USD
|
$40 USD
|
29 Euros
|
$30 USD
|
Preview version
|
30-day trial announced but not released as of this writing for CS4
|
Available
|
Available
|
Available
|
