Hi Stefan, Hi Mike,
I still owe you (both) some feedback to tips and hints you gave me but I missed to reply to. Tomorrow is a very sad day here for me: Astronomical darkness will vanish for the next two months. But that gives me the opportunity to reflect our discussion and work up some things.
Please note, there's no need for you to reply (unless I have a new question
). I just would like to underline that I followed every post.
I will start with the oldest relevant post, in this case from Mike:
Mike in Rancho wrote: ↑Fri May 06, 2022 7:45 am
The new HDR should be both more capable and produce better all-around images than old-HDR, but may take a bit of practice. Some of the stuff buried in the previous preset algorithm choices are now within our control. Probably the most common issue is how to get something like "reveal core" in 1.8 (an important thing in galaxy season!), which can be done with a low context and increased shadow on the left-side sliders.
In SS, occasionally Strength can have a counterintuitive result. I more often adjust the gamma to moderate the effects of DimSmall and Isolate. Usually Isolate, as .50 is pretty heavy. DimSmall used to have a default setting of .50 but is now .75 and I often leave it alone.
For a post-tracking FilmDev, note that there are likely default settings in the Dark Anomaly that probably cause that minor initial effect, even without starting to change the other controls. I will sometimes drop the gamma also, which can help suppress a dirty sky and also increases the contrasty appearance. That can be balanced off with Skyglow, if desired. Every image may need a little something different to show what it is you want to show.
Intended display matters too. I've realized I usually have to make those final adjustments to make a (darker) version for my phone, even when the original may look great on a calibrated computer monitor. Probably because the phone has a jacked-up gamma that I am counteracting?
Regarding HDR: You were right: The main point differing from the pre 1.8 versions was/is the context size and meanwhile I read Guy's HDR Module Use (v1.8) and this was very helpful. This post processing of M81/82 was my first try with the ST 1.8 version and obviously it would have been better to read the new documentation beforehand ...
With SuperStructure I have sometimes better results using the Strength parameter, as Stefan did. Gamma sometimes tends to leave ugly mottles, but I guess, I simply have to practice a bit more to get it right ...
Post-tracking FilmDev: Your hint first dropping gamma and then balancing off with Skyglow, to suppress a "dirty sky" will surely help me to get some images more convenient. I reworked an (partly failed) image of M96 / M105 to practice and this technique looks pretty promising.
Intended display: Absolutely right! I use an old tablet as digital picture frame for my AP images and it is very annoying that the images are always looking too bright with ugly mottling in background
. But as there's no way to calibrate this display the only solution is to create extra images with proper adjustments.
Best regards, Dietmar.
?
Am I the only one struggling with the SVD since the deringing change? Maintaining resolution can help me somewhat, but as seen in another recent thread binning can be required or the sampling doesn't work. Tough balance. I still have to run back to 536 most of the time, though I am becoming a little better with ringing repair in Shrink.
