Guide
Exposure bracketing
Exposure bracketing is taking the same picture several times at different exposures, so that between them the frames hold every part of a scene that is too bright and too dark for one exposure. Most cameras do it for you: auto exposure bracketing, AEB. Here is how to set a bracket, how many frames to take, where each maker hides the setting, and how to merge the frames.
Setting a bracket
- Mode: aperture priority, so only the shutter speed changes and every frame has the same depth of field.
- Frames and step: 3 frames at 2 stops (−2, 0, +2 EV) for a bright sky over a dark foreground; 5 frames at 1 stop for interiors and soft light; 7 or more into the sun.
- Drive: continuous, so the frames follow each other quickly; the self-timer as well on a tripod, so pressing the shutter does not shake the first frame.
- Fixed: focus, white balance and ISO, so the frames differ only in exposure.
- RAW or JPEG: either merges; RAW holds a little more in the extreme frames.
Where each maker hides it
Menu names are as the makers' manuals describe them and vary between bodies and firmware, so check your own manual for the exact page.
Canon · Nikon · Sony · Fujifilm · OM System and Olympus · Panasonic · Pentax
Canon
- Where it is
- The shooting menu's exposure compensation / AEB screen: turn the main dial to open the bracket, the quick-control dial to shift it.
- Worth knowing
- Custom functions set the number of shots (2, 3, 5 or 7 on most recent bodies) and the order (0, −, + by default).
Nikon
- Where it is
- The BKT button with the dials on DSLRs that have one; on Z bodies, auto bracketing in the photo shooting menu, then the number of shots and the step from the i menu or a function button.
- Worth knowing
- Set the bracketing type to AE bracketing; Nikon also brackets flash, white balance and Active D-Lighting.
Sony
- Where it is
- Drive mode: Continuous Bracket (all frames on one press) or Single Bracket (one frame per press).
- Worth knowing
- Choose the step and count together, such as 3 frames at 1.0 EV or 5 frames at 0.7 EV; continuous bracketing is the one for handheld HDR.
Fujifilm
- Where it is
- Drive mode BKT, with AE BKT chosen in the shooting menu's bracketing settings.
- Worth knowing
- The settings give the frame count, the step and the order; older bodies with BKT on the drive dial work the same way.
OM System and Olympus
- Where it is
- Shooting menu, Bracketing, AE BKT.
- Worth knowing
- The same menu holds focus bracketing (Focus BKT), so check which one is switched on.
Panasonic
- Where it is
- Drive mode, Bracket, Exposure Bracket.
- Worth knowing
- Set the step, the number of frames and the order in the bracket settings.
Pentax
- Where it is
- Drive mode, Exposure Bracketing.
- Worth knowing
- Pentax bodies can also merge an HDR in the camera; shoot the bracket yourself to keep every frame.
Phones
Most phone cameras merge exposures automatically when they judge the scene needs it, and do not offer a bracket. A manual bracket needs a camera app with exposure bracketing, or several shots with the exposure set by hand.
Merging the bracket
The HDR merge on this site takes the frames in any order, aligns them, removes ghosts of anything that moved and blends the best-exposed parts of each into one natural picture, in your browser with nothing uploaded. A focus bracket is the other kind: the same exposure, focused at different distances, merged by the focus stacker.
Exposure bracketing: questions
What is AE bracketing?
Auto exposure bracketing (AEB) makes the camera take several frames of the same scene at different exposures, usually one normal, one darker and one brighter, from a single press of the shutter or a quick series. Merged, they hold detail in shadows and highlights that no single frame can.
How many frames, and how many stops apart?
Three frames two stops apart (−2, 0, +2 EV) suit most landscapes with a bright sky. Five frames one stop apart give smoother tones for interiors and sunsets. Into the sun, seven or nine frames may be needed.
Should I bracket in aperture priority?
Yes. In aperture priority the camera changes only the shutter speed, so depth of field and focus stay the same in every frame, which is what a merge needs.
Can I bracket handheld?
Yes, in continuous drive, so the frames follow each other within a second. The HDR merge on this site aligns them. Long exposures in low light still want a tripod.
How do I merge the bracket?
Drop the frames on the HDR merge on this site: it sorts them by brightness, aligns them, removes ghosts of anything that moved and blends them into one picture, in your browser with nothing uploaded.