EasyHDR Review – Is it Worth Using & What Other HDR Software for HDR Images
Last Updated on December 7, 2022 by Peter Wood
Is EasyHDR still a worthwhile HDR editor? Smartphones are taking the place of digital cameras for taking shots. But HDR should be an exception. HDR photography refers to images with very bright and dark areas. However, most digital cameras are limited to the fixed dynamic range. You cannot expose the highlights and shadows at the same time. To make an image show as much as human eyes can perceive, you can use HDR software to overcome this problem. Can you use EasyHDR to recreate HDR photography with stunning effects? What are the best EasyHDR alternatives? Just continue reading to find your answer.
Part 1: EasyHDR Review
EasyHDR can recreate an image that is close to what you see with the naked eye. With advanced HDR image processing techniques, you can merge the differently exposed images into an HDR photograph with ease. The latest EasyHDR 3.16 version also has minor bugs and releases new features for HDR editing. You can merge and enhance HDR images by using the HDR maker.
EasyHDR Pros:
1. Make realistic and dramatic HDR images with the tone mapping algorithm.
2. Update lens connection, chromatic aberration correction, and other HDR parameters.
3. EasyHDR can work as a standalone HDR photo editor or Adobe Lightroom plugin.
4. Fast process a large number of images into HDRs in batch.
5. 3D LUT color grading support.
6. Compatible with images in JPEG, TIFF 8/16/32-bit, PNG, FITS, Radiance RGBE, OpenEXR, and almost all digital camera RAW formats.
EasyHDR Cons:
1. EasyHDR lacks the undo feature in HDR editing.
2. There is no post-processing tool in EasyHDR HDR software.
3. The EasyHDR demo version doesn’t allow users to save HDR in TIFF format.
EasyHDR Price:
EasyHDR 3 is available for both Windows and Mac computers. The single EasyHDR license is $33. You can use the EasyHDR 3 Home license for non-profit use or try the EasyHDR 3 Commercial version with $55 instead. Before you buy EasyHDR 3 full version license, you can download EasyHDR 3 demo to try its free version first. Don’t forget to search for EasyHDR 3 coupon code.
Part 2: Top 5 EasyHDR Alternatives
If you are not satisfied with EasyHDR 3, you can find an alternative HDR software from the following recommendations.
Top 1: WidsMob HDR
WidsMob HDR is an easy-to-use HDR maker for Mac users. You can merge a set of bracketed images into HDR photographs in clicks. The advanced tone mapping algorithm will analyze and combine photos into HDRs automatically. Later, you can adjust HDR effects to create natural or extreme HDR images with ease. Well, compared with EasyHDR 3, it is an auto-HDR maker for Mac.
OS: Windows and Mac
Price: $19.99
Pros:
1. Provide advanced ghost-suppression and HDR aligns algorithms automatically.
2. Make HDR images by stitching a series of bracketed images or applying HDR effects.
3. Enhance HDR effects with tone mapping, HDR de-noise, presets, and others.
4. Save HDR images as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF formats in high quality.
5. Provide 10 presets for B/W, surrealistic, cooler, painterly, Super Nature, etc.
6. Intuitive and user-friendly interface to make HDR images within clicks.
7. Free updates to get the latest HDR technologies without extra charge.
Cons:
1. You need to upgrade to its full version to remove the watermark.
Top 2: Aurora HDR
Aurora HDR is an advanced HDR photo editor for professional photographers. Compared with HDR software, Aurora HDR is a little expensive. You also need to pay for the Aurora HDR update to get the additional upgrade. Meanwhile, the EasyHDR upgrade is completely free.
OS: Windows, Mac
Price: $99
Pros:
1. Edit HDR images with layers and masks with a Photoshop-like interface.
2. Aurora HDR can work as a plugin in Photoshop and other photo editing software.
3. Get the HDR preset without halos or ghosting.
4. Advanced HDR presets and LUTs.
Cons:
1. Aurora HDR is incompatible with some graphic cards.
2. The on-off payment is a little expensive.
3. The Aurora HDR is not free.
Top 3: Luminance HDR
Luminance HDR is a free and open-source HDR software for desktop users. You can read RAWs and merge images into HDR for free. The batch HDR merging and tone mapping are helpful for HDR creation.
OS: Windows, Mac
Price: Free
Pros:
1. Merge JPEG and HDR images into HDR images for free.
2. Get the basic editing filters to crop, resize and rotate images.
3. Export HDR into GIMP and other photo editing software directly.
4. Luminance HDR is a free EasyHDR 3 alternative to create HDR images.
Cons:
1. The HDR merging speed is slow.
2. The initial controls in Luminance HDR need to be improved.
3. Require a steep learning curve.
Top 4: Photomatix Pro
You can create an HDR image with a single or plenty of photos within Photomatix Pro. Photomatix Pro offers various HDR presets. You can adjust the HDR effect with other options manually as well.
OS: Windows, Mac, Linux
Price: $99
Pros:
1. Photomatix Pro 6.2 update and add a plugin for Capture One.
2. Photomatix Pro can work as a Photoshop or Lightroom plugin.
3. Offer fast distortion and noise correction.
4. Add natural HDR effects by painting with color effects.
Cons:
1. The HDR export options are few.
2. The learning curve in Photomatix Pro is complex.
3. The HDR batch plugin in Photomatix Pro costs an additional $49 to run in Adobe Lightroom.
Top 5: Picturenaut 3
Picturenaut 3 is also a free HDR editor for creating and editing HDR images. You can merge PNG and RAW images into HDR files with the built-in auto-cropping feature to crop unwanted parts automatically. Thus, you can regard Picturenaut 3 as your EasyHDR free alternative as well.
OS: Windows, Mac
Price: Free
Pros:
1. Install plugins into Picturenaut 3 to expand HDR features.
2. Convert tones in a short time with the multi-threaded and consistent architecture.
3. Create an HDR with auto-alignment, cropping, de-ghosting, and more tools.
4. Picturenaut 3 update is free.
Cons:
1. The interface of Picturenaut 3 is outdated.
2. Cannot save HDR image as JPG format with Picturenaut 3.
3. The hand-held images cannot merge into HDRs.
That’s the latest EasyHDR 3 review and its five alternatives. You can read and compare to get the best HDR software for your Windows and Mac. There are six free and paid HDR editing programs for different levels. Whether you want to make a quick HDR image or create extreme HDR effects, you can get a satisfying result. If you need to create any images into an HDR photo, WidsMob HDR should be the best choice you should not miss.