Details Enhancer


Tone Compressor

I use Photomatix to create the HDR images in my blog. I use the Details Enhancer most of the time. The other option you can use is the Tone Compressor. I was wondering what the difference was between the two… so I decided to process the same picture twice, trying out both options.

You can easily see the difference between Details Enhancer and Tone Compressor by looking at images above. The Details Enhancer produces a much more dramatic effect than Tone Compressor. However I think the Tone Compressor look more realistic.

I found a thread on Flickr group where some people are discussing the differences:

dddphoto says:

The Tone Compressor acts like a global contrast adjustment whereas the Details Enhancer acts like a local contrast adjustment. You can get much more “natural” looking images using the Tone Compressor, however you don’t get the range in shadow/highlights that Details Enhancer gives.

I use both as the image dictates. It is very easy to go back and forth in Photomatix as it is just a tab at the top of the Tone Mapping area. Just give it a try and see what you think.

shaporama says:

I use the Tone Compressor when I am trying to retain deep shadows, its sometimes difficult to get that look with the Details Enhancer