High-contrast scenes — a sunrise over dark foreground, a window in a dark cabin — can exceed what one exposure records. Enter the scene's brightness range, your camera's usable dynamic range and the bracket step to see how many frames you need and their EV offsets.
Measure the brightest and darkest areas with spot metering, or estimate: sunrise scenes are often 12–16 stops.
How it works
Frames = ceil((scene range − camera range) ÷ step) + 1, centered on the metered exposure.
FAQ
What dynamic range should I enter?
Use 2–3 stops less than lab measurements to keep clean shadows: about 10–11 stops for modern full-frame sensors.
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