HDR Camera – Stuck in Customs

HDR Camera

While there is technically no such thing as an “HDR Camera”, there are certain cameras that are better than others for this process. I have my recommendations below! I am most familiar with Nikon cameras, although these do have comparable versions in the Canon line of products.

For more information about my post-processing techniques for HDR photography, I have a FREE HDR Tutorial for Mac and Windows here on StuckInCustoms.com that describes the step by step process. If you’d like to dive deeper, I also have video tutorials for Aurora HDR. The tutorial shows how I use the tool for a variety of situations… landscapes, sunrise/sunset, people, motion, etc..

Camera Gear Recommendations

Google Pixel 4 XL

Good Camera: Google Pixel 4

The Google Pixel mobile phones are AWESOME! My Pixel 4 is the best phone I’ve ever used. Read my review of the Pixel 4 here. You can buy them unlocked direct from Google and there are two different models, they both have pretty much identical specs inside and out except for the size/screen and battery capacity. I recently did a Sony a7R Series Review where I sneaked in a Pixel 2 photo. Everyone had trouble finding it and seeing the difference between these two drastically different devices.

Also, I don’t follow scores from DxOMark but if that’s your sort of thing, you’ll see here that the last gen Pixels are right up near the top of the scores. But I can tell just by using it in a variety of conditions and comparing it to photos from friends using the latest iPhone or Samsung. They’re always blown away at the quality of the photos and you can see a bunch of examples in my review.

Better Camera: Sony a6400

Starting at below $900 for the body and under $999 with a compact 16-50mm lens.

The a6400 is the latest evolution of the high end Sony APS-C models. It features, amongst other great features, enhanced autofocus speed and 4K movie recording. You can read my complete Sony a6400 review here. It features a bunch of images from my month long trip to Africa where I paired it with a model from the higher end a7R series. It performed very well in a wide range of situations.

Sony a7R IV

Best Camera: Sony a7R IV

Starting at just under $3499

A full-on Sony a7R IV Review is here on the site that is full of a ton of sample photos. It’s a great camera and much more affordable than some of the competition and especially those medium format beasts from the likes of Hasselblad and Fuji. I absolutely love it. It has all the power of the giant DSLR systems with comparible specifications at a lower price and smaller size/weight. Its Full-Frame goodness combined with a small mirrorless form factor gives you everything you need. Plus, the camera smarts inside are absolutely insane. Check on the review there to see even more!

Best Drone: DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

A few years ago I got a quadcopter and I LOVED it! With one you can get amazing photos and videos from previously unattainable perspectives.

Back then the tech was a bit complicated, flight times were not great and image quality was decent but still had a bit to go. After a bunch of updates DJI created two amazing products though. The Phantom 4 Pro which has the largest sensor on a consumer drone and the Mavic 2 Zoom quadacopter (that’s what my daughter Scarlett calls them!). The Phantom 4 is a great machine but I think I’m leaning towards the Mavic 2 Zoom as my go-to machine due to how compact it is and the really cool feature where it zooms in and takes 9 shots before creating a super high res image. Check out my Mavic 2 Zoom review which has loads of pics an video to help you make a buying decision.

Best 360 Camera: Insta360 One X

I’ve tested a bunch of 360 cameras and the Insta360 One range is definitely the best so far. I love the auto-stitching and removal of the selfie-stick. This is perhaps a very strange feature to mention, but I like how it makes all that nonsense disappear. The end result is that it has the equivalent feeling of a silent quadcopter floating a few feet away from your head all the time. They also have some cool software that lets you control what the viewer can see in post production and both the One and the new One X which I now use have awesome stabilization. Check out my review for more info.


Camera Lenses

Sony a7 Series Cameras – First Lenses (A7r, A7s, A7rII etc etc)

Note these work for all the Sony A7 cameras! 🙂

  • Sony FE 24-105 f/4 G Series (Amazon) | B&H Photo) – An excellent high end lens that covers a good range. Ideal as a single lens to travel with. See image examples on the Sony a7R IV review. I keep this lens on my camera 70% of the time!
  • Sony FE 24-240 f/3.5-6.3 (Amazon | B&H Photo) – This lens is great. I hate changing lenses and this goes from fairly wide at 24mm to a great zoomy-zoom of 240mm.
  • Sony FE 16-35 f/2.8 G Master (Amazon | B&H Photo) – A versatile wide angle lens with a great wide apperture!
  • Sony FE 12-24 f/4 G Series (Amazon | B&H Photo) – As wide as it gets on Sony FE lenses and a great, sharp lens too.

Sony a7R – Other Goodies!

  • Sony Alpha Adaptor (Amazon | B&H Photo) – So that you can attach the other Sony full-frame Alpha lenses to your Sony a7R
  • Novoflex Leica Adaptor (Amazon | B&H Photo) – Fantastic for attaching any lens that uses the Leica lens mount. WARNING: Do not get the cheaper adapters. I tried them, thinking it was just a piece of metal, but it was not and many of my photos, especially at infinity, were out of focus. Check out my Leica Lens Buying Guide for more info.
  • Nikon F Lens Adaptor (Amazon | B&H Photo) – To hook up your Nikon DSLR lenses
  • Canon EF Adaptor (Amazon | B&H Photo) – To hook up your Canon DSLR lenses

Sony A5100 / A6400 Camera – Two Great Lenses

If you are just getting started and want recommendations on your first couple of lenses, here they are. Often times a camera will come with a “kit lens” that is pretty versatile and can get you a long way. The Sony a6400 comes with a 16-50mm lens that produces great pictures. But there are many lenses that are better for more specialized situations.

  • Sony 55-210mm (Amazon | B&H Photo) – This lens is a little big but its versatility is perfect for mid-range stuff like landscapes, birthdays, sports, etc.
  • Sony 10-18 F/4 (Amazon | B&H Photo) – A great lens that gives you maximum wide-angle flexibility for landscapes and architecture. To find out more, read my full Sony 10-18mm Lens Review.

What’s in my photo bag?

Here’s an all NEW What’s in Trey’s Bag video! I haven’t updated this in YEARS, so it’s time for some fun! I have all of this stuff listed at my personal Kit.co page or the Camera Bag page here on the site. You’ll see in there I have it separated into different sort of kits for beginners or experts. I also have other mini-kits in there for gadgets, books, and all other sorts of goodies. Enjoy!

The new Travel Backpack from Peak Design

I really love this new Travel bags from Peak Design. It expands to a whopping 45 liters or collapses down when out for short day excursions.

Come check out my Camera Bag page for more details!

Over the past year few years, I’ve been partnering with Peak Design to build five incredible camera bags. And now you can see more! See our full range and/or check out our first Everyday Messenger here!

Leica Lens Buying Guide

I’m really getting into using Leica lenses with the Sony a7R. You have to manually focus but you still get focus peeking and all of the other sweet features of the Sony mirrorless system. I’ve created a Leica Lens Buying Guide where I’ll chronicle what I learn and recommend.

More Lens Reviews

I only write reviews for lenses that I use and recommend.  Here is a complete list of camera lens reviews.

More Reviews and recommendations

I have many other reviews and recommendations you may find helpful!

Fuji X-T2

Looking for something compact and built to withstand the elements? Check out my Fuji X-T2 Review.

  • Check the price of the Fuji X-T2 on Amazon.
  • Check the price of the Fuji X-T2 on B+H.

The Fuji products have always served me so well in crazy weather conditions. Well, in ANY condition, really. But there’s something about going out into the wild weather to take photos. You just end up getting very unique stuff. 2017 was my eighth year at Burning Man, and my 2nd to take FUJI equipment. Burning Man can be a Very Harsh environment with not just high temperatures, but frequent sandstorms. Those were always a major worry with my other cameras, but not this one. I didn’t have one single problem. It shot flawlessly and it has a great selection of weather resistant lenses too. On that note, why not take a look at my Burning Man Survival Guide here.

Hasselblad X1D

Money no object? Consider the Hasselblad X1D which starts at the low, low bargain price of around $9,000.

What a beast! You can read the full review over here which has loads of sample images. The key points are that it’s medium format and mirrorless, which means it’s got a much bigger sensor than a full frame DSLR and is not that much different in size. 50 megapixels. Beautiful and Sleek. I have the 30mm, 45mm, and 90mm lenses and they are all outstanding! The only downsides I can see so far is it is a bit slow (like 2 frames per second) and the software is a tiny bit buggy. I think the latter will be fixed with firmware. Either way, the images it produces are phenominal.

Any questions about the nature of these reviews? Please visit my Ethics Statement. It’s all quite simple!

Sample HDR Photos

Some photos I’ve created… I make a new one every day here on the home page at StuckInCustoms.com, so you are welcome to come back regularly.

Moonrise Kingdom

Downtown Beijing After Rain

Road Trip New Zealand!

Inception Reflection New York

The Rock Moved So Slowly That I Did Not Notice

walking alone and being somewhat lost on which way

The Secret Workshop Of Jules Verne

Reflections on the Eiffel Tower Isn't it romantic? What could be more perfect than a beautiful sunset here in Paris?There was a big storm all day long, but I could see the clouds were beginning to break up a little to the west, and I knew there was a possibility the sun would dip into an opening beneath the heavy clouds. So, with that intense possibility, I headed over to the Eiffel Tower area hoping the light would turn out right...I also made a behind-the-scenes video. Since you guys have been so nice over on Google+, I'll share that video exclusively there first, so be sure to stay tuned... I'm still editing the thing together!- Trey RatcliffRead more here at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Aurora Australis Galactica

An Abandoned Game Trail in China

There Evolved a Technopolis

Lijiang at Night

The Secret Crystal LakeThis remote lake was so icy cold. You would think it's about 33 degrees or something, right? It felt like absolute zero. I dropped a little piece of my tripod in here and my hand almost froze off trying to retrieve it.In the distance you can see where the glacier comes into contact with the glassy lake; it gives a sense of the epic scale here.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Hong Kong from the Peak on a Summer's Night If you want to see how I made this (and how you can too!), visit my HDR Tutorial. I hope it gives you some new tricks!I had a long day waking up at 5 AM to take a series of subways and trains up to Shenzen for some meetings. I had a Chinese VISA, which you don't need to get into Hong Kong, but I had to use to cross the official Chinese border after getting off the train. I didn't realize that it was a one-time use VISA, and I had to go to Shanghai the next day. This caused a lot of problems with the Chinese officials, a body of government with which I do not enjoy causing problems.Anyway, after I got back to Hong Kong after a day in Shenzen, I was hot and sweaty and in the sort of meeting clothes that aren't great for being hot and sweaty in. But, everything about Hong Kong was still awesome and I had too look hard for things to complain about. The sun was setting, and I made it up to The Peak just in time for a shot.This was a 5-exposure HDR shot at 100 ISO, and, of course, a sturdy tripod to get all the lights as steady as possible.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

from Trey Ratcliff at https://stuckincustoms.com

My Last Night In Venice

The Ritz-Carlton, Phulay Bay, Thailand

from Trey Ratcliff at https://stuckincustoms.com

from Trey Ratcliff at https://stuckincustoms.com

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The Treetop Temple Protects Kyoto

Approaching Mount Fuji from the Old Village What a perfect place this is!I’ve been to Japan many times, but I never had the chance to visit Mt. Fuji! This time, Tom and I made a point to do it, and this was one of our fist stops. You can see much more about it in the video above!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Bryce Canyon National Park

A Neo-Rockwellian Christmas When dad is a photographer, then there is a major degree of pressure to deliver photos on all the requisite holidays and celebrations! So, I decided to try to re-invent the family Christmas photo with HDR. Please note that many of my inventions go down in flames, but, as Winston Churchill said, “success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm”.Christmas scenes have a lot of light levels. The lights on the tree, the deep greens withn the branches, a roaring fire, lights in the room, reflections off the ornaments, and the like. It’s wild! I’m pretty sure this is why people like Christmas scenes so much - a wonderful treat for the eyes that is rich in texture and rich in light. Traditionally, it’s been very difficult to capture so much richness in a single photo, saving a lucky and heroic combination of shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and lenses.The tree lights made the faces of my three stunt-children (who are also my real children) glow perfectly. No flash could have achieved this, unless you are the kind of Rambo-flash guy that would go bury one inside the tree to hit their faces from the left. But, let’s face it. That’s hard.This was a 5-exposure HDR. You will notice that I often use 5 exposures, but note I could have done it with 3 exposures at -2, 0, and +2. Some silly Nikon cameras, like the D3X I use, will not let you step by twos, so I had to take 5 at -2, -1, 0, +1, and +2. The middle exposure, from which the kid’s faces were masked in and perfectly lit, was shot at f/4 aperture, shutter speed of 1/250, 100 ISO, and at 28mm.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Reflecting on the Taj Mahal

Coming Home