HDR and My Nokias (N8, N9, 700, 701, E7, X7, C7, C6-01)

Nokia House - Painterly edit - Photomatix Pro - Nokia N8

I have been asked many times what I use to create HDR images from my phones. So I thought I would simply detail it here. Although I primarily use my Nokia N8, these applications work for all Symbian 3 devices and I have tested on X7, 700, 701, E7, C7, C6-01. They are also available on the N9. The two applications in question are HDR Photo Camera by Intellsys and HDR Pro Camera by Harald Meyer. In simple terms they both do exactly the same job, however there are differences. These differences could determine which application is right for you.

In deciding which application is right for you, just answer these simple questions.

1. What device do you wish to use for HDR?

If it’s the Nokia N9 – then your choice is slightly improved as you can process HDR on device with both applications at full resolution.

If it’s the Nokia N8 or another Symbian 3 device (Anna or Belle – it does not matter) then HDR Pro Camera will only process HDR images up to 2000×2000 pixels

2. Do you want to process the HDR on device only?

If you do and you have the Nokia N9, then I recommend you use HDR Pro Camera.

If you want to process on PC/Mac using Photoshop or Photomatix Pro or another such application then I recommend HDR Photo Camera as it has more editing options.

If you have a Nokia N8 and want to process on device only then it is a closer call but I do prefer HDR Photo Camera.

If you want to process on PC/Mac then definitely use HDR Photo Camera, for one reason, the range of exposure is greater with this application with +3 to -3 whereas HDR Pro is +2 to -2.

In short HDR Pro Camera offers better editing on device so is better for on device processing (Especially N9). HDR Photo Camera give a better exposure range so is better for off device processing. This is of course my personal opinion.