Is a RAW image the same as HDR image

The downside of doing the whole HDR image thing is the setup time and the need to use a tripod to get all the images exactly locked down.

It's good for those special shots where you have time. We've done them at uni some years back using hemispherical lens to create HDR backdrops for CGI.

If they can work out a way to get true HDR into a point and shoot single shot image on a regular camera, then everyone will be a master photographer one day. Problems of overblown or underexposed snap shots could be a thing of the past.

RAW is a sort of "pseudo" HDR image. True High Dynamic Range images are those derived from capturing an image at multiple exposure settings to get the greatest amount of light and dark information as possible.

HDR images allow light levels within an image to be stored in excess of the usual 255 levels you would get in a normal RGB jpg image.

Good digital cameras can take RAW images which are just single images that contain as much color information as possible using a single exposure.

RAW images can be tweaked using various software and plugins for photoshop, that allow you to pull out a little more detail in overly light or dark areas that would otherwise be lost in a normal JPG image. They just dont have the extended "true" range of a multi shot HDR image.

They are a good way to take professional photos though, if you have the software to deal with them. They do take a lot more storage space than a regular JPG though.