HDR Merge
Combining bracketed exposures into one file holding a greater dynamic range than any single frame could.
Measured in
stops
In depth
The merge aligns the frames and takes each tone from whichever exposure recorded it best, producing a high-bit-depth file with an extended range. The result is not yet viewable — it must still be mapped down to a displayable range — and the reputation HDR earned for garish images comes from that second stage, not the merge itself.
Examples in practice
Three frames at −2, 0 and +2 EV merge into a single raw file holding both a bright window and a dark room corner.