What does the lack of light quote prove? That’s a statement about color resolution, not range, and it uses “high dynamic range” and not “HDR content”. I think you’ve missed my point and are not listening.

Yes tone mapping is used on HDR images. It just doesn’t imply HDR. SDR gamma is tone mapping, for example, which the Wikipedia link you sent explains. Your claim is that Adams use of tone mapping is evidence that he is capturing “HDR content”. The paper you sent doesn’t use that language, it doesn’t ever say Adams was doing tone mapping, it says they develop a tone mapping method inspired by Adams’ zone system that extends the idea into higher dynamic range.

You’re using your own misunderstanding and mis-interpretation of my comments as evidence that they’re wrong. Hey I totally might be wrong about a lot of things, and sure maybe I’m completely non-sensical, but you certainly haven’t convinced me of that. I haven’t had trouble speaking with other people about HDR imaging, people who are HDR experts. All I’m getting out of this so far is that some people react very badly to any hint of critique.

From my perspective, I’m also only hearing bumbling errors, errors like that HDR is an adjective, that LDR doesn’t exist and nobody uses it, that using “range” is incorrect when I say it but not when you do and “window of luminance values” is better, and that Ansel Adams was doing HDR imaging.

Ben, we’re having a bona-fide miscommunication, and I wanted to fix it but I’m failing, and it feels like you’re determined not to fix it or find any common ground. In another environment we’d probably be having a friendly, productive and enlightening conversation. I’m sure there are some things I could learn from you.