Luma Ray 3.2 HDR and EXR: The First Grade-Ready AI Plates, and How We Use Them
Luma Ray 3.2 generates true 10, 12 and 16-bit HDR as ACES2065-1 EXR. Here are the real limits (5 seconds, 720p or 1080p), the credit costs, and how Apostle builds Ray 3.2 plates into a Resolve ACES finish.
When Luma launched Ray3 in September 2025 it was the first model to generate video in true 10, 12 and 16-bit HDR as ACES2065-1 EXR. Ray 3.2, released in June 2026, is the current model in that family, and it is still one of only two generators that hand you a plate a colourist or a compositor can treat like a camera or CG source.
That matters because everything else in the market is an 8 or 10-bit consumer file. Ray 3.2 is the exception, and it comes with conditions.
The exact capability
HDR is switched on with hdr: true. EXR output needs exr_export: true alongside it. The delivered frames are 16-bit half-float EXR in ACES2065-1 (AP0), comp-ready, and they drop straight into DaVinci Resolve or Nuke.
The limits are real. On Ray 3.2, HDR is available at 720p and 1080p only, and only for 5-second clips. Ten-second and 540p requests are rejected for HDR. The older Ray3 model allowed HDR at 540p and 720p, which is why you will see conflicting numbers online. Native generation tops out at 1080p; 4K is Luma’s neural upscale. Frame rate is 24 fps. Video-edit and modify passes run to 20 seconds at 1080p.
Credit cost scales with the output. On Ray 3.2, HDR is 2x the SDR credit cost and HDR plus EXR is 3x. In API dollars per 5-second clip: 720p is $0.30 SDR, $0.60 HDR, $0.90 HDR plus EXR; 1080p is $1.20, $2.40 and $3.60. The older Ray3.14 used a 4x HDR multiplier, so check the model version before you quote a client.
Ray3 is also available inside Adobe Firefly, and Luma offers SDR-to-HDR conversion of existing footage and a Hi-Fi upscale.
Why a real 16-bit plate changes the job
A scene-linear ACES EXR behaves like a log camera plate. You can relight, push heavy secondaries, master to HDR and round-trip to Nuke or After Effects without the source falling apart. AI footage in this form can sit next to live action in an ACES pipeline, which is where most of our broadcast and streaming work lives.
How Apostle uses Ray 3.2
We use Ray 3.2 HDR plus EXR for hero shots under 5 seconds where the latitude matters: product beauty, atmospheric establishing shots, anything going to an HDR master or a composite.
The EXRs go into a Resolve ACES project (ACEScct working space) with no conversion step. For 4K deliverables we decide per shot between Luma’s Hi-Fi upscale and a Topaz Starlight Precise 2.5 pass, then grade, then master. For longer shots we pair Ray 3.2 with LTX-2.5 (native 4K HDR, up to 20 seconds) or with Seedance 2.5 4K 10-bit uplifted through Topaz Hyperion 2.5.
The discipline is the same as any AI production: lock the artwork, budget for re-rolls, and generate at the ceiling rather than fixing it later.
Honest limitations
Five seconds is short. Grade-ready does not mean finished; Ray 3.2 frames still need a cinematographer on the grade. And the cost multiplier adds up on a campaign, which is why we scope HDR generation to the shots that earn it.
We finish Ray 3.2 material for clients across Australia from our Sydney studio, and we can supply the EXR sequences and ACES project to your own post house if you would rather grade in-house.