No, that is actually incorrect. While yes, using IDL increases render time, it produces a far more realistic result than ambient occlusion. I am a realist type artist, so I aim for realism in my images.

IDL is worth that extra calculation for the results it produces. I always render with it now. Ambient Occlusion is collecting dust.

I'm also experimenting with tone mapping. I've seen from bagginsbill's previous posts that he has used tone mapping in a daylight exterior scene, so I tried that as well, and got some interesting results. A bit too bright, so more experimenting required before I show images, though.