Using HDR renders can still give you artifacts, just as using multiple exposures and combining them for a true HDI photograph does. The software to process them is good, but it still depends on the limitations of the camera, and most digital cameras are still grainy as hell in the lower exposure ranges. Renders aren't, but you get different results when you process the HDRIs.

I render to HDR for the same reason that I always shoot in RAW format -- because, well, more data to work with is usually preferable to less, so why not? But if you adjust the exposure of a single image too much out of its natural range, you will get glowing shadows and so on.

I have not tried to use Photomatix or Photoshop to combine several renders with different light settings, though. 

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I got tired of the corner splotches I got from light emitters and IDL in Poser. I now use fill lights. (BB gave out a set of fabulous IBL's with VSS a long while ago, and they're the best IBL's I've ever used. On a low intensity, they're very good). For me, the main advantage of fill lights is not only the elimination of most blotches, but the ability to get a semi-decent render at much, much lower quality render settings.

However, if you're aiming for ACCURACY, fill lights may not be the answer.

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PoserPro 2014, PS CS5.5 Ext, Nikon D300. Win 8, i7-4770 @ 3.4 GHz, AMD Radeon 8570, 12 GB RAM.