*istD RAW support

Hi all!

I can't believe it !
I was just doing a search on Photoshop CS and *istD RAW support, and came up with this link: http://kumanomi.web.infoseek.co.jp/photo/note2/top.html (It's in Japanese )

What I didn't realise is that VueScan from www.hamrick.com supports PEF files already! This, IMHO, is the best scanning tool ever (have used it on Minolta Scan Dual, Nikon Coolscan IV, Canon Lide30 etc) - and never realised it supported the Pentax

The comment about Photoshop CS, translated with Babelfish:
That will be good too

Now, if you want to get really messy hands - there's a free package called dcRAW. For a nice command-line tool for MAC or Windows: http://www.insflug.org/raw/software/tools/dcraw.php3
For the original package (coded for Linux): http://www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin/dcraw/

Interestingly, the dcRAW conversion tool can support a ".badpixels" file that will map out any dud pixels - you can even specify when they died, so the tool can process older RAW files correctly!

Well, as for me, I'm off to "get my hands dirty" and get into some serious RAW conversion

Matt

Just as a very interesting aside, check out this discussion:
http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/expose-right.shtml

Never a dull day

Matt

That is more than gooood news Matt!!

Thanks.... I'm downlaoding a free trial version of VueSan now

Matt, I got it... and tried it.

But I have a problem... the picture doesn't look natural, actually the color looked very odd.. way off than I expected. The Pentax PhotoLAB is way better in color rendition. How did you set yours? I tried several scan types, but the color always turned out with heavy yellow or red cast to them. None of the White Balance setting seem to fit the right colors.

I have compared the pics side by side between VueScan and PhotoLab - the latter gave way better result!! Care to give some tips?

Thanks.

Shotgun,

I have managed to get Vuescan to give acceptable results, but quite "flat" and dull. I must be doing something wrong somewhere.

However, I have been looking at dcRAW (the commandline tool) more. dcRAW is used by VueScan, Bibble, Breeze, Adobe Photoshop etc etc. I produced a 48bit PSD file for Photoshop CS. The result is a linear output, so it needs sorting with an ICC profile (I'm working on it), but I had a quick hack by doing a severe curves. Result looks really nice though

Check out Fred Miranda's 10D_LPBatch tool too (it processes the linear outputs). I've emailed Fred to see if anything can be done to support the *istD, and also whether any of the Nikon D100 actions are suitable for the *istD (as they share the same sensor).

BTW, BreezeBrowser supports the *istD: http://www.breezesys.com/BreezeBrowser/features.htm

Another interesting one, though $99:
http://www.logicaldesigns.com/Imaging1.htm - SharpRAW, only added *istD support a week ago

As always, I'll keep you all posted

Matt

Hi matt,

Yes, I'll be interested in anything you can find out about these tools.

Hopefully we can make use of these utilites while waiting for the PEF plug-in for PS CS.

Cheers.

Hi,
I have vuescan and did not know you can open an image into it, or am I barking up a wrong tree ?
Please how do you do it ?
Bryan

Bryan,

No, you're not barking up the wrong tree
Here's the list:

Input Tab
1. Scan task - set to Scan to file
2. Scan from - set to From disk
3. Scan from file - click the @, in the dialog choose "Files of type = Pentax (*.pef)"

Crop tab
4. Up to you

Filter tab
5. Up to you, but I would leave blank

Color tab
6. Set color balance to White Balance or Neutral
7. Adjust brightness if necessary

8. Press Preview to get an idea of how it will look
9. Press Scan to do it for real.

There are other options I haven't explored yet (like batch processing and proper colour management). Personally, though, I have had more controllable success using the command line dcRAW and converting to 48bit linear PSD format (and only because I have Photoshop CS).

Working in Linear colour space is a revelation! Check my other post

Matt

By the way, does anyone have a Kodak Q-60R1 calibration target (5"x7" variety, not transparency) they could lend me? I'll be asking around Brighton/Hove - I only need to take a few shots in daylight (should the sun appear!!)

I intend to build an ICC profile for the *istD linear colour space (and rebuild the NeatImage profiles to match RAW mode).

Even better than that, has anyone already built the profile? (I've looked long and hard for it on the 'net but can't find it)

Thanks,
Matt

Hi Mattmatic,
Thanks for that info.
Regards,
Bryan