A Mini Guide To Pentax Digital Camera Utility

What I've always done in Windows is use a Ramdisk for temporary access and saving files and then copy them over to the main working directory on my hard drive using a filemanager. Never any problem finding them using that method.

If a Ramdive isn't big enough an alternative would be an empty partition on a hard drive.

More examples...

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/190-pentax-k-1/324925-pixel-shifted-images-5...


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Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

I tried again to download from the RawTherapee website but the software was unresponsive. I then found using instructions in the Mac App Store where you copy and paste a string into a command line resulted in a useable download, although the file search still won't show peripheral hard drives. Anyhow, right-clicking on an image opens in RawTherapee with useable editing functions so a result. Now just need some pixel-shift images to try out!

Ps By copying the software onto my portable SSD where the photos are stored I can use it on my laptop as well without having to go through the download procedure again.

Good at least you can get the RAW in and save as say a TIFF to use elsewhere. Keep an eye out for a bug fix version for the mac.

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Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

I get you. Yes all changes are visible as you change any of the raw processing parameters.

I have used Silkypix Developer Studio Pro for years now and am very happy with it as a raw converter. it does have spotting tools for cloning, but if I am going to do extensive work I prefer to do that in Photoshop on a TIFF. Working with layers is much easier.

For those with a K-1 II note that Silkypix DSPro does not handle Handheld PS files. Given the close relationship with Pentax i expect that to be addressed at some point.

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Peter



My Flickr page

Oh dear. I just opened a 270MB Pixel Shift RAW image from two years ago in RawTherapee, and very unsharp, using the pixelshift default and other sharpening sliders made hardly any difference. Guess what, in Lightroom it was miles better from the outset, really nice and sharp. Is it better than a single image? Cannot say but I am thinking that other factors like the lens quality will have more effect. Both exhibited the same odd artifacts where blades of grass where moving. I tried PS on a coastal scene last week but it was hopeless, the waves were blurred (naturally) but not in a nice way and a tiny figure was walking along the sand so in four different positions. PS might be worthwhile in a few very restricted applications but I am struggling to find any that couldn't be done better another way, like stitching a series of images together. Silkypix DS Pro 9 is £134.14 to buy or £66.94 to upgrade; I really don't like or use the version that came with the camera so won't be spending the money.

I've got a K-1, but haven't done any PS yet. From a rough test I did in the house it looked like if you set DNG + JPG it made the PS JPG in camera so that would be useful as a guide or even the finished job if it's good enough.

It sounds like you have sharpening on in LR but off in RT. Everybody else seems happy with RT.

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Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

The image from LR would only be 1 of the 4 PS captures as it cannot handle pixelshift files

I have not used pixelshift much but my understanding is that any movement in the subject and you are going to have problems. The quality of the K1 normal pictures are so good i cannot see me using it much to be honest.

You could always download Silkypix and use it free for 30 days. It may not be as intuitive to use as other raw processors but it is a very deep program. If you did give it a trial i would be happy to help with any queries you have. I am using version 7 btw

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Peter



My Flickr page

Sorry, me again. I just took two identical shots, downloaded straight from the camera. First is a single shot, second is a PS shot opened in Lightroom, and third is the PS shot opened in RawTherapee and exported as a tiff file to Lightroom, and finally a jpg directly from RawTherapee. All three have identical sharpening and cropping but no other processing.

single shot

PS straight to Lightroom

PS opened in RawTherapee & exported as a tiff to Lightroom

Exported from RawTherapee as a jpg

Looking at these on the screen I would say they are almost too close to call but the PS direct to Lightroom has the edge for clarity and sharpness, but there is no discernible difference between the single shot and the PS shots that I can see; tell me if I am wrong.

I cannot tell any difference !

One thing I forgot to add in my post above about Silkypix is that the program is nothing like the Pentax software. Pentax use the engine that is all.

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Peter



My Flickr page

Possibly not enough to sharpen in that example. The amount of sharpness needs tweaking to suit each program.

This thread may help although it's about two years old.....

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4019057

Make sure you look at the link in the first post i.e.

http://redredphoto.com/blog/equipment/pentax-k-1-review-pixel-shift/

Try it on flutterbies

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4281981

How come they don't shave
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Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

Thanks for your patience and advice Peter and Algi; Algi you have an encyclopaedic resource for useful links! The redred link comparing software processing of K1 pixelshift showed LR to be better than Silkypix and Capture One, nothing about RawTherapee, and sliding the sharpener much higher than I normally use. I left the RawTherapee sharpener at default which is quite high but to be honest I couldn’t effect much change. It turns out that LR version 6 and later can process PS successfully, it was only the previous versions that couldn’t.

I am tempted to try the Silkypix but I am well used now to LR and I already have more than enough software for special applications.

I didn't think any version of LR could handle PS with movement.

The redred stuff is a few years old and he doesn't need motion so can manage without RT.

This guy uses Silkypix and finishes off in Photoshop. Click on 'Original Size'

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4011066

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Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi

Well today Adobe updated LR cc and Photoshop cc. I don't think camera raw was updated (last update August2018 ) but the notes for the K1 II mention that Dynamic pixel shift is not supported but makes no mention of normal pixel shift. Also the notes for the K3 II mention that pixel shift is supported (i presume since August), so i assume that K1 normal pixel shift is supported too.

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Peter



My Flickr page