Advice Please - Pixel Interpolation in PDCU?

Indeed. I seem to spend a significant portion of my professional life trying to explain things simply enough to be understood, but not so simply they are misunderstood!

Google 'PDCU 4.40' or 'Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4.40' and you will readily locate a download source. Installation was painless for me and it updated my version 4.1 in no time at all. I don't see any difference between the new version and 4.10, presumably it just adds support for the K-30 and new K-5 variants.

I only use PDCU for browsing through my RAW images and identifying which ones to process. I find the lack of brush tools and other niceties very restrictive, so I go back to Photoshop all the time.

Regards
David

Just a note to all who are interested in the Pentax Digital Camera Utility software. I promised some time ago to provide some info on this as there have been many questions about its workings and interface.

So I am pleased to tell you that I have launched a 'Mini Guide' onto the forum, which I hope will be of general interest and especially of practical use to those who are looking for another option for processing their RAW shots. Heres a link to the Guide, which is up in the General Photography section.

https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/topic/a-mini-guide-to-pentax-digital-camera-uti...

I think a piece on the PDCU would be very welcome. I use it for all RAW files ahead of any changes in Serif Photoplus. I have found out how to use many of the possibilities by trial and error. One thing I do miss. It would be great if we had some of the digital filters in PDCU. I have been looking out for an upgrade. Just gone on the Japan site (which has an English version - http://www.pentax.jp/english/. Found the upgrade but when I click to download I get PBLU0435.exe which is the old version! What is going on?

Never fear, Tony ! Help is at hand !

1) if you go back to the Pentax Japan website, navigate to the Downloads page and then change the view to the JAPANESE language version. THEN hit the PBLU0440 link and scroll down to the download button on the left of the page as on the English page it will offer you (in English!) the option to download the correct file ! Daft, I know, but it worked for me (as they say)!

2) Nigel (see the posting before yours above) HAS produced a Guide to PDCU4 which can be found elsewhere on this site. The easiest way to locate it is probably to click on his name to get directed to his page and there you will see the list of his threads.

I started trying to use PDCU4 to work on my .dng files just over a month ago and after some help from Nigel I now find it much easier - give it a try.

Good luck
Peter

The Mini Guide is a 'sticky' on the General Digital Photography thread, so for now appears at the top of that forum list, or you can use the link in my previous post, or the way Peter just mentioned.



Tony, I'm just wondering what you meant specifically by the 'Digital Filters'? I can only speak with any knowledge on the recent DSLRs, and I know that other Pentax models may have some in-built software filters. In my guide I have covered the Custom Image Parameters, and the only aspects of these that are referred to as 'filters' are those in the Black & White subsection.

These are only active after either choosing the 'Monochrome' preset on the camera (right hand button on the 4-way controller), or in PDCU on the Custom Image tab by choosing the 'Monochrome' option from the dropdown list. Then you have the colour filters + infrared to choose. Is this what you asking about, or was it possibly an earlier feature that has now disappeared? The Mini Gude has sections covering the Custom Image Tab and Black & White conversions.

On my K7 there are a number of special effects, such as 'star light'. It would be useful to be able to apply these on the PDCU as this preserves the original. The alternative is to create a file after using PDCU, put the memory card back in the camera and then apply the filter which is rather too much trouble, I think!

1) if you go back to the Pentax Japan website, navigate to the Downloads page and then change the view to the JAPANESE language version. THEN hit the PBLU0440 link and scroll down to the download button on the left of the page as on the English page it will offer you (in English!) the option to download the correct file ! Daft, I know, but it worked for me (as they say)!

Your absolutely right. Thanks

Yes Tony, I was going to correct myself - I found in my K7 Magic Lantern Guide references to the 'in-camera filters', accessed through the playback mode on the LCD. Some that were mentioned included Toy Camera, Retro, Soft Focus, Water Colour etc. I guess these could be more accurately describes as 'effects'.

But the fact remains that, no, they are not implemented in PDCU, despite the Monochrome filters being covered in the Cutom Image Tab as I described above. I can only speculate on the reason for this - could it be that these in camera filters are designed for a more casual user - someone who would not use RAW editing software but use the camera to get an effect and then use the JPEG directly from the camera? I know that sounds a bit 'nose in the air' - I would not want to be accussed of suggesting that people who apply in camera filters are less serious!!