Pentax's Own Software

I have just been looking at the Pentax website for the current versions of their software as last time I tried any Silkypix was really slooow on my old XP system.

One would think one software package would have been developed that would handle images produced by the Q, K-5 and K20D etc. But no, each has their own listed! Seems I could fill a hard drive just with different varieties of Pentax imaging software!

The *ist D / DS / DL / DS2 /DL2 / K100D / K10D /K100D Super / K20D /K200D / K-m apparently require PENTAX PHOTO Browser 3 and
PENTAX PHOTO Laboratory 3 Update v.3.81

The K-7 / K-x / 645D / K-r /K-5 / K-5II / K-5IIs require PENTAX Digital Camera Utility 4 Update v4.40(or 4.41 for Mac)

The Q / Q10 / K-01 / K-30 require SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.0 for PENTAX

and the Optio's have something else entirely (MediaImpression 3.6.1 LE)!

If one has kept the older cameras, is there really any benefit in installing each of these packages and I wonder why the current cameras cannot manage with just the one, given Lightroom and Elements etc. do not need the Pentax software installed to function.

Surely one current package could be produced to deal with all the company's products? And with the Q apparently needing something different to the K-5 seems ridiculous - they're contemporary products after all.

Given the plethora of packages I'm tempted to continue to give the whole lot a miss still, but am I missing something and does anyone have the whole lot installed just to develop their raw files separately with the camera's dedicated package? If so, which one's best?

John K

One is not amused!

Use PDCU v4.40 - it will cope with everything in the DSLR range back to the *istD.

I'd have hoped it would too and I may try that one. But Pentax don't show the *istD as compatible with it!

John K

John - I think what most software companies do when they offer "bespoke" packages to (in this case) Ricoh Pentax, they tend to "lock-down" parts of the program, rather than totally re-write them, hence (if you know what you're doing) you can "unlock" those parts of the file to get them to work like the full package. It may only be one or two lines of extra instruction that needs embedded within the .exe file to do that.

I have some programs running on my pc that were trials, but by embedding a .lic (licence) file and/or one or two .dll's, the program not only functions like the real package, but it updates too.

I have just loaded some old *istD .PEF files into PDCU4. All fine.

I'm sure that's right, but why maintain PDCU and Silkypix concurrently?

That's good thanks. Again I ask, why are the Q, K-01 & K-30 are supplied with Silkypix Developer Studio instead. Does it offer something to those cameras that PDCU doesn't. I cannot believe it can do.

John K

John - could just be that silypix works better with images shot on a particular model (or range of models), and similarly with PDCU4. Could be that silkypix have "filtered-out" the worst parts of the base program from those that work well with each model. I guess it all comes down to algorithms, and stuff!!

Could it be that the simpler cameras get a less comprehensive software package?

The software is developed over time as well. E.G. newer versions with the newer cameras.

And while we're on this subject, are there any particular benefits to using PDCU if I already have Aperture on Mac/OSX? Am I missing anything?
Thanks!

Apart from checking it out, I have never used any manufacturer's software. Usually it never gets loaded onto the PC.

Photoshop does all our work on images, plus Photomatix when required. As we shoot in JPEG 99% of the time this makes no difference. When we shoot RAW we have DNG files, so that's not a problem either.

Glad you joined the thread john, I was beginning to think I was missing out on something!

The K5 and PS is enough for me too!

Thank you all for commenting. I take it the consensus is that there is no benefit in installing any of the software that came with the camera over and above Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements, Serif etc.

I wondered if any of them could seek out parts of a RAW file that independent software failed to reach, like (was it that) Guiness was supposed to.

John K

I've never used it either - I started with iPhoto with the K-x shooting in jpeg - then moved to shooting in RAW and switched to Aperture. Since getting the K-30 I've used nothing but Aperture.

I tried to get PDCU4 installed for my K-30 but all there is on the Pentax site is an update file for which you already need the full PDCU4, and the K-30 doesn't come with it, so no joy.