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RAW processing

AndrewA
Posted 16/12/2011 - 20:15 Link
Still27 wrote:
I find Elements 9 well worth the £50-£70, Elements 6 and was really good value too If I was you I would snap up the offer above.

Thanks for the advert Bill
Andrew

"I'm here because the whiskey is free" - Tyla

PPG link
Flickr link
3Peaks
Posted 16/12/2011 - 21:46 Link
Transit wrote:
Rather than pour $ down Adobes gaping maw, you could check out Raw Therapee.
A free converter that is extremely well featured.
http://rawtherapee.com/blog/screenshots

have fun
Pete

Thanks for the reference Pete since I have not heard of Raw Therapee which I will keep in mind, although that would also mean another learning curve. Intentions are to continue perservering with the supplied PDCU raw software.
3Peaks
Posted 16/12/2011 - 21:51 Link
giofi wrote:
Hi, are you a Windows or Mac user? On Mac Aperture is a very good alternative, and very reasonably priced.

For my sins I am a Windows 7 PC man. I will have to 'google' to see how much Aperture costs. It appears to be a popular photo processing utility.
3Peaks
Posted 16/12/2011 - 21:54 Link
Joe S wrote:
If it is any help I used Silkypix until recently and PDCU is a poor Pentax implementation of that. Most features are the same - Pentax introduced some software bugs and a clunky interface I don't know if it is worth it, but the manual to Silkypix might be a place to start.

Joel thank you very much for the URL link to the Silkypix PRO manual. This should help me in my endeavours to try to get a good workflow going on the PDCU side of Raw processing.
Bloggs
Posted 21/12/2011 - 22:24 Link
I used Silkypix for alittle while and found it hard work. I was told about a "Faststone" which i find just what i need and it's free to download. I got it from C-net and i love it easy to use and free. I have no doubt Lightroom is better by far and one day i will get lightroom but for now i'm more than happy with "faststone". hope it helps.
davidstorm
Posted 21/12/2011 - 22:30 Link
I use the Silkypix software to convert from RAW to Jpeg and do some basic processing (like a little noise reduction or exposure compensation for example), but then all my other processing is carried out in Paint.net, a very basic free application which does everything I need it to in a very simple interface.

I don't find the Silkypix software buggy at all - it does what it needs to do and uses minimal resources on the PC.

Regards
David
Flickr

Nicola's Apartments, Kassiopi, Corfu

Some cameras, some lenses, some bits 'n' bobs
rlebleu
Posted 23/12/2011 - 01:36 Link
You might like to have a look at this:

http://dxo.com/us/photo/dxo_optics_pro/introduction

Version 7 has just been introduced, and needs a bit of work, but it is on sale until Dec 24, and I believe it has lots of potential.

Unlike other programs, it is designed to work automatically in getting the best image possible from your raw images. I've been using the previous version 6 for quite a while now, and was very pleased with the results.

The program uses calibrated camera and lens modules to exactly correct your images for your equipment. You can check to see if modules exist for your camera and lenses. If a module does not exist for your equipment, you can still use the tools in the program, but you will have to do your own adjusments.

Dick
Algernon
Posted 23/12/2011 - 08:11 Link
rlebleu wrote:
You might like to have a look at this:

dxo.com

Version 7 has just been introduced, and needs a bit of work, but it is on sale until Dec 24, and I believe it has lots of potential.

Dick

Nasty piece of software with a very bad reputation..... You might as well install a virus..... see link

Google will bring up load of other sites about it
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

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

Algi
Tony
Posted 23/12/2011 - 08:30 Link
Quote:
Nasty piece of software with a very bad reputation..... You might as well install a virus..... see link

The info about the DRM at the start of this linked thread is two years old. Is this still relevant?
Posted 23/12/2011 - 09:01 Link
Tony wrote:
Quote:
Nasty piece of software with a very bad reputation..... You might as well install a virus..... see link

The info about the DRM at the start of this linked thread is two years old. Is this still relevant?

Now on Version 7.1. I like it. A lot. Easy to use once the odd interface is mastered and has unrivalled image distortion correction provided your lens & camera are supported.
michaelblue
Posted 23/12/2011 - 09:48 Link
Try this:link
it's free and very easy to use!

Regards, Michael
Regards,
Michael
johnwhit
Posted 23/12/2011 - 10:46 Link
rlebleu wrote:
You might like to have a look at this:

http://dxo.com/us/photo/dxo_optics_pro/introduction

Version 7 has just been introduced, and needs a bit of work, but it is on sale until Dec 24, and I believe it has lots of potential.

Dick

It now supports DNG, but it's incredibly slow and has a clunky GUI

John
PPG link

In LBA hiatus.
Edited by johnwhit: 23/12/2011 - 10:47
McGregNi
Posted 28/11/2012 - 03:53 Link
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-ut....
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
kh1234567890
Posted 28/11/2012 - 11:47 Link
FastStone is really a viewer with some basic (but useful) editing tacked on. Great because it is free.

Silkypix Pro 5 is what I use most of the time. I like the interface and the results. The only quibble I have is in the way it handles clipped RAW highlights - the haloes round, for example, tree branches against clipped blue sky are annoying. It doesn't have any lens corrections built it.

Adobe ACR (as in Lightroom, PS, Elemements etc.) is nice in that the 'Auto' setting works most of the time. And it is very good at rendering those pesky clipped skies. The interface is a bit dated though. It has a nice set of lens corrections which usually work well.

RawTherapee is a geek masterpiece in never-ending development. It has the best demosaicing available, but there are far too many options and tweaks. Probably a bit daunting for a beginner.

Pentax PDCU is not bad but the interface is terrible and the only connection to SilkyPix seems to be in that it uses an old SilkyPix demosaicing and rendering engine. It understands your Pentax camera settings and will process your RAW to look like your camera JPEG. You might as well shoot RAW+
duncanM
Posted 28/11/2012 - 13:02 Link
Thanks for all the time & work you must have put into your mini guide, Neil.
I normally use RAW + JPEGs, and rarely do my purposes call for the refinement of reverting to the raw data.
When that situation does arise, I have an immediate choice to make among PDU, PS elements, and PhotoShop Pro, and have never developed particular familiarity with or preference for any one of them in particular.
I'd prefer to settle on and get really familiar with one program, so the next time I want to work from the raw data, it'll be good to have the benefit of your experience of the PDU methodology

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