FWIW, the article has been published on the sister site, ePhotozine:

http://www.ephotozine.com/techniques/viewtechnique.cfm?recid=367

Enjoy
Matt

At last... I've provided a download for the action set:
mattmaticstools20051123.zip

Let me know how you get on with it! I've tried it in PS-CS and PS-CS2, but it should still work fine in PS7 too.

Matt

Dave,
Thanks for the comment. Here's some more information and clarifications:

* There isn't any "luminosity channel sharpening". I'm picking out the luminosity to provide an edge mask so that only edges are sharpened. This is a standard technique and improves even USM.

* It is because of the interpolation that I sharpen twice as hard on the red and blue. The RAW is "guessing" the missing three red pixels (in a 2x2 cell), and the missing three blue pixels. With the green channel there are only 2 missing pixels in that 2x2 cell, so the camera has actually recorded twice as much green detail By this sharpening method you increase the "presence" of the image (there's an article on this here (Digital Outback Photo)).

* Yes, it is fixed amount of sharpening - the goal was just to add some discrete "zing" to the captured image... before progressing onto more creative sharpening. When you get to the intended output - that's output sharpening, which is very specific to each device. I always save the PSD file at the point of creative sharpening (with layers of course). Then I process each of the intended output sharpens and save as different file names.

USM is a good tool, but suffers from "halos". True, you can apply "correct" values, but in my experience you can do a lot better than plain USM

Matt

Drew - thanks for the comment

I should have pointed out that I was aiming for a three pass sharpening approach, with the above technique being the first:
* Capture sharpening - correcting the softness of the CCD only
* Creative sharpening - where you may exaggerate the sharpening in specific areas (such as eyes in portraits)
* Output sharpening - where you sharpen to target the particular output device.



Another very useful technique (while we're on the subject of sharpening) is the "High Pass Sharpen". This works great in Photoshop and Elements too I would put this under the Creative sharpening set, and sometimes for Output sharpening (though I now use CS2's Smart Sharpen for that).

* Duplicate the layer (Ctrl-J)
* Run high pass filter - Filter/Other/HighPass. Set a value that just shows the outline shapes. Something in the region of 2 or 3 is usually good for an in-focus image straight from camera.
* Desaturate the layer (Ctrl-Shift-U) - this step can be useful in eliminating unusual colour shifts
* Change the layer blend mode to "Overlay", "Soft-Light", or one of the others in that set. Soft-light gives the most natural look.

There are several advantages to this approach:
* You can duplicate the background again, and run different high pass values to bring out detail in other areas.
* It's pretty good at correcting a badly focussed image (I've done this a few times, and usually end up with a few layers with different high pass values - sometimes with relatively large values)
* If you invert the layer (Ctrl-I) it softens rather than sharpens.

(I saw a good action from www.retouchpro.com that produced a whole set of high-pass layers, a bit like a graphic-equaliser from the audio world, where you can fine tune to your heart's content.)

In true Wallace and Gromit style, here's a brief outline of my "Sharpen-O-Matic" capture sharpening - as promised

I haven't seen anything like this anywhere on the web. So please note this technique originated with me, and credit me appropriately - or better still link back to here, or to my website when I've written it up in full

This is designed so you disable sharpening in Capture One, and run this sharpener before continuing in Photoshop.

(The technique only works in Photoshop, not Element - sorry! But I can give some other similar techniques for PSE a bit later )

(Hope you're sitting down for this )

I'll break this down and explain why...

* Open up the TIFF or JPG from the RAW output
* Duplicate the background layer - hit Ctrl-J (you should have a new layer with the image)
* Select the Red channel (Ctrl-1 on the PC)
* Run Unsharp Mask with amount 200%, radius 1.6, threshold 0
* Select the Blue channel (Ctrl-3 on the PC)
* Run the USM again - Ctrl-F
* Immediately run fade - Ctrl-Shift-F and select 20%
* Select the Green channel (Ctrl-2 on the PC)
* Run Unsharp Mask with amount 200%, radius 0.8, threshold 0
* Now select the full colour Ctrl-Shift-~

That is the basic sharpen - in a normal DSLR there are twice as many green pixels as red and blue. That's why the USM radius is half for the green channel. The blue channel also carries the most noise, and is the channel that's least important to our eyes - that's why you fade the sharpening to 20% (or 25%).
I reckon that gives a pretty evenly balanced sharpen without too many artifacts... but it increases the noise in the flat areas... sooooo:

* Select the luminosity (Ctrl-Shift-Alt-~). You should see little marching ants all over the place.
* Now press the Layer Mask button on the Layers Palette. This will create a mask based on the luminosity of the sharpened image.
* (Notice that the Layer Mask is selected and has the double border around it in the Layers Palette)
* Now run the "Find Edges" filter (Filter / Stylise / Find Edges)
* Now run "Minimise" with value 2 (Filter / Other / Minimise) - this broadens the areas found with Find Edges.
* Soften it by running Gaussian Blur with radius 2 or 3
* Invert the layer mask (Ctrl-I)
* Run an auto levels on the mask - Ctrl-L and click Auto.

Voila! You now have a reasonable luminosity mask which prevents oversharpening in the flat areas. (You can toggle the mask by Shift-clicking on the mask in the Layers Palette to see the difference.)

Finally, we want to prevent the sharpening from occurring to the deep shadows and highest highlights:

* Double click the top layer (the one we're working with), in the blank area in the right of the Layers Palette. You should get the layer options which includes the "Blend If" section...
* In the "Blend If" area, set the Underlying Layer values by holding down the Alt key and dragging the little arrow...
* Pull the black arrow apart and pull the right part to around 20
* Pull the white arrow apart and pull the left part to around 240
* Save the changes

That little change prevents Photoshop from applying the sharpened layer where there are deep shadows or bright highlights.

You can also do the follow:
* Change the layer blend mode to "Luminosity". However, I've found this unnecessary given the careful sharpening techniques above You usually do this to prevent ugly colour blotches appearing where the image has been oversharpened.

Now, you should find that the result is quite subtle. I've tried this on loads of *ist-D images straight out of Capture One, and am mighty pleased with the results. If you've got anything to add to this, please post it below... or just let me know how you get on!!

I will get on and do an illustrated guide on my site www.photon.me.uk , as well as post an Action to encapsulate the whole thing

P-TTL is a preflash TTL. The camera+flash fire a short burst to evaluate the metering before actually taking the shot. It helps avoid problems when you have strongly reflective items and the like.

The AF360 is a very nice flash. I have had one from the beginning (on a Z1, MZ5, and now *ist-D). In fact, I wouldn't mind two However, one of the real wonders of the flash - wireless operation - isn't possible with the *ist-DS/DL, without owning two AF360s

You can get the Pentax 5-pin extension lead and extend the AF360 (even putting it on a swivelling flash handle). You can often get these second hand at fairly reasonable prices (but still £40-ish).

I haven't had any experience at all with the Sigma. The only thing they are notorious for is trying to reverse engineer the protocols (they do this with lenses, and presumably with flashes), avoiding the licensing fees from the companies - or so I've read. This often leads to "odd" compatibility issues when you change cameras. (Most of the problems have been with Canon bodies that I've read about. Whether there are any issues with Pentax I don't know.)

The beauty of the Pentax system is you can use any of the older flash guns So, you may find that another, older, flash would suit you better. There's a great guide to (nearly) all things Pentax: http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/
Several of the older flashes do TTL. And in fact, to some P-TTL is a mixed blessing (because you can't use dumb slaves off them, because you can miss the action because of the small time delay involved, or because people blink on the preflash and you get eyes closed for the real one)

Matt

Stuck in an office while the sun shone... writing code
Was aching to get out with the *ist-D and a few lenses
Matt

Christine,
I have found it useful to disable the "focus on half shutter press". You can find this is the custom menu of the *ist-D.
Then, to consciously focus, hit the AF button on the back. Now you can focus on the eyes (use single point, centre AF point), reframe and shoot away. The camera doesn't "hunt" for focus on every shot.
It's a bit like autofocus-on-demand.
Hope that helps,
Matt

Some information and thoughts on Pentax vs Metz etc:

Anna (and all),
Ok, here's my experience:

* The AF360FGZ is an excellent flashgun. Very versatile, very portable, wireless flash, high speed daylight fill in. Absolutely great with a Stofen Omnibounce (which I use all the time). Uses AA batteries.

* The Metz 50MZ5 (forerunner to the 70MZ). Extremely heavy. I have a couple of weddings to do, and this is the kit, but I'm going to need biceps, especially with the *ist-D battery grip. Very clean, bright light. I also use the Lumiquest bounce (Metz badged) which gives a very soft light for closeups and portraiture. Cost is a real problem with this gun. It uses custom NiMH or Nicad batteries (you're talking in the region of £75 for a spare charger + battery). Recycle times are very fast. They can be faster with a Quantum battery pack (mega bucks though). There's no P-TTL flash, no high speed sync. You basically get TTL, the option of rear curtain sync, and that's about it. One nice feature for really, really close work like macros is you can wind down the power down to 1/256 output. That's really nice.

However, in practise I find the following:

* If it's a function like theatre, plays, etc - I never use flash. Kills the atmosphere completely. I've used a 50mm f1.7, and now a beautiful old SMC-A 50mm f1.4 which is sublime. Awesome natural light shots that retain the original feeling. And completely discrete

* If you have to have flash, then I generally find the AF360 has plenty of beef. Especially when you consider that the *ist-D starts at ISO200, and boosting the ISO effectively increases the flash power. So, ISO800 gives you loads and loads of head room. Coupled with the wireless flash option of the AF360 that's a very flexible system.

* I've taken portraits in very very low light with the SMC-F 50mm/f1.7 and AF360 in wireless, hand holding the AF360 at arms' length and achieved very natural looking portraits.

* The AF360 wireless mode gives the ability to do macro work easily too.

Not sure what camera you have. It's only the *ist-D, MZ-S, and some other film bodies that gives you the wireless flash option from the built in popup flash But if you have an *ist-D then it's

You can always run several AF360s and control the contrast between them. I understand you can do that too with the Metz equipment. In fact, one of the other members had an AF360, had problems (because the old *ist-D firmware wasn't great on P-TTL exposure), sold it, bought a Metz 50MZ5 and a smaller Metz... then when the P-TTL issues were fixed he sold both Metz's (to save his biceps) and bought two AF360's. So that says something!!

Maybe you could elaborate on your requirements for flash, and which camera you have, and maybe we can advise further

Matt

No update on AF540.
However, what camera do you have? I have a Metz 50MZ5, which is a hunking piece of flash, but even with the latest SCA adaptor I don't get all the modes For instance, P-TTL isn't supported.
The AF360 beats the Metz for flexibility, but the Metz wins for sheer brute force power and recycling time.
Send me a private message if you need any more details.

It is a big shame that Pentax's release dates are more than a little vague, and seem to slip!!

Matt