Welcome everyone to our Great Photo Processing Shootout! What's this?

Well, I've been a fairly lone voice around here in promoting the Pentax Camera Utility 4.0 software as a higher quality option for us Pentax people, and I also have advocated a pick and choose approach to processing - ie: use the best quality features of different softwares to get the most out of your shots.

But more often that not we get an alternative view - mainly along the lines of 'No! Use Photoshop! Its the best' or 'Just use Lightroom, do it all in one program!'

Well, David Storm has risen to my challenge to put this all to the test. We have chosen one of Davids lush lakeside views, all deep shady shadows and hazy highlights, to put our programs through their paces!

David has run his through ACR and Photoshop, the industry standard, while I have started with the outsider PCU4, then run the shot through my favorite editor, Sagelight 4, followed by final fine tuning in PS Elements 8. Which will give the highest quality output??

You will all be the judge! Please examine closely and give your heartfelt opinions. But remember - its not all about what image you prefer artistically, although that comes into it - we need to find out which software has produced the finest technical quality, and extracted the very best from what David's K5 could muster!

Watch out now, as soon David will post both shots - you will not be able to tell who has produced which image. May the best Photo Processing Software approach win!

I was waiting for a few more shots to be ready and make a new post for everyones comment, but here's one of my first finished shots from the new Samyang 14mm. Its only been cropped a tiny amount at the edges.

So far I am extremely happy with it - it is a beautiful piece of kit, and to my eyes at least I'm not worrying about any distortions. Sharpness and contrast are superb in my opinion.

In all, its gives a huge bang per buck,a and I've now got the wide views I've been looking for.

I haven't noticed anything of the kind - the first generation of this lens did suffer in the technical reports with high barrel distortion, but this was mainly confined to the outer edges. The 2nd generation (which I have) is reported much improved technically in this respect.

On APS-C the distortions are minimal in my opionion - as I said above, I'll be posting a few shots very soon, so we can all see what we think!

Just noticed this post - yes, I have just recently bought this lens, although mine also includes UMC in the name (this is the coatings I think, so maybe mine is the 2nd generation?).

Watch this space, because I'll be posting a few shots from the lens very soon. In the meantime check out my earlier thread when I was looking into what to buy.

link

Not many for me, but some goodies I think :

(Are the Samyang models the only ultra wide angles that'll go FF at present??)

Samyang 14mm f2.8
Pentax 'A' 28mm f2.8
Pentax 'M' 75-150 f4.0
Tamron Adaptall 135mm f2.8

Hmmm, problem with this sort of predicting, it almost says 'don't commit any more to APS-C'. I mean, for me, my K7 is still new, and for the sort of stuff that I shoot now perfectly OK, and with little cash to throw around there is little incentive to upgrade to a K5II.

Might as well sit tight and save for a new FF in a couple of years Not good for Pentax's immediate sales though

Sure, for now! But the rapid advances in sensor technologies (increased performance + improved value) over time will soon start to take effect in the FF arena as well. Once this has more effect then gradually those of us interested in image quality first will be able to migrate to FF, leaving much cheaper cropped ranges of cameras to the 'masses' (this is already happening with APS-C sensors becoming the norm on CSCs and bridge models.)

The FF DSLR will retain its advantage though,even over digital medium format models, as the bodies don't have to be hugely bigger than their APS-C siblings. Maybe Pantax will be at an advantage here - I mean, we already have a standard mount size (our old FF lenses already fit on), whereas other brands use a smaller mount on APS-C models I believe?, making their FF models significantly bigger.

OK David - I know I might live to regret this! But it should be fun at least. Smeggy in the other thread predicted a 1% difference in quality between the two - who knows? Lets start a new thread when the images are ready - maybe others might like to try as well.

For now I suggest to all again that we keep this thread for the OP's request, which was for info on working with PCU4.

May the best man win

Surely the 645 is a largely specialist / extreme minority type of item? No doubt image quality is there, but as far as camera features and performance goes then it would not have the versatility of a top end DSLR for Professional work out and about in the world, and presumably not as quick and easy to manage in the hand.

I do admit to being intrigued and surprised when it was released - great to see of course, but I thought things had changed with digital - I mean, the bulk and lower speed of working (and lower camera performance) of a medium format system could be easily justified on quality alone in the film days when the next best thing was the humble 35mm, and many Pro applications actually required the larger format - I'm not so sure the same would apply now, certainly not between a digital 645 sensor and the (current) FF competition?

The Adobe Camera Raw plugin does not have anything like the range of fine adjustment options that are available in PCU4 - especially in the Shadows and highlights corrections, not to mention all the Custom Image parameters. And there is nothing in ACR for Saturation that comes anywhere near the 'Fine Colour' colour wheel controls in PCU4. I believe we can definately produce a more 'finished' output from PCU4.

But, lets face it - really objective quality comparisons are difficult. My suggestion is that we keep this thread just for tip and tricks and workflow tutorials for PCU4, which is what the OP was looking for.

I raised a challenge in another thread, a 'Photo Processing Shootout' (although that was between Lightroom and PCU4 plus others as needed). No - one took it up! How about it David? - a shootoout between ACR + photoshop (you) and PCU4 + Sagelight + PS Elements (me). We choose a good RAW original (one of your gorgeous Lakes views would be perfect), send me a copy, and we post the results for a vote!