Yep, thats the best way to think of it - the initial 'development' of the photo (thats the term Silkypix use themselves). Whilst the range of adjustments you can make is wide, the key difference between PCU4 and other 'editor' type software is that in PCU4 you work on the whole image at once - you don't pick out little bits for isolated work (selections). You can balance on a global basis, for example, lower the brightest tones (which might be a sky and clouds) or brighten darker shadows across the image, but you couldn't just brighten one rock or darken one cloud.

Watch this space, and over the next few days I'll give a outline of a workflow and look at how to set up the layout of the program in order to get access to all the key adjustment controls.

Hi Peter, I have been somewhat of a lone ranger around here recently in defending the virtues of PCU4, so I would be delighted to discuss it and offer the experience I have gained - we'll need to keep a careful lookout though for the charge of the Lightroom brigade, as they may ambush us at any moment

I don't think I'm up for offering a full blown tutorial, but I'll tell you a bit about the software and how it can be best used in a workflow.

Lets be clear - Lightroom is obviously a great 'all-in-one' solution for many photographers, and also obviously it can output high quality images. But it is essentially a 'one-stop-shop' approach, containing an image management module, a RAW converter and image editor in one.

PCU4 really only provides the RAW converter part of that, at least in a fully fledged way - there are limited photo management and 'editing' features, but most of us will choose to use other software for these aspects. However, it does provide a very high quality RAW conversion from Pentax PEF & DNG files, so it is a great choice, and free as well

There are two key things to appreciate about PCU4 : firstly, it uses the processing 'engines' and algorithams of the Japanese product 'Silkypix Developer Studio', a professional grade RAW conversion program. PCU4 does not have the same complex graphical interfaces for its controls (using mostly simple sliders), but its output quality is potentially the same.

Secondly, PCU4 contains duplicate controls for a number of Pentax specific camera settings, such as lens corrections and 'Custom Image settings' such as Landscape / Natural / Portrait / saturation / sharpness / high & low contrast etc etc. This means that you have access to these specific Pentax image adjustments in the software, so when shooting RAW you don't need to bother with setting them up on the camera before shooting

If you do have any of these settings applied on the camera, they will be there by default already set in PCU4 when the shot is opened, saving considerable time if shooting a whole batch of the same type.

These Pentax specific camera settings are tailored to the dynamic range and capabilities of the camera, so do provide high quality adjustments to the pictures, so well worth using in my opinion - in PCU4 you can tweak them to your hearts content until its perfect without making any permanent changes to the original RAW file, and of course even after 'saving as' and producing a TIFF or JPEG output you can always just go back and reopen the original RAW and 'Re-Develop' it again in a different way!

I love the quality of the pictures I'm now producing using PCU4, I believe it gets the best out of my Pentax K7. I'm out of time tonight, but if this has been interesting, let me know and I'll write a bit more soon about a kind of step by step approach to working on a shot in PCU4.

Great work there, thanks for showing us. Metering must have been a fair old challenge. 1 & 2 are really special. Colours and textures all blend together beautifully.

Only thing I'd wish for, if poss,on the wide angle shots, would have been a knees level viewpoint to really see those sand textures up close.

Ah ha - a good point John, for this reason Pentax's 'cropped' lenses have to project a slightly bigger image circle than some other brands. And lets not forget also the 'Horizon Adjustment' and 'Auto Horizon Correction' features!

Acutally, I think I noted when buying the camera that the Pentax sensor is bigger than the original APS film frame anyway, a little bit bigger??

Shaky, you may have answered my question above about how to tell which DA lens will work on FF - are you saying that all the Limiteds have a full frame image circle?

Yes, sure, the profits from FF DSLR is significant if coupled to additional premium lens sales also. I guess I was (in the back of my mind) thinking that this is not a sure bet for Pentax. As I wrote above, I'm sure they will release new lenses (maybe updates to existing FA types) and offer kits for the shops, as well as reissuing the LTDs.

But to generate these significant profits they are going to have to therefore attract good numbers of system switchers or new starters to their FF offer. Those current Pentax users (like us all here) mostly already have a mixture of APS-C type DAs and older P-K mounts - after parting with the cash for the camera for most there won't be a lot of spare dosh for a lovely new FF zoom etc.??

I feel that by offering FF then Pentax are staking their claim to continuing to be a serious wide ranging contender to the other 3 brands in the market - but the real money will still be made in more consumer / popular areas of the market.

I admit to being a bit confused by the current Pentax range as well. In general I believe that most of the new DA lenses are only suitable for APS-C digital models, so if you put them on a film SLR then you would see a progressive darkening from a third or so in from the edges to black at the edges (thanks to John in an earlier thread for explaining this).

But I have seen references to this or that DA lense actually covering a 35mm film frame (ie so-called FF digital model). But I am unclear on how this is specified in the lens name?? Is it just the Limited range? Any info much appreciated,as if I want the option to buy a FF camera in the future then I'd better not buy any more cropped DA lenses!

Lurking behind all this appears to be this undercurrent of fear about the continuing viability of the Pentax product, and the obvious personal concern about how those of us with such a 'stake' in it would be affected.

It was an easy choice for me as I was largely starting from scratch and the range of old manual lenses was very enticing, but I admit to having glanced at the current offerings from Samsung and wondered if one day the only (new) thing to attach my lovely lenses to will be called a NX-260 or something.

As far as the FF model is concerned, I imagine profits-wise it would be a fairly small part of the mix - isn't the main part of the market moving towards CSCs and bridge style cameras? Surely the financial viability of Pentax will be more tied to the success or otherwise of the successors to the Q, K-01 etc (and new lenses to go on them)?

Great to see you've got that spot on there, and a good mix of some cracking shots. Its a nicely laid out site, the photos come over very well with the black background. I'll be keeping an eye on it now for new shots.I like the way you can call up shots from a particular camera/lens combination.

I'm very new to Pentax, just started out with the brand in March, but I understand that there are some older autofocus lenses known as 'FA', made for the more recent Film SLRs, and I believe some are very good optically.

It would seem realistic to expect Pentax to release new versions of a few of these 'FA's, optimised for digital with the new coatings and updated high speed focussing motors etc etc.

And surely any maker needs to have a new SLR available ready to shoot in kit form, with a lens already on it! (even so called Pro FF models?)

Also, it looks like weather sealing and general outdoors toughness is becoming a bit of a Pentax marketing 'thing', so the WR is likely to feature also. It will be this feature plus a general value for money advantage that will make a new FF Pentax stand out from the competition.