DPP wishlist

[Ron_Scheffler]

[ QUOTE ]
I copied the same test directory to an IDE drive and DPP loaded them in 15 seconds so DPP only has a problem with the SATA drive.

From these results I have concluded that the software is responsible for the problem.

Do you have any suggestions for improving the drive's performance?

Glenn

[/ QUOTE ]

It might be worthwhile running a disk utility to repair the directory on the SATA drive to see if that changes anything (which might end up being the same as defragmenting). If the SATA drive has had a lot of files copied onto it and then some erased, added, erased, added, etc. it could take a longer time for the computer to find the files for DPP from that drive than from the IDE drives, though you do mention regular defragmentation maintenance.

[ QUOTE ]
I compared the speed of my SATA drive with two 133 ATA IDE drives and found the SATA tested 27.3 MB/s where the two IDE drives tested at 15.1 MB/s and 14.1 MB/s, almost twice as fast. The SATA drive is used only for image file storage and has been defragmented regularly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not knowing what system you're running, I can't really comment on those results, but they all seem slow. I've found that my SATA drives transfer at around 30-60 MB/s depending on how full they are, etc. whereas the IDE drives on my previous system seemed to top out at around 30 MB/s or so (though I'm not exactly certain about that figure, but do know that transfer speeds with the SATA drives have been faster). Is your SATA drive connected via a SATA cable, and ATA cable for the ATA drives? Or are they in firewire or USB enclosures of some sort? 15 MB/s is in line with what one might expect with a laptop 4200 rpm drive.

[Ron_Scheffler]

To add to the list, I'd like to see:

– Something like DXO's lens corrections incorporated into DPP.
– The ability to batch change one recipe parameter without overwriting other parameters in the other recipes. I.e. batch change curves settings without affecting saturation, etc.
– Batch save recipe files separate from the raw file (side-car file). So far I've only been able to figure out how to do it one at a time, which is not suitable when working with hundreds of images. And have an option for DPP to automatically read those side-car files rather than having to load them one by one.

[EdwardKaraa]

I would add better demosaicing algorithms, especially in sunsets, night scenes and other high contrast scenes. RIT seems to be the best converter around in handling the above.

[Glenn_Darryl]

Ron, Thanks for your suggestions on my SATA drive. I found the problem and it was not a hardware issue. My modest 4 year old Homebrew computer is not nearly as fast as your's but is running as good as can be expected.

The problem was a DPP related issue. The directories that slowed DPP so much also contained original jpeg files from my wife's little S500 camera. When these were removed, DPP retrieved directories at the same speed as other software.

Glenn

[EdDubois]

Only one thing to add from me: I'd like to see my flash exposure compensation info when I call up the EXIF data. All I can get now is Flash: ON.

[JackJosephJr]

I'm using DPP more and more. I really like it but am frustrated with its progress.

I'd like;

1. DPP needs an actual cropping tool, with rotation, like ACR that is reflected in the thumbnail.

2. While I'm on the subject of thumbnails it's time for DPP to make a thumbnail file like the rest of the image application world does. That way all changes would automatically be reflected in the thumbnail. SHIFT+CTRL+T? Come on!

3. The cropping (Trim) tool and the Stamp tool ought to be integrated into the program instead of being pain-in-the-behind, add-on applications.

4. Canon knows their cameras best. DPP needs REAL highlight recovery and color noise control (that's not another add-on like Trim and Stamp).

5. The data in the info panel, and the info thumbnail is so sparse as to be a joke. Why would EVU be able to show all the camera data and DPP be unable to? I suggest that DPP ought to really be the "professional" application that the marketing departments claims it is. DPP is too good to have these kinds of issues.

6. Speaking of "professional" DPP should be able to perform all of the camera adjustments that EVU does as well as customize and write Picture Styles. Why would Canon want photographers to need two applications to do the job of a really good one?

7. More flexibility in the Rename tool would be appreciated, sort of a blend of Bridge and TheRename. I can almost, but not quite, get the file names that I want. Renaming in Bridge is so ponderously slow that I'd rather do it in DPP.

8. DPP needs to be able to apply parts of recipies to images so that one can change for example the sharpening and contrast without effecting the other image characteristics. More individual buttons, like WB and Brightness, would be appreciated.

9. EVU's, and I think ZoomBrowser's, tool board of settings that exactly matches those in my 1D mark II is very handy for examining images and deciding which adjustments to use in the future. Whether using old paramenter cameras like my 1D2 bodies or Picture Style bodies the Canon application's tool set ought to be able to exactly match the camera. Then additional adjustments can be applied such as using Picture Styles on older cameras' files.

10. Finally, I'd like to see the imaging processing differences between DPP, ZoomBrowser and EVU rectified so that all current Canon applications produce the same, "official" Canon rendition. A processed CR2 ought to look very close to a camera JPG shot using the same camera settings. Old camera contrast = 5 clicks, new camera contrast = 9 clicks.

I gripe about DPP but I want to let Canon know that I think they've really got a winner in DPP. It's not supposed to be another Photoshop so as expected I use CS2 quite a bit. But when it comes to camera JPG and RAW processing DPP has some real advantages.

www.jackjosephjr.com

[Graham_Russell]

Perhaps I've missed this, but I can't find any way of showing clipped highlights and shadows. I really want to see these areas on the image, not just on the histogram.

I really like what ACR does: by holding down ALT key (on windows) while adjusting exposure and shadow sliders it's very easy to see when shadows and highlights clip. I shoot a lot of high-key white background shots in my studio and being able to control how the background clips is great.

Thanks
Graham