I have used C1SE for RAW processing up until now but am looking again to see what is on the market. I found C1 to be a competent RAW processor, but I hate the interface and I found some bugs that were never resolved, which I found disappointing.
I have CS2 so ACR is one option. RSP also looks good, but when I checked it out a couple of months ago it seemed that there were still color integrity issues (now resolved?) Bibble also looks pretty impressive.
I'm using a 5D. My priorities are control over the process, good interface and reasonable price. I don't need to mass-process thousands of shots.
I would like to be able to save parameter sets to be able to recreate TIFFs when I need without having to save them all.
Thanks for any opinions, which I am sure will be varied. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Charles
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
It exists in another, proffesional version too, the RawShooter premium. I have tried the "essentials", but prefered the C1Pro. I know that many use the RawShooters and are very pleased with them.
Also the DPP, that comes with Canon, is a nice converter, IMHO.
However, there are many opinions and preferences about this. I have scrolled through many forums to try to get some ideas about which converter I should get, and came to the conclusion that this is about individual needs and how you like to work. As I said before, I prefered the C1Pro, the interface and workflow just suits me perfect, so that ended up as my choice. A very expencive choice though.
Good luck with your choice.
Espen
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
It exists in another, proffesional version too, the RawShooter premium. I have tried the "essentials", but prefered the C1Pro. I know that many use the RawShooters and are very pleased with them.
Also the DPP, that comes with Canon, is a nice converter, IMHO.
However, there are many opinions and preferences about this. I have scrolled through many forums to try to get some ideas about which converter I should get, and came to the conclusion that this is about individual needs and how you like to work. As I said before, I prefered the C1Pro, the interface and workflow just suits me perfect, so that ended up as my choice. A very expencive choice though.
Good luck with your choice.
Espen
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Most have free demos so that's one route to take to see what you like--the demos are long enough to get a feel for using them. I've used most of them--except Bibble-- and have been using RAW converters since 2001 or so--Canon software which was awful then, and then Chris Breeze developed Breezebrowser. I migrated to the RAW plugin with PS7, then C1, and then PSCS/ACR and PSCS2/ACR--and added RSP. Since I bought the 5D I am using RSP, ACR and C1 in that order (dislike DPP, but others like it)sometimes choosing the converter based on the image. However, I will say that RSP is my preference overall--but having tried the newer upgrade version for ACR--I'm going back and giving it another look. The thing that drives me crazy with ACR is using Bridges as even on my fast machine, its very slow loading 5D thumbs. I find it easier to find them in Imatch and open in PS if I'm going that route. RSP loads very quickly and I find I'm using it to edit the first go round.
Diane
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
The key to all of these choices, IMHO, is to find the workflow solution that is "best" for you. I define "best" as the one that with con fort, and ease allows you to reach the creative potential of your images in 80%+ of the time. For those other 20% or less of special images, there are several other choices that should be part of your RAW processing arsenal. No one Raw converter will do 100% of your images to perfection. So pick the "best" one for you, and learn it completely. In many cases how well you learn to "drive" the converter is more important than the specific converter that you use. In other words RC-A might be technically inferior to RC-B, but if you learn A really well, but do not know how to drive RC-B, A will be better for you.
However, there are some technical advances that some RCs have that are simply based in technology and no amount of better driving another converter better will beat them. Since I am associated with a specific brand of RC, I will not go into a further discussion of my last statement. But you folks can. Happy to answer any specific questions.
Keep shooting RAW!
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
There's also a BPTlens plug in that un-distorts your images. This plug in also has CA correction abilities. You can even set a crop and only convert what's in the crop. Of course there's all the basic color/WB/exposure adjustments built in, as well as highlight recovery and 'fill' light for getting detail out of the shadows.
Just think, if all this gets fixed from a RAW converter the resulting TIFFs are pretty much finished. I find myself using PSCS to just resize, save, print.... and remove those pesky UFOs that appear from taking pix in dusty/dry weather.
Oh, the link is for the mac version.. there are Linux and PC versions out too [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
Hi Charles
If accurate color is important, you should try Silkypix - nothing beats it. In terms of workflow, RSP is the best, and I'd just love it to match SP for color, but the fact is it doesn't, IMHO. They seem to be working hard to get Magne's profiles sorted. If that happens, I might switch back to making it my main converter.
SP also has a few features built in that are pretty useful. Like contols for lens tilt/shift (that fully match those in PShop's "Filter/distort/lens correction") and distortion (actually more controllable than in PShop IMHO).
I like the response here of Michael Tapes, who is connected with RSP, and I agree completely with him: no converter is best at everything. You have to try them all (if you can find the time!), find the one that suits your workflow/requirement best and then master it. I'd add, keep an eye open for new kids on the block, in case they're better for you.
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
The RS Color Engine is only months old, so Magne has only now been able to take in a lot of real world feedback, which is an important part of his final tweaks. I would expect to see tweaks for some cameras within the CE in the near future. This is not a promise, but a prediction.
Like with other converters that change with time, RS will pursue the moving target of "perfect" RAW conversion. (said tongue in cheek, as their is no perfect, as all of the results are judged by our own expectations and subjective evaluations).
White Balance so easy, even our 5 year old can do it.- Melissa Strickland
Linear Mode
