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I am new to BPN and have already learned a lot, thanks! I am using Downloader Pro to download my images from my 20D. Curious as to which software would be the best for converting RAW images prior to going to PS CS3. I have Breezebrowser Pro and am starting to learn it, but was wondering if ACR would give me any advantage.
Hey Jack, a friend of mine is a commercial photographer who has work with every RAW converters on the market and he told me that a program called Light Zone offered the most options. I don't shoot in RAW mode so I can't give you any more info other than I believe it ran around $250.
Jack -
A very interesting question to which i don't think there's one simple answer. It depends a lot on how and what you photograph and your workflow. Artie swears by Breezebrowser in his BAA books/bulletins. Others swear by ACR. Then there are all the debates over accuracy of color conversions . As such software increasingly allows selective editing (sharpening, color corrections, ...) as part of the conversion process - the learning curve goes up accordingly. I think a lot of people are just recommending what they're most comfortable/familiar with, and what good are differences they cite if they don't apply to you. I've tried BB, ACR and Capture One - - and prefer ACR, but still trying to learn everything "new" that's in latest version/update. My suggestion would be to try the demo downloads and go with what works best for your workflow.
Good thread subject jack.
The answer depends on what equipment you are shooting with, and also what your needs and final usage of your work. Also DPR sometimes tests RAW converters and the results are surprising. Diffenences in resolution and detail vary quite a bit. Usually ACR comes out near the top usually.
FYI:
A couple of months ago Photo district news, a commercial monthly mag, ran a survey from late 2007:
InfoTrends recently surveyed 1,026 professional photographers in North America to determine which software they used for raw file processing. Here's what folks reported:
66.5% using the Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in
23.6% using Lightroom
5.5% using Aperture
To be fair to Aperture, it might be helpful to remove Windows users from the equation for a moment. Even after doing so, Lightroom's usage among Mac-based pros is still nearly double that of Aperture (26.6% vs. 14.3%).
It's also worth pointing out that photographers haven't started to abandon Photoshop as a result of using tools such as Lightroom. (Photoshop usage overall remains in the 90% range.) The vast majority of photographers seem to understand pretty clearly the different nature & roles of the apps, and they continue to view Photoshop as a must-have part of any serious arsenal.
Robert
Thanks for the responses. I have read Artie's BAA Bulletins and Digital Basics, and see where he went from BB to ACR and back to BB. Have read John Shaw's CS3 Guide and he talks about ACR. I am just starting out and wanted to get off to a good start. I do have both BB and ACR, so I guess that I best give both a try and see what works for me. Mainly shooting birds and wildlife. Thanks again.
I have a 30d Canon and I like DPP that came with the camera better than adobe... I like it a lot
I'm still on CS2 and always hated Adobe's ACR. So I started trying the other big
names out there. I ended up settling on Bibble Pro. I won't look at anything else.
Doug
You will find different programs do some things better I use LR since it gives good results and is convenient Prior was using Capture One which still believe is the best btw for Nikon Capture NX is hard to beat Any image that I want to take my time will go to NX
Photoshop CS3 came originally with ACR 4, which was OK, but the upgrade 4.1 and higher (4.3.1 is the current version) makes a big difference over older versions. There are many more features that are extremely helpful and easy to use. If I remember correctly, Lightroom uses the same RAW converter. I'm perfectly happy with it and am not even looking around for other programs.
I'm finding DxO Optics works very well for me. Just about any image I apply my "Favourite" preset to just pops compared to the original and it's amazing how it mathematically covers up lens flaws if it has a lens module for the lens used. There are a lot of levers to pull to adjust an image. Their "Film Pack" is also useful for getting interesting effects and adding film-like grain to an image. If you're processing a big batch, you will likely need at least a coffee-break if not a sleep break though to wait for the finals. It does produce multiple versions at once so you can produce a web version, full size jpeg, TIFF and DNG (or more variants) in one fell swoop if you so desire.
I use Lightroom (ACR 4.3.1) and absolutely love it. I switched to Camera RAW in 2006 from Capture One. I know that some people like BreezeBrowser for RAW conversion, notably Artie. Like you said, you'll just have to try it and see if it works for you. I don't think BreezeBrowser's conversion utility is very intuitive, but if it works for you, that's what matters.
I like Chris Breeze's software, BB Pro. But, I'm afraid its time may have come. If you are using PSCS3 for your editor, then the only converter you need is built in. ACR 4.1 is noticeably better than BB Pro, and BB Pro is no slouch. But the control and batch functions given in ACR are going to be hard to beat, unless you just want to spend money. If you're using Mac, I recommend trying Aperture 2 for an all-in-one cataloging / conversion / content creation solution. Download it from Apple and give the trial a spin. The online tutorials are very helpful.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Sturrock
I have used:
RawShooters Premium - predecessor to Lightroom; it was pretty nice for the low cost
Lightroom - Nice results, but too clunky for me.
Capture One Pro - A top of the line conversion engine, but a very convoluted interface. Too clunky.
BB Pro - The best browsing software on the market, IMHO. However, PSCS3's ACR 4.1 has outpaced it for conversions.
Aperture 1 - 2 - It started out as okay, but not good enough for the critical photographer. Aperture 2 is making up for that, as nice improvements have made this competitive with ACR.
PSCS3 ACR 4.1 - Unless you need more than what Photoshop CS3 and Bridge 2.0 offer, this is the easiest way to go. Mucho functionality and excellent results that anyone would be happy with.
