Chuck Westfall answers questions regarding Canon 5D Mark III

[arash_hazeghi]

I asked a few questions from Chuck Westfall, Canon USA's technical adviser about the 5D Mark III. I have published his answers here for those who are interested

click on the interview link

http://ari1982.smugmug.com/Other/Gui...1470&k=mG7d878

[arash_hazeghi]

In the interview Chuck also points out some subtle differences between 5D3 and 1DX AF and also the potential improvements of the new 61-ppoint AF system for flight photography.

[Alan Stankevitz]

Thanks Arash,

It's interesting that he didn't close the door on future firmware that might address the f/8 autofocus issue. He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no either.

Alan

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Good questions, Arash. thx for sharing.

[Dave Leroy]

It sounds good and soon we are going to be seeing some real applications from the camera. Looking forward to it.

Thanks Arash.

[arash_hazeghi]

I just wanted to update this thread that I have now tried the new version of DPP that includes the DLO feature (Digital Lens Optimizer). This feature corrects optical aberration effects, reduces effect of the optical AA filter and even to some degree diffraction as Chuck pointed out.

From initial results the output is impressive, it does take a while to perform the calculation even with my quad-core 4GHz system with 24GB RAM which indicates it is doing some serious calculation during RAW demosaic as opposed to just sharpening the output.

here is an example of correction of spherical aberration ( field curvature ) that has resulted in softness at the extreme corner of the image. Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 MKII f/2.8, 5D Mark II

[Jay Gould]

Hi and thanks for doing/sharing the interview - my 5D3 has shipped!

Is there "something" to the effect that you need to/must use the newest version of DPP because the noise reduction software in LR and CS5 has not been tweaked for the files coming out of the 5D3?

[arash_hazeghi]

Hi and thanks for doing/sharing the interview - my 5D3 has shipped!

Is there "something" to the effect that you need to/must use the newest version of DPP because the noise reduction software in LR and CS5 has not been tweaked for the files coming out of the 5D3?

The newest version of DPP supports 5D3 (it comes with the camera). Conversion settings are identical to 5D2.

DLO works with all Canon cameras BTW, not just 5D3.

[Mike Tracy]

Thanks for the info Arash. FWIW where was your focus point on the bridge and the settings ?

[arash_hazeghi]

Thanks for the info Arash. FWIW where was your focus point on the bridge and the settings ?

That is a 100% crop.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Arash, what is the version number? will try to find it on canon website.

[Jay Gould]

Honestly, I have never used DPP! I go straight from CR2 to Adobe Convrter DNG and the into Lightroom. My first noise reduction is usually Nik Define in Photoshop. Is DPP a normal part of your Canon workflow?

Always willing to try something new for a better result; settings for 5dx? DLO?

Thanks!

[arash_hazeghi]

Arash, what is the version number? will try to find it on canon website.

it's not public yet.

[arash_hazeghi]

Honestly, I have never used DPP! I go straight from CR2 to Adobe Convrter DNG and the into Lightroom. My first noise reduction is usually Nik Define in Photoshop. Is DPP a normal part of your Canon workflow?

Always willing to try something new for a better result; settings for 5dx? DLO?

Thanks!

Yes my workflow is based on DPP I don't use Adobe for RAW conversion. DLO is applied automatically, just need to turn it on (DLO tab on the main palette)

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

it's not public yet.

thought so. I have the latest version that is available. I guess I will just have to wait for this one to become available.

[arash_hazeghi]

thought so. I have the latest version that is available. I guess I will just have to wait for this one to become available.

turns out that it actually has a bug so wouldn't rush to download if they put it online...

[Steve Uffman]

Honestly, I have never used DPP! I go straight from CR2 to Adobe Convrter DNG and the into Lightroom. My first noise reduction is usually Nik Define in Photoshop. Is DPP a normal part of your Canon workflow?

Always willing to try something new for a better result; settings for 5dx? DLO?

Thanks!

''

Jay, I have myn 5dIII for a few days and ran into the problems Arash alludes to....Rpbert Otoole suggested that I use the ACR 6.7 beta that has the 5dIII supported, convert to DNG and then go about it normally....LIke you I use LR4, CS5 and NIK....very pleased once I made that change....

I think you will find it rather painless as the ACR and the Lightroom interface for Develop have a great deal of commonality.....

Steve

[Jay Gould]

''

Jay, I have myn 5dIII for a few days and ran into the problems Arash alludes to....Rpbert Otoole suggested that I use the ACR 6.7 beta that has the 5dIII supported, convert to DNG and then go about it normally....LIke you I use LR4, CS5 and NIK....very pleased once I made that change....

I think you will find it rather painless as the ACR and the Lightroom interface for Develop have a great deal of commonality.....

Steve

Steve, are you doing anything in ACR besides converting to DNG? If you are processing in ACR, why are you using LR? I have always used Adobe DNG converter.

I copy the files from my card to a CR2 folder, then use Adobe DNG Converter while I do something else. When the files are converted I import to LR.

If you are not doing processing, why even bother with ACR?

[Jay Gould]

Yes my workflow is based on DPP I don't use Adobe for RAW conversion. DLO is applied automatically, just need to turn it on (DLO tab on the main palette)

Arash, could you please explain DLO and why that might be a benefit even if you use LR?

[Steve Uffman]

Steve, are you doing anything in ACR besides converting to DNG? If you are processing in ACR, why are you using LR? I have always used Adobe DNG converter.

I copy the files from my card to a CR2 folder, then use Adobe DNG Converter while I do something else. When the files are converted I import to LR.

If you are not doing processing, why even bother with ACR?

Jay, I had learned of the workaround from a Lightroom Forum. For the 5DIII, it suggested running ACR 6.7 and then converting into DNG, then importing into LR4. Robert Otoole then confirmed it.. I have not looked to streamline the process since I need to focus on learning the camera before I leave Tuesday. Of course, I will think it through before I get to the workshop..Robert told me it is not uncommon to fill up a 32gb card in a single session....Wow

My reference to ease of use really was to offer contrast to DPP...As you know ACR and LR have similar user interfaces...so no real learning curve....With DPP, it is a bit more to learn....particularly since we hope the LR/5dIII and D4 issue is relatively short lived.


My normal process is not to do the CR2 folder as you do. I import directly from the card into LR....no longer use DNG....so on my machine, the import is very fast. When I did convert to DNG, I would do exactly as you are doing because the added lag time due to the conversion process.

[Jay Gould]

Jay, I had learned of the workaround from a Lightroom Forum. For the 5DIII, it suggested running ACR 6.7 and then converting into DNG, then importing into LR4. Robert Otoole then confirmed it.. I have not looked to streamline the process since I need to focus on learning the camera before I leave Tuesday. Of course, I will think it through before I get to the workshop..Robert told me it is not uncommon to fill up a 32gb card in a single session....Wow

My reference to ease of use really was to offer contrast to DPP...As you know ACR and LR have similar user interfaces...so no real learning curve....With DPP, it is a bit more to learn....particularly since we hope the LR/5dIII and D4 issue is relatively short lived.


My normal process is not to do the CR2 folder as you do. I import directly from the card into LR....no longer use DNG....so on my machine, the import is very fast. When I did convert to DNG, I would do exactly as you are doing because the added lag time due to the conversion process.

What are you doing when you open an image in ACR since you are also using LR? Are you doing all files in ACR 6.7 in one go to convert to DNG? I still do not understand. Where did you read this by Robert regarding ACR 6.7 BETA?

[Steve Uffman]

Robert sent me an email first and then has since posted the following on his website http://www.robertotoole.com/

New Nikon and Canon Adobe ACR Update


Anyone receiving one of the new Canon or Nikon bodies and using Photoshop should download the new ACR update which covers all the new camera releases including Canon EOS 1D X, 5D Mk III, G1 X, Nikon D4, D800, D800E.
ACR 6.7 download page:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/cameraraw6-7/
It looks like ACR 6.7 has the 2012 process engine, available in the process menu in the camera calibration tab. The 2012 process engine will be standard in CS6/ACR7.

Jay, I have only done it twice.. so if its okay let me do it again in the morning and I will post step by step... and I will pay attention if the DNG converter is actually being called by the ACR program...and if so, can anything be bypassed....I need to do that anyway before next week...but the basic process was real simple to figure out...

[arash_hazeghi]

Arash, could you please explain DLO and why that might be a benefit even if you use LR?

You cannot use DLO with LR/Adobe it is only available in DPP during RAW conversion. CR2 files that are corrected in DPP using DLO feature cannot be read third-party software.

[Jay Gould]

You cannot use DLO with LR/Adobe it is only available in DPP during RAW conversion. CR2 files that are corrected in DPP using DLO feature cannot be read third-party software.

Are you saying that if you use DPP/DLO then the files cannot be read in Photoshop? That's not good!!

[Steve Uffman]

FYI

"A new feature called Digital Lens Optimizer processes RAW images to achieve ideal optical characteristics for all types of optical aberration or diffraction, effects of a low-pass filter in front of a CMOS sensor, etc. This function improves image quality particularly in the image periphery in addition to the image center. This function is made possible because the entire design-through-manufacture process, for camera, CMOS sensor, EF lens, and DPP, is carried out entirely at Canon. Images are processed optimally using lens information in the image files (focal length, subject distance, and aperture) and lens data specially for the Digital Lens Optimizer. (However, the size of a .CR2 file will be two to three times larger after applying the Digital Lens Optimizer.) Adjustments are made for such aspects as spherical aberration, chromatic aberration, astigmatism, curvature of field, sagittal halo, chromatic aberration of magnification, axial chromatic aberration, diffraction, and the effects of a low-pass filter in front of the CMOS sensor. DPP’s Digital Lens Optimizer will be usable with any of 29 compatible lenses initially. It works with .CR2 files from EOS models released since 2006 (EOS 30D and forward)."

[arash_hazeghi]

Are you saying that if you use DPP/DLO then the files cannot be read in Photoshop? That's not good!!

If you use DLO files cannot be read in LightRoom/PS as CR2 files, but you can save them as TIFF and open in PS.

[Jay Gould]

If you use DLO files cannot be read in LightRoom/PS as CR2 files, but you can save them as TIFF and open in PS.

Arash, from your experience with DLO, you do have experience with DLO , are the images that are produced by DPP/DLO significantly better than without DLO to justify a workflow that would first open a file in DPP, run DLO, convert from CR2/RAW, and then save as a TIFF.

Then, open the TIFF file in PS and "save as" a PSD (for those of us that save their Master Layered file as a PSD, and then............import into Lightroom?

Is DLO worth the hassel?

Since your workflow is based upon DPP/DLO etc which ultimately results in a converted file, what are the other "program" steps in your workflow? Do you use LR, and if not, what database program, if any, do you use to track your file inventory?

Thanks!

[arash_hazeghi]

Arash, from your experience with DLO, you do have experience with DLO , are the images that are produced by DPP/DLO significantly better than without DLO to justify a workflow that would first open a file in DPP, run DLO, convert from CR2/RAW, and then save as a TIFF.

Then, open the TIFF file in PS and "save as" a PSD (for those of us that save their Master Layered file as a PSD, and then............import into Lightroom?

Is DLO worth the hassel?

Since your workflow is based upon DPP/DLO etc which ultimately results in a converted file, what are the other "program" steps in your workflow? Do you use LR, and if not, what database program, if any, do you use to track your file inventory?

Thanks!

Hi Jay,

The DLO seems to be very effective from what I see now and for a FF camera like the 5D3 and wide/zoom/medium tele lenses it is a big plus. Canon WA lenses are not great when it comes to corner performance on a FF body and the new features helps a lot. Is it worth for you? I am not sure, you have to try and see for yourself.

Also there is no point in using LR with TIFF files, LR is for conversion of RAW files so once file is in TIFF format most LR adjustment don't apply and you have to use PS for further editing.

I use DPP and PhotoShop only, I don't have LR.

best