Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm in the software biz, and I can certainly relate to your concerns. Bothers me too, except when it has put money in my pocket ;-) (In defense of software, we have huge complex software packages available to us today that cost very little money, or even nothing at all - so it's not all bad, by any means.) But you can always take a kind of "Leica approach" to software. After, all the Leica M is not the most versatile system, but many folks standardize, hunker down and very happily live within it's limitations - sometimes even using only 1 focal length - while playing to the system's strengths. For me that means - VueScan, NikonScan, Nikon Capture, PictureWindow Pro, QuadtoneRIP, IMatch, Exifer, JAlbum, Polaroid's Dust filter, WinSCP. I might be missing something but that's pretty much it - all of it either cheap or free. Excepting Vuescan/NikonScan, little or no redundancy in the tools. Thus far, I otherwise just "hunker down," use these tools, and try to get better at using them. While there have been many upgrades to many of these tools over the past year, I mostly don't bother to even install them. No fuss, no muss. With software, it's easy to eat up the hours with ever new and/or improving tools. I'd rather eat up the hours making pictures, or watching the tube, or cooking or just about anything else. Best of luck. Scott David Rodgers wrote: >Does anyone ever get tired of needing yet another program or plugin to >accomplish something? Certain things I can understand, but noise >management is pretty central to photography. You'd think PS CS would >have some good tools. > >Sorry, I'm whining. I recently downloaded a highly recommended software >app (not photo related but mainstream). I decided it wasn't the route I >wanted to go, so I tried to uninstall the demo version. First I'm >prompted by several screens to buy the pro version of the software for >$50. Another screen implored me to by the non-pro version for $40. It >was "for my own good". Subsequently I was prompted with a one time offer >of a $10 discount. Finally a coupon for yet another $20 off popped up. >Uninstall should have been "hardsell.exe". Who knows what evil now lurks >inside my PC. Ironically, that's what the software I downloaded was >supposed to tell me. > >DaveR > >-----Original Message----- >From: Didier Ludwig [mailto:rangefinder@screengang.com] >Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 3:16 PM >To: Leica Users Group >Subject: Re: [Leica] CS2 and noise reduction. > >Chris > >The noise reduce filter of CS2 is quite limited. Third party tools like >like Neat Image or Noise Ninja are much more powerful. > >Neat Image >http://www.neatimage.com/ >review at luminous landscape >http://tinyurl.com/ac0e > >Noise Ninja: >http://www.picturecode.com/ >review at luminous landscape >http://tinyurl.com/ys5tv > >Cheers, >Didier > > > > > > > >>Regarding CS2 enhancements, Adobe sayeth: >>"Expand the usable ISO range of your digital camera and maximize image >> >> >quality by reducing the noise from camera sensors as well as film grain. >The advanced controls of Reduce Noise can discretely address the noise >in individual color channels while preserving edge detail, as well as >correcting JPEG compression artifacts." > > >>To wit: >>Go to Filter drop down menu. >>Go to Noise. >>Go to Reduce Noise. >>Go nuts wiff yo' bad-ass DMR at higher ISOs. >>Respectfully, as always, >>Chris Lawson >> >> > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Leica Users Group. >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- Pics @ http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps Leica M6TTL, Bessa R, Nikon FM3a, Nikon D70, Rollei AFM35 (Jihad Sigint NSA FBI Patriot Act)