Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/05/20

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Subject: [Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?
From: clive.moss at gmail.com (Clive Moss)
Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 19:48:04 -0500
References: <30db39f20905191219t20d39644h24a28d08b7137bef@mail.gmail.com> <36172e5a0905191613u14fb312en7d2d775d1c44c3ed@mail.gmail.com> <30db39f20905191629s5c3b290ayf6c28d6db97b48ad@mail.gmail.com> <36172e5a0905191645n7ecb268fg3092929a0129d0d4@mail.gmail.com> <3cad89990905191853s4ff4069fnb33fdc13cbe2ccda@mail.gmail.com> <C2337D82-7F05-4AD4-8711-A5A41C31EC4A@btinternet.com> <36172e5a0905200044t7b902905y4a6e0f9ea640f40@mail.gmail.com>

I have run the experiment (with both Nikon lenses and the Canon G9
using DxO) and the difference is eye-popping.

I use NEFs because I use DxO software for troublesome conversions and
to correct pincushion and barrel distortion. DxO does not work with
DNGs - it wants to use the proprietary data in the NEF file.
In the future I expect that manufacturers will start taking a total
systems (and therefore proprietary) approach to lens/sensor/raw
conversion to optimize the final image.

There have been some small steps in this direction:
Leicasonic with the LX3/D-lux 4 approaches to correcting distortion
Nikon correcting some color aberrations in Capture NX2, and rectifying
the 10.5mm fisheye.
Third parties like DxO and PTlens correcting distortion.
Even Leica used that approach to solve the IR problem, even if it was
unintentional!
Fujitsu is using non-standard sensors to improve dynamic range

In the long run I expect the total systems approach to dominate -- it
will let smaller lighter lenses (especially zooms) and possibly lower
cost sensors produce superior images. At the low end, the emphasis
will be on cheaper components. At the high end, the emphasis will be
on better images. I expect that as processor power improves even depth
of field could be enhanced using algorithms that based on the
properties of specific lenses.

What I am leading up to is that an open standard like DNG used by
camera manufacturers will inhibit a total systems approach. It is too
early in the life of digital cameras to freeze and standardize such a
critical component of the total system.

Adobe's expertise does not lie in lens/sensor design, and even their
approach to raw conversion led to howls (murmurs?) of protest that the
camera's output was superior to Adobe's. Adobe (rightly) gave in to
its users and produced profiles that are closer to the camera's output
than to Adobe's idea of what the output should look like.

It be better for the industry if Adobe opened up their architecture
and allowed third parties to plug their raw converters in to Lightroom
or Adobe Camera Raw, save their parameters in the database. Then Leica
(or anyone) could use their magic sauce to cook the raw conversion as
they pleased. Third parties like DxO could provide alternative "looks"
as they do with DxO Filmpack, so that the user could say "make this a
Kodachrome" and bingo, it is.

(and no, the CS3 to CS4 upgrade is not worth it - I upgraded out of
curiosity, but I cannot say that it was worth it to me. YMMV)
--
Clive
Blog:  http://clive.moss.net/blog
Photographs: http://clive.smugmug.com



On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 2:44 AM, Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com> 
wrote:
> Frank perhaps you could run an experiment there if you wished and let us
> know the outcome? You'll need a lens with known significant correction
> problems to conduct the experiment.


In reply to: Message from rbaron at concentric.net (Robert D. Baron) ([Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?)
Message from hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?)
Message from rbaron at concentric.net (Robert D. Baron) ([Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?)
Message from hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?)
Message from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?)
Message from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?)
Message from hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] Photoshop CS 3 to CS 4 Upgrade Worth It?)