[silkstone]

In January 2007 we started a thread and poll (here) inviting members to vote for which RAW converter(s) they use, and to comment on them. There have been a few developments over the last year which meant that the software list in the poll needed updating, so we thought we'd start a new thread with a revised list. This is it! Please take part in the poll again, even if you did last year's - you may not even be using the same software as you were.

We understand that members will sometimes use several different programs for the various tasks and so the poll is multiple choice. To help newer members to Pixalo, as well as those new to photography in general, the forum name of each member will also be displayed beside their choice/s to help with seeking advice etc. After making your choice/s, a quick post listing your personal pros and cons would also be helpful and welcome.

We have tried to include all the most relevant programs available, but if you use a program that hasn't been included in the list please choose "Other" and reply to the thread stating which program/s you use.

Please remember that this poll and thread relate only to RAW Converters, and not to general editing software. There is another thread in this forum on that subject, which we'll consider updating in the future.

Many thanks.

[j sotelo]

I use Adobe Lightroom 1.3 and ACR in Photoshop Cs3 Extended, I tried DxO but the only thing I like about it was how you were able to correct lens distortion so easily.

[Boofers]

ACR and DxO,,DxO is excellent for converting infrared to a high quality tiff as ACR doesn't respect your white balance on your camera. It Also has some great film grain. If it works use it, if it doesn't, it will only slow you down,,. These two carry the load for me.

Boofers

[emmettleffel]

I use DxO v 4.5.1 and have just upgraded to v 5.0.3 (Win XP).
You do have to check that your lens is compatible i.e. my sigma 10-20mm is supported with my 350D but not my 30D although if you have a 20D, that is supported ( correct me if I'm wrong but aren't the 30D and 20D basically the same sensorwise etc)
So some anomolies there, otherwise a good programme that you can create presets for.

[morlandroger]

Canon DPP for practicall all but occasionall Adobe. Photomatix if HDR also in the past, but tend to use DPP and convert to TIFF or JPEG then open in Photomatix for HDR now.

[orangepeel]

The "Other" in my choice is a code library called dcraw. I use it as part of a small utility I wrote to detect the insertion of my memory card and transfer the images to my image storage drive. Part of it's job is to create JPG previews from the RAW files - hence the need for dcraw.

[Dave Canon]

A year ago I was using RawShooter but changed to Adobe Camera Raw in PS CS3. This version was a huge improvement. Also as I had updated from CS, I had the Bridge for the first time. The Bridge allowed me to adopt and all Adobe basic workflow.

Dave

[silkstone]

I'm a Bibbler!

Pros

Bibble Pro is the nearest thing I've found to an all-in-one, non-destructive RAW converter and editor. With a few (cheap or free) plugins, it will handle perspective and lens correction, fully configurable b/w conversion, selective colour adjustments, local contrast enhancement, blemish removal, CA reduction and plenty more, in addition to standard colour, tone and levels correction.

It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux (deb or rpm), and the licence allows you to run it on different platforms/machines for you own use.

The software developers are active on the support forum, so any problems can be addressed quickly by talking to the people who really know.

Bibble uses 'queues' for processing, printing, conversion etc, so all that goes on in background while you get on with the next job. You can also process to two or more file formats/sizes at the same time.

The price is very reasonable - US$130 for Bibble Pro and US$70 for Bibble Lite. If you buy now, you get a free upgrade to v5 when it eventually appears. You can have a 30-day free trial, and that may be extended if you ask nicely on the forum.

With one or two exceptions, the output is at least as good as anything else I've used.

Cons

We're still on version 4.9. The much anticipated version 5 has been delayed and there is still no release date.

The user interface is a bit eccentric - it's OK once you're used to it, but a bit confusing at first. On the other hand, the appearance is configurable so you can have whatever tools you want in the tabbed panels. Allegedly, version 5 will have a much more intuitive UI.

Bibble's highlight recovery feature can produce strong casts in overexposed highlights. There's a workaround for this, and again v5 is expected to address it, but it is a weak point.

It can process camera RAW and JPEG files, but not TIFF or non-camera DNG.

[Wannabe]

Right now i'm using Google's Picasa... Dh got the CS3 Extended version.. but that's over my head for now..

[j sotelo]

Originally Posted by Wannabe

Right now i'm using Google's Picasa... Dh got the CS3 Extended version.. but that's over my head for now..

Use it as much as you can. Practice, practice, practice.
I also have CS3 Extended so let me know if you need any help

I wrote some easy tutorials keep beginners like you in mind they are easy to follow and not only me but other members have written very good tutorials.
http://www.pixalo.com/community/tutorials-guides/

If you need something you don't find there don't hesitate to let me know