Digital Light & Color

Jonathan do you see the raw import component from the older version of the software making it into the new version....I'm using DNG now so I'm fine but I was just wondering...

There are no plans to integrate the raw file support from PWP 7 into PWP 8. Also, the Adobe DNG support in PWP 8 is not really intended as a substitute for raw file processing as it does not allow for any exporuse adjustments or anything else. PWP 8 is designed to be used in conjunction with an external raw converter such as DxO Photolab, Capture One, or Lightroom (commercial) or Raw Therapee (free). I particularly recommend PhotoLab, but any of them will work. There is a section of the help file about integration with external programs.

Supporting raw files well is a complicated and time consuming effort due to the endless parade of new cameras and the extensive testing required to characterize each one. Modern raw processors do a much better job of raw conversion that PWP 7, including automatic removal of vignetting, chromatic aberration and optical distortion as well as exposure control and noise reduction. Proper handling of camera metadata is also a minefield of special cases and decoding proprietary formats.

Thanks that makes sense I will look for the integration text ....

I started using PWP when I sold my film cameras around 2003.

Most recently I have been using Qimage to convert my RAW images. Qimage started life as a printing program but the developer introduced a way of working with RAW files about ten years ago. It works adequately when one is dealing with a few files but is not designed for people who end up with a large batch of pictures when covering an event - or even returning from a holiday.

Seeing that Jonathan had himself decided to drop RAW processing I decided to work on my Christmas holiday pictures using the software he mentions. DxO Photolab.

It has transformed the speed I can work. You get a 31 day trial. I recommend you give it a go. Naturally it has not the level of control offered by PWP but it will probably get you jpgs or tiffs that do not disappoint you. PWP will always make them that bit better of course, but there are occasions when good enough is good enough!!

If you happen to have Fuji X (or Sony) camera and the budget similar to mine, this may be useful:

https://www.jonathansachs.me/phpbbBB3/v ... f=4&t=2255