For those of you who have not done so yet I highly recommend that you download the new Camera Raw 4.1 that was finally posted late last night to the Adobe web site (only good with CS3/PS10). A couple of major improvements include the "clarify" slider - this will give you much the same result as using the "local contract enhancement" that I have been teaching in my workshops for years - rember guys how great that technique works? Now you can use it on the RAW file, and even better, it does NOT blow out the highlights like the other techinque does! WAY TO GO ADOBE!!!
And a second major improvement is in the sharpening that is available to the RAW file - you have incredible control over this now and can adjust the amount, radius, etc. all you like.
There are a couple of other improvements but these two you will be able to use on nearly every single file you process.
Lightroom 1.1 will follow soon and will have the same improvements. Holy cow RAW files just keep getting better and better...
I was surprised to see that in Photoshop News (haven't had a chance to download it yet - this evening for sure!). The sharpening features look incredible, finally taking Bruce Fraser's workflow into account. Can't wait to use it! Excellent!!!
Tim B, am I to understand you may be changing positions and starting to sharpen in Raw? From what you said in Arkansas, you avoided sharpening there because of the global implications.
As for me, I need to find some more money and get my CS3 ordered. Maybe I'll sell a few prints this weekend! Here's hoping!
Up until now sharpening in RAW has been hit or miss - not a very good way to do it. The best method has been to use no sharpening during the RAW conversion and then apply CAPTURE SHARPEN via the Photokit Sharpen Plugin ($100). That may still be the best way to do it, however at least now while the RAW sharpener remains a global sharpen (you can't do it on layers), at least you have much more control over it and I kind of like the way it works... PS10 is miles ahead of PS9 in many respects, this just being the latest...The cost to upgrade is less than a couple hours worth of shooting film and processing in the old days!
That's absolutely correct, Wayne! RAW 4.1 allows you to create an edge mask that directs the sharpening to just the edges and leaves the surfaces alone. Also, the controls in 4.1 are much finer than in prior versions (where sharpening was rather crude) - much more like the unsharp mask filter in PS and is perfect for the capture sharpening step of any workflow.
Good luck this weekend - hopefully you'll be working with CS3 soon!
Here is some really good stuff about 4.1 - http://photoshopnews.com/2007/05/31/about-camera-raw-41/
And also here is a note from Jeff Schewe in reply to someone who asked about if this replaced photokit capture sharpen or not -
"Camera Raw 4.1 now has the tools to do optimal capture sharpening-course you will have to determine what is "optimal" for yourself...but I think the current sharpening when viewed at 100% (1:1) can now be relied upon to show you how to sharpen the image-not make it look "crunchy" but make it look "good" (which is not to say that you want to sharpen for intended output yet or for any special effect).
Once you have a "good" capture sharpening for the image type and capture size (your camera) you can create a preset to apply upon import-and if you select the CR preference to set default by ISO you get even further along the way by incorporating noise reduction by ISO as well.
You'll still need to do "Creative Sharpening" for selective work (in Photoshop) and at this point you'll still need to do "Output Sharpening"...we're woking on that part now but I really can't make any other comments...nor can I comment on how this will effect the product "PhotoKit Sharpener" in the future other than to say we intend to continue developing PKS for version 2.0. I just don't know when it may see light of day..."
This is great! I just downloaded it and played with a couple of files...wow. I'd like to play more, but there's a full moon to point my camera at tonight, and I've got a 2 hour drive. Thanks for the heads-up, Tim!
Just a note to say that Camera Raw 4.1 will also work for those using Adobe Creative Suite 3, Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 and Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0.
I use PSE 5.0 and have been using Camera Raw 4.0 for a couple of weeks now - it's great but the 4.1 update makes it even better!
Tim, I know you use Nikon gear and probably Capture NX. When I switched to Nikon, I picked up a copy of NX which I think works great but it's SLOW. So slow it annoys the heck out of me. I'm wondering if you might throw out a few sentences to compare/contrast NX and CS3/ACR4.1 because I'm having a hard time swallowing a $200 upgrade price.
Since Tim's on the road, he probably won't see your post for awhile Jason. But if I remember correctly, he's now using a Phase One P-45 back on an "Ernst" body. But when he was using a D2x, I don't recall him ever mentioning using Capture NX. I think most of his conversions from the D2x were done in ACR.
The only advantage I can think of in using Capture NX is its flexible color management. You can assign ICC profiles to an image or convert an image from one ICC profile to another. I'd like to try some of Joseph Holmes' DCam working spaces and chroma variants, but I think I would take a processing hit in having to do the conversion in CS3. I probably should just go with his ProPhoto working space and variants, and stick with ACR 4.1. From what little I've seen in 4.1, its going to be hard to beat overall. I'm going to have to try the NX trial download to make a comparison.
Bill is correct - I could not stand Capture (or any software by Nikon for that matter) so just stuck with PS9 and now PS10. I was hoping they would allow more color spaces as Bill noted since I use the Holmes color variants too, but that was not to be. Perhaps in PS11. If you are talking about spending $200 for PS10, oh my gosh, it is worth many times that and more! If that is for the Nikon software, I would not waste a dime on it...
Discussion
11 repliesAnd a second major improvement is in the sharpening that is available to the RAW file - you have incredible control over this now and can adjust the amount, radius, etc. all you like.
There are a couple of other improvements but these two you will be able to use on nearly every single file you process.
Lightroom 1.1 will follow soon and will have the same improvements. Holy cow RAW files just keep getting better and better...
As for me, I need to find some more money and get my CS3 ordered. Maybe I'll sell a few prints this weekend! Here's hoping!
Up until now sharpening in RAW has been hit or miss - not a very good way to do it. The best method has been to use no sharpening during the RAW conversion and then apply CAPTURE SHARPEN via the Photokit Sharpen Plugin ($100). That may still be the best way to do it, however at least now while the RAW sharpener remains a global sharpen (you can't do it on layers), at least you have much more control over it and I kind of like the way it works... PS10 is miles ahead of PS9 in many respects, this just being the latest...The cost to upgrade is less than a couple hours worth of shooting film and processing in the old days!
Good luck this weekend - hopefully you'll be working with CS3 soon!
And also here is a note from Jeff Schewe in reply to someone who asked about if this replaced photokit capture sharpen or not -
"Camera Raw 4.1 now has the tools to do optimal capture sharpening-course you will have to determine what is "optimal" for yourself...but I think the current sharpening when viewed at 100% (1:1) can now be relied upon to show you how to sharpen the image-not make it look "crunchy" but make it look "good" (which is not to say that you want to sharpen for intended output yet or for any special effect).
Once you have a "good" capture sharpening for the image type and capture size (your camera) you can create a preset to apply upon import-and if you select the CR preference to set default by ISO you get even further along the way by incorporating noise reduction by ISO as well.
You'll still need to do "Creative Sharpening" for selective work (in Photoshop) and at this point you'll still need to do "Output Sharpening"...we're woking on that part now but I really can't make any other comments...nor can I comment on how this will effect the product "PhotoKit Sharpener" in the future other than to say we intend to continue developing PKS for version 2.0. I just don't know when it may see light of day..."
I use PSE 5.0 and have been using Camera Raw 4.0 for a couple of weeks now - it's great but the 4.1 update makes it even better!
The only advantage I can think of in using Capture NX is its flexible color management. You can assign ICC profiles to an image or convert an image from one ICC profile to another. I'd like to try some of Joseph Holmes' DCam working spaces and chroma variants, but I think I would take a processing hit in having to do the conversion in CS3. I probably should just go with his ProPhoto working space and variants, and stick with ACR 4.1. From what little I've seen in 4.1, its going to be hard to beat overall. I'm going to have to try the NX trial download to make a comparison.