Raw converters

[Jonathan]

So I am working may way through this whole digital processes and am interested on everyones thoughts in third-party converters. Right now I am using CS2 and was wondering if there are any REAL benefits in something like Bibble ACR etc

[mdephoto]

So I am working may way through this whole digital processes and am interested on everyones thoughts in third-party converters. Right now I am using CS2 and was wondering if there are any REAL benefits in something like Bibble ACR etc

Jonathan, I can't speak specifically to Bibble but I can speak to Capature One, Photoshop ACR, Aperture, BreezeBrowser, Canon DPP, Photo Mechanic, and Photoshop LightRoom because I have used each of them for an extended period of time. And, I hate to tell you but each one of them has some unique and valuable qualities that the other does not have. I really wish I could smash them all together and get the best qualities of each and create my own raw processor -- but I can't --- so there is no use fretting over it and I might as well get on with my life. And, since each one is being developed by a different company / group with their own design on taking over the world, I have no hope that they will come together any time soon --- but, hey look at the bright side --- individually they will each keep getting better and better.cool;

From my experience (and my experience only, someone else may have an entirely different point of view) is you have to pick the one that offers the bells and whistles that you think you want to play with BUT this is not the most important feature to worry about. In other words it is important that it offers the features that lets you to the things to the images that you want to do; however the most important feature to me in any raw converter is that it matches MY (emphasis added here) workflow process [the way that I process my images in my digital darkroom workflow from the time I get them onto my computer, thru adjustments, emailing, printing, storage, and retrieval].

Now you may wonder why in the heck a raw converter needs to worry about anything past adjustments -- well, for me I store all my images in their raw format to save storage space in my system and therefore any further work with those images is going to require that the raw processor stay involved. If you use your raw processor to just process the image and then convert it to a psd or tif for storage then it won't matter to you and you just need to worry about the bells and whistles. :D

Now, that I have confused you totally (yes / no ??) -- my answer to your original question would be that there is no one winner in the raw converter game -- pick the one that works best with what you do, stick with it so that you learn all of its capabilities and then spend your time out in the real world making beautiful photos.

[Kevin]

I agree with Mike. I went through the same process. For me, I settled on Raw Shooter Premium but they've now been absorbed by Adobe. There were things I liked about Bibble (like including Noise Ninja?) and the crystal clear control but wasn't crazy about their interface. I really liked Capture One too. Joe Marques, whose opinion I respect, tested all of the converters and felt C1 produced the best skin tones. For portraiture, that's important to me so I'll probably be switching to that this Fall.

I haven't tried ACR or SilkyPix.

[Jonathan]

Jonathan, I can't speak specifically to Bibble but I can speak to Capature One, Photoshop ACR, Aperture, BreezeBrowser, Canon DPP, Photo Mechanic, and Photoshop LightRoom because I have used each of them for an extended period of time. And, I hate to tell you but each one of them has some unique and valuable qualities that the other does not have. I really wish I could smash them all together and get the best qualities of each and create my own raw processor -- but I can't --- so there is no use fretting over it and I might as well get on with my life. And, since each one is being developed by a different company / group with their own design on taking over the world, I have no hope that they will come together any time soon --- but, hey look at the bright side --- individually they will each keep getting better and better.cool;

From my experience (and my experience only, someone else may have an entirely different point of view) is you have to pick the one that offers the bells and whistles that you think you want to play with BUT this is not the most important feature to worry about. In other words it is important that it offers the features that lets you to the things to the images that you want to do; however the most important feature to me in any raw converter is that it matches MY (emphasis added here) workflow process [the way that I process my images in my digital darkroom workflow from the time I get them onto my computer, thru adjustments, emailing, printing, storage, and retrieval].

Now you may wonder why in the heck a raw converter needs to worry about anything past adjustments -- well, for me I store all my images in their raw format to save storage space in my system and therefore any further work with those images is going to require that the raw processor stay involved. If you use your raw processor to just process the image and then convert it to a psd or tif for storage then it won't matter to you and you just need to worry about the bells and whistles. :D

Now, that I have confused you totally (yes / no ??) -- my answer to your original question would be that there is no one winner in the raw converter game -- pick the one that works best with what you do, stick with it so that you learn all of its capabilities and then spend your time out in the real world making beautiful photos.

Thanks Mike. Makes sense. I will have to undergo some more research. Atleast I know there are some advantages to each:) I am still working on the workflow processes as a whole.

Can anyone recommend some digital workflow books?

[Jonathan]

I agree with Mike. I went through the same process. For me, I settled on Raw Shooter Premium but they've now been absorbed by Adobe. There were things I liked about Bibble (like including Noise Ninja?) and the crystal clear control but wasn't crazy about their interface. I really liked Capture One too. Joe Marques, whose opinion I respect, tested all of the converters and felt C1 produced the best skin tones. For portraiture, that's important to me so I'll probably be switching to that this Fall.

I haven't tried ACR or SilkyPix.


Thanks Kevin. I will have to look into Joe Marques.