Here is my early preview:

[url=http://www.outbackphoto.com/artofraw/raw_18/essay.html]http://www.outbackphoto.com/artofraw/raw_18/essay.html[/url]

In the next couple of days we will see a new release fixeing many of the initial problems.

Uwe

This RAW converter was developed by Pixmantec but is also available from Corel. Pixmantec has posted the second version (called 1.1)of RawShooter at

http://www.pixmantec.com/rs/rawshooteressentials2005V11.exe

I have done some preliminary testing and to my eye, the default level for sharpening is too high. (Of course, the user can select a lower level.)

And the default for Contrast is too low. (Again, easy to solve.)

Color saturation seems too high in my view, although that is subjective. (I could not find a method for reducing saturation.)

I believe they are still working to perfect the software but it is already very, very good.

Peter K. Burian, Contributor, Shutterbug magazine

That update Uwe mentioned is now available for download.

Hi,
I have downloaded the upgrade and it appears to have fixed the Athlon processor problem. I personally use my Minolta Viewer because it is both faster and more user friendly.

Thanks for the input. Has anyone else tried this converter? They are I guess using the free download as a way to beta the software, so any input would be helpful.

George,

beta or not beta is a good question. They want to get the software into the market first. This software works for some images and some cameras just great and maybe better than the other RCs. But then there are system/camera/user situations where things have to be improved.

Don't forget the author made C1 and wants to archive two goals:

- Raw made easy
- Excellent quality

Not perfect yet but a great start.

I for myself use it all the time.

Uwe

I am also finding myself using RSE more often than not these days. The conversions are as good as anything I'm seeing from Camera Raw or C1 and the workflow is better. I think they have a real winner here and I'm looking forward to seeing a more complete feature set in the next version.

George,

It should be noted that this Corel Raw Essentials is WINDOZE only. So who is it really intended for?

Remember that it's Corel linking up here and they want a raw converter for their programs, and this seems to be it, at least for widnows only.

RawEssentials is actually made by Pixmantec: guys (in Belgium) who left the PhaseOne company and developed this RAW converter.

The latest version is very good, but they are still working on it and subsequent versions may be even better. (Eventually though, it will not be free of charge, although it is now. The free version will expire on some future date.)

http://esd.element5.com/product.html?productid=300013536&languageid=1&cart=1&currencies=EUR,all&noquickbuy=1

As mentioned earlier: Set the Sharpening level to about -10 or -20 because at zero, sharpening is very aggressive.

You can set such preferences with the Processing Parameters menu (next to the green question mark at the top of the screen.)

Peter K. Burian, Contributor, Shutterbug magazine

Peter,

>guys (in Belgium)

get a European map :-). Like Phase One they are from Denmark.

Uwe

Uwe: You're right. Denmark.

I was born in Europe so my mistake was not due to geographic ineptitude.

Peter

Peter,

I downloaded Raw Essentials and installed on my IBM. I tried it with some files of some test shots with a Canon 20D. And to be candid, I cannot see what all the fuss is about. It does not offer anything I see as much of an advantage. Am I missing something?

David: I have tested RawShooter and its primary appeal is that it is free. Some people do not like the RAW converter that came with their cameras and this is a fine alternative.

(And not everyone has Photoshop CS. Elements 3.0 and PS 7 do not support as many cameras' RAW formats.)

One day, the free version of RawShooter will expire and they will ask a fee for renewal. (No idea when or the cost.)
www.pixmantec.com

Aside from being free, it's a good product: versatile, fairly fast, and produces fine image quality. Except for over-sharpening. (Set Sharpening to about -30.)

It was developed by people who used to work for PhaseOne and is similar in many respects. But free - for now.

Cheers!

Here's what I mean. I just got this e-mail from a friend who owns an EOS D60.

<<I've been using either the canon raw converter or the raw converter built into ACDsee. Neither is very satisfactory. Pixmantec appears to be a step-up relative to both of those. Your timing in alerting me to his is ideal. I've just shot a bunch of images of a play that required me to overdrive ISO to gain acceptable exposure values. the ACDsee raw conversion yielded very grainy images. Pixmantec seems to handle these images more effectively.>>

P.S. Here's a review by a guy who prefers RawShooter over the PhaseOne converter http://photography.about.com/b/a/148279.htm

(I don't but he does.)

Peter,

ACDsee! Tells me a lot. I guess if you stack it up against software that has really limited, mediocre tools for color correction, being its free for the moment, Raw Essentials is a pretty good deal. You get what you pay for. Personally the tools for color correction and adjustment offered in RAW Essentials are little more sophisticated and graphically intuitive than those offered by average scanner drivers a dozen years ago.

I'd think programmers in Denmark in the graphics field would at least be familiar with the excellent interface design and effective functionality of the scanner drivers developed by ScanView, a really advanced scanner manufacturer also located in Denmark.

And, even if budget constrained, Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 provides the full Adobe Camera Raw functionality at no additonal cost, and combined with its dual manual and QuickFix color correction facilities makes dealing with many kinds of RAW files both easy and effective.

The one thing I have found lacking in most of the RAW utilities, that I find "essential" is an interactive color cast sniffer and variable correction tool. So far the only effective one is a part of the comprehensive and sophisticated Lasersoft SilverFast DC Pro. Unfortunately SilverFast is a bit pricey, but still not the costliest RAW utility tool that's available.

David: Yes, the Raw converter in Elements 3.0 is great but (theoretically) it does not support many of the most recent cameras.

The latest version of Adobe Camera Raw is (apparently) intended only for Photoshop CS. At least, www.adobe.com provides no indication that it can be used with Elements 3.0

That is certainly possible as I have found.

i.e. It is possible to download the latest Adobe Raw and install it in the plug-ins file for Elements 3.0. (Follow the instructions provided by Adobe -- for installation to Photoshop CS -- but install to Elements 3.0.)

Again, this assumes that everyone owns Elements 3.0 or is willing to buy it. Some people own only the software that came with their digital cameras.

Cheers!

Peter,

First of all, the upgrades that include recent new digital cameras, posted on Adobe' web site are kept up to date quite well from what I have observed. And inasmuch as Camera Raw whether in CS or Elements is a plugin and is largely compliant with all current versions of Photoshop. In fact I found just before Elements 3.0 was released the Camera Raw plugin functioned and could be kept current even in Elements 2.0.

However, I am troubled in the context of this thread, by what is implied in your last sentence. The reason is that RAW format saves are made possible so all of the data captured by a camera sensor can be accessed without camera on-board auto-processing and at the full bit-depth at which the sensor functions. Then the assumption must be that the user/photographer will have the software tools to manually color correct and edit the image according to the perceptual expectations and use of the image intended by the photographer. In other words the "RAW" concept is not really intended for those who do not have the means or the skill to use a full-featured image editor.

It does not make any sense to me to shoot in RAW and then have to rely on a less than comprehensive and capable set of tools in a RAW utility, particularly using auto-adjustments. I would think a photographer who has not graduated at least to Elements might really be better served by setting a digital camera to save at the highest JPEG quality at full resolution and also set the "parameters" and colorspace if available to Adobe RGB (1998) and let the camera's processor adjust the attributes to compensate for image variations in subject brightness range, etc.

To me there is little to gain in using RAW if you cannot take full advantage of Photoshop or a comparable image editor.

Hi all,
To my knowledge, Raw Shooters will remain free to Corel Draw Suite/PSP9 registered owners via the Corel web site, with no time limit. The download is available via a link on Corel's web site.

I will check with those in the know and report back tomorrow.

Quote:
Hi all,
To my knowledge, Raw Shooters will remain free to Corel Draw Suite/PSP9 registered owners via the Corel web site, with no time limit. The download is available via a link on Corel's web site.

I will check with those in the know and report back tomorrow.

__________________________________________________________
Here is the reply I received:

"According to one of the Pixmantec guys it will remain free for everybody but they plan to sell a more full featured version in the future. There is no time limit on the current version."
_______________________________________________________

Dave: That's good news; the free version will always remain available for those who do not need a full featured RAW converter.

However, I suspect that one day, Pixmantec will stop updating the free version. After all, they need to make a profit. And that's fair.

Peter K. Burian, Shutterbug Contributor
Digital Photo Course instructor, www.betterphoto.com

Just downloaded. Looking for sliders to tweak color channels but cannot find it. Picture shows color cast. Is tint the only slider available?