Showing posts with label camera raw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camera raw. Show all posts

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Review

Adobe Photoshop CS2
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My experience with Photoshop CS2 has been limited thus far, but it does appear to offer some nice new features, particularly to the enhancement in Adobe Camera Raw, the Spot Healing Tool, and possibly Adobe Bridge as I explore it more. A major drawback to me personally, is that changes have been made in the user interface that conflict with the old Extensis PhotoTools plug-in, namely in that the PhotoBars component which provides a customizable toolbar ehancement will no longer work. Although Extensis no longer supports PhotoTools and deleted the PhotoTools component when Photoshop 6 was issued, I have been involved in maintaining PhotoBars so that it would work on the PC platform in Photoshop versions 6, 7, and CS. The customizable toolbars added a wonderful extension of usability to the Photoshop interface, and the loss of that capability due to changes made in Photoshop CS2 is very unfortunate.
Of great interest to me was to see how Adobe has changed License Management, i.e., product activation in Photoshop CS2. While the license manager does appear greatly improved in terms of not being as likely to have errant reactivations arise due to use of the System Restore utility in Windows XP, hardware changes, etc., it still manifests the same critical flaw as existed in Photoshop CS. Namely, Adobe has not provided any grace period at all for the instances when reactivation is prompted. So, if you are someone perhaps travelling with a laptop computer and are ever at a remote location where telephone or internet access is not readily available, you are at risk of fully losing use of Photoshop CS2 in the event of an errant reactivation prompt arising. The odds of this occurring do appear greatly reduced due to changes made in the triggers affecting a reactivation, but the risk is there nonetheless. Adobe should have implemented a short-term grace period of continued use following a prompt for reactivation, so that a user would not unexpectedly be faced with denied access at a critical time. The only alternative in this situation is to have a backup copy of an earlier version of Photoshop installed for use until Photoshop CS2 can be reactivated or, to employ the use of software hacks that defeat the license manager. The preferred solution would be for Adobe to provide an update that incorporates a reactivation grace period, but they seem to be ignoring the problem. I had hoped that the new Transfer Activation process in Photoshop CS2 might allow a user to export activation state data to removable media which, if an errant reactivation prompt arose, could be used to re-establish the valid activation state on the PC. Unfortunately, the Tranfer Activation process requires an internet connection and thus is again useless if one is at a remote location.
With regard to the 1st review posted here, installation of Photoshop CS2 is permitted to two computers under the normal single-user license. The only restriction defined in the license is that these 2 installations cannot be used concurrently. The license specifically reads as follows:
"2.4 Portable or Home Computer Use. The primary user of the Computer on which the Software is installed may install a second copy of the Software for his or her exclusive use on either a portable Computer or a Computer located at his or her home, provided the Software on the portable or home Computer is not used at the same time as the Software on the primary Computer."

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The camera raw functionality in Adobe Photoshop software provides fast and easy access within Photoshop to therawimage formats produced by many leading professional and midrange digital cameras. By working with thesedigital negatives,you can achieve the results you want with greater artistic control and flexibility while still maintaining the originalrawfiles. This powerful plug-in has been updated to support more cameras and include more features, and is available as part of Adobe Photoshop CS2. With Photoshop CS2 you get not only the latest camera raw plug-in, but also the full range of exciting new features that are part of this release. Features: Timesaving file handling with Adobe Bridge Revolutionary Vanishing Point Multiple layer control Smart Objects Multi-image digital camera raw file processing Image Warp Advanced noise reduction 32-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) support Customizable workspaces and menus Spot Healing Brush One-click red-eye correction

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PhotomatixPro 3.1 Review

PhotomatixPro 3.1
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Photomatix Pro is a great tool if you take photos with a wide range of lighting in one scene, such as landscapes with deep shadows and brihgt skies, or buildings that cast a shadow. It lets you blend 3 (typically) images shot with exposures that are each about 2 stops apart. The resulting image has great shadow detail without blowing out the highlights -- much better than even a high end digital SLR can deliver. It handles both JPEGs and RAW file. You can save files as TIFFs or JPEGS (but not PSD, DNG or RAW).
It's simple to use in its automatic mode, but you really do benefit if you read the manual, which you can download from the company's website. I think most buyers just get this via a download from the company's site, and you an find discount coupons on the web that give you 15% off. Be sure to get the right version for your operating system.
Edit added 9/29/09: The on-line help and downloaded manual are useful to get started, but if you really get into this, buy "The HDRI Handbook" by Christian Bloch. Chapter 4.3 and 4.4 are superb explanations of excatly how to use the controld you have in Photomatix.

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Tiffen DFXFCV2 Dfx Digital Filter Software V2 Plug-in for Apple Final Cut Pro - Macintosh only Review

Tiffen DFXFCV2 Dfx Digital Filter Software V2 Plug-in for Apple Final Cut Pro - Macintosh only
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BE WARNED!! If you have Dfx V1 and you upgrade to Snow Leopard and the new Final Cut Studio you may end up with what Tiffen now deems a "semi-compatible" combination. In other words Dfx V1 will crash Final Cut!! The solution offered by Tiffen is to purchase the V2 upgrade for another $150. They apparently are not supporting the original V1 packages even though people like myself spent nearly $600 for it not more than a year ago. In my book, that is totally unacceptable. You've been warned.....

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Photomatix Pro Review

Photomatix Pro
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I am a HDR newbie, I never thought I would be diving into HDR so quickly (didn't even know what it was a month ago). This program makes it so easy to transform your photos. I have a nikon D200, D5000 and Olympus e-pl1, and I have achieved astonishing photos, adding this technique, photos are jaw-dropping. I have had some many compliments to my photos, and even friends asking me to help them achieve the same wonderful photos. This is a very insteresting technique. Once you have your shot taken with at least 3 different exposures then you will merge the 3 photos into HDR image, and then next step of the program is tone mapping to reveal highlights & shadows details in HDR image. The results will AMAZE you.
One note, you can download this software's trail version for free to see if you like it, that is what I did. You can use it indefinetely (not 30 days like most), but it will leave a watermark on your finished project, but at least you can play with it before spending $100.
**If you don't have a camera that can take 3 different exposures or you having a moving target that you can't, you can take one photo and then manipulate 2 new exposures with a software program, or even Windows photo gallery. It is not "true" hdr, but it gives similar results. I took some photos of my niece walking down the aisle at an outside wedding on a beautiful day. I couldnt do the 3 diffenet exposures with my camera because of the movement (even a second in time makes a difference of the photo you take), so I manipulated 2 new exposures afterwards and then used this program. The results were amazing, the sky alone with the clouds and sun shinning thru looked 3D.

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