Digital Photo Professional 3.10.1 Updater

[IWLP]

Question - do most people put their RAW images through DPP?

I've just switched from shooting in jpg to RAW 1 week ago (!), and have stayed with my trusty Aperture. Thus far, seems OK, although I've never used DPP. Am only scratching the surface of what I can do with RAW.

I have found that with my 60D, certain files come into ACR vastly underexposed - more than a stop. I'm not sure if it's the fact ALO is turned on or what.  Anyway, DPP reads them fine, so I'll sometimes save a TIFF file out of DPP, then take that into ACR to further process.  An extra step in my workflow, but it's one place where DPP is an important first step.

[dr croubie]

There is no software that knows the Canon color profile as DPP does. Aperture, LR, Phase One etc. might have some nice features but the color tone would never be as good  and clean as DPP.

True, but does that mean you can't steal the DPP colour profile for other programs?
This and this probably only apply to us penguin worshippers, but it still means you can use the exact colour profile without DPP.

i dont get why they say XP sp2 isnt supported it works just fine.

Not supported often just means "untested and the support hotline won't help you" and not necessarily that something is broken.

Hey, DPP isn't meant to be supported on linux, but it works (wine 1.2.3, DPP 3.8.0.0 at least) 

[gferdinandsen]

Question - do most people put their RAW images through DPP?

I've just switched from shooting in jpg to RAW 1 week ago (!), and have stayed with my trusty Aperture. Thus far, seems OK, although I've never used DPP. Am only scratching the surface of what I can do with RAW.

I do all post processing with ACR.  I have never even installed the Canon software.

[macfly]

I've tested DPP against PS/Camera Raw & Phase One/Capture One, and for my uses I find the differences are extremely subtle, so much so that I now just use PS/Camera Raw for everything.

[neuroanatomist]

There is no software that knows the Canon color profile as DPP does. Aperture, LR, Phase One etc. might have some nice features but the color tone would never be as good  and clean as DPP.

Well, it's true that DPP recognizes and applies the Canon Picture Style chosen in-camera, and also ALO.  But I don't think that means the color is especially 'good and clean,' it just means that Canon's programmers have accurately guessed what you find pleasing in an image (which for some is oversaturated color, at least with the Standard picture style).  When I compare picture styles with a color target (X-rite ColorChecker Passport), you can see clear differences.  It's possible to set up a preset to mimic Canon Picture Styles in another RAW processor, if you like.  Other processors handle image noise much better than DPP.

[motorhead]

While I like using DPP I do admit that I use a third-party plug-in for my noise reduction and sharpening routines. Its the one area where it falls down.

The trouble is where do we stop? DPP is good because its free and its simple. Making it ever more complex rather defeats the object for me. I'm a simple soul who has a passionate hatred of anything complicated.

[scottkinfw]

I would agree with the general tone of the thread ( I don't hold myself out as expert, rather advanced novice, and learning).  I like Lightroom for most work, but I love Nik for noise reduction.  Don't use the Canon product.

[ze]

There is no software that knows the Canon color profile as DPP does. Aperture, LR, Phase One etc. might have some nice features but the color tone would never be as good  and clean as DPP.

Well, it's true that DPP recognizes and applies the Canon Picture Style chosen in-camera, and also ALO.  But I don't think that means the color is especially 'good and clean,' it just means that Canon's programmers have accurately guessed what you find pleasing in an image (which for some is oversaturated color, at least with the Standard picture style).  When I compare picture styles with a color target (X-rite ColorChecker Passport), you can see clear differences.  It's possible to set up a preset to mimic Canon Picture Styles in another RAW processor, if you like.  Other processors handle image noise much better than DPP.

I like to get my colors and exposure accurate on the camera as I'm photographing so I do use the picture style, kelvin, ALO and HTP to fine tune as much as I can on the spot. When I bring my files to other softwares, non of the settings gets recognized and I get to stare at underexposed photographs with awful colors on my monitor. Even with HTP and ALO off the colors and exposure still shifts. From my testings DPP works best but I'm aware that it still needs improvements. I'm curious about your raw workflow and would love to see some images.

[docchevalier]

opinion only - Canon DPP is a decent product and if it's what you've got, then use it.  There are alternatives and many of the vendors provide trial downloads so you can see if they make a difference to you.

Fwiw, this is the workflow I use today.

1.  Pull the cards from the cameras and load them into a Lexar FW800 card reader.  Copy all the raw files directly from the card into a folder on a disk attached to the computer.

2.  Immediately make a copy of the folder onto another disk attached to the computer, disk meaning a powered disk never a DVD.

3.  Force a start of an immediate Crashplan cloud backup even though I know that one will run that night at 1am.  Yes this is an unabashed plug (and uncompensated) for Crashplan.

4.  Launch Lightroom and import the files using the Copy as DNG option and applying a metadata preset to load copyright information (personal choice).  I choose to copy as DNG because the format is open, i don't lose anything, and I can then use the files with Colour Checker Passport amongst other utilities.

5.  Wait until it's time to do post-processing and then go at it, starting with vicious editing.  (The pro I apprenticed to nearly 30 years ago beat it into me that if I wasn't rejecting over 80% I was lying to myself).  Do basic edits in Lightroom popping out to the Nik suite as necessary, Photoshop increasingly rarely.

6.  Decide what I want to do with the images, print, web, whatever.

Not suggesting my workflow is better than someone else's.  It works for me.  Until I change it.  You'll note the emphasis on backing up and redundant copies.  Storage is cheap, reshoots are not.

Doc