The post Poll: What Post-Processing Software Do You Use to Edit Your Photos? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
Here at dPS, we’d like to know what post-processing software you use to edit your photos so that we can deliver some post-production tutorials that better suit you.
Let us know below. You can vote for more than one if you use multiple editing platforms. If the software isn’t listed, please let us know what you use in the comments section!
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
The post Poll: What Post-Processing Software Do You Use to Edit Your Photos? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.
The post Getting Photos Organized with ACDSee DAM Software appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.
As soon as you begin using a camera with any regularity, you need to find a way of labeling photos and putting them in order. If you don’t, it could soon take hours to locate a given picture among all your folders, hard drives, and devices. ACDSee DAM software sets you on the right path from the beginning.
Cataloging photos used to involve writing on them directly or typing out captions on sticky labels. Many people didn’t bother, but digital photography made record-keeping easier. Original photo by Brett Jordan.
By investing in good DAM software at the earliest opportunity, you won’t get into a position where you have a huge backlog of digital pictures to organize.
By investing in good DAM software at the earliest opportunity, you won’t get into a position where you have a huge backlog of digital pictures to organize. In this article, I’ll introduce you to ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020, which offers a great set of features without breaking the bank.
More reasons for needing DAM
There are many
reasons you might want to locate specific photos among your collection. For me,
writing these articles is one of them. A set of photos illustrating a theme
might be scattered far and wide in my collection.
That’s where ACDSee’s Image Basket is so useful. You can work on
pictures from all over the place as if they were in one folder.
Ten photos from different folders collected in an ACDSee Image Basket. Note that I’m trying out a Lomo filter here using the experimental tools of View Mode.
Perhaps for you, it’ll be a photo book or a website that causes you to search for photos. Or you might be looking for portraits of friends and family. ACDSee DAM software includes excellent Face Detection technology. Once you’ve identified someone a few times, the software does a good job of finding other pictures of the same person. Or, if it’s not sure, it will ask you to confirm ID.
A quick demo of Face Detection technology, albeit using an artwork. With photographic portraits, the software learns facial features and starts to identify friends and family automatically.
A legitimate reason to label photos and get them in order is for posterity. One day, your photos may interest future generations of your family or even local historians. How many prints exist from the last century where the identity of the subjects and location is lost? I find that a shame.
Countless prints of places and people from the last century have become anonymous with time. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood.
ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020: A solution
There are some serious pieces of DAM software on the market. By far the best known is Adobe Lightroom, which happens to be a strong raw editor, too. Other examples include iMatch and FotoStation. But all these products come at a price.
The familiar interface of Adobe Lightroom on a MacBook. Photo by energepic.
ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 is remarkable for several reasons.
It offers a lightning-fast browser, multiple ways to search your pictures, easy tagging and keywording of images, and a good set of editing tools for rendered files.
What’s not to like? You get all that for about a third of the price or less of many rivals.
Manage Mode
In Photo Studio Home and other ACDSee DAM software, Manage mode is where you make a lot of things happen. It’s an HQ for your photography. So, what can you do there?
Folders and catalog panes – finding pictures
The folder system
of your OS is accessible through the left-hand Folders pane in Manage Mode. And
that’s handy because you’re already familiar with it.
As long as your image folders are well named, it’s an easy task to find
what you’re looking for. Alternatively, you can use the adjacent Catalog tab to
filter photos by a wide variety of attributes.
The Folders pane in Manage mode. You only get to preview the images inside if they’re not in subfolders, but you can easily switch to Photos mode to see all content.
Manage Mode drop-downs
There are six drop-down menus exclusive to Manage mode: Import, Batch, Create, Slideshow, Send, and Editors. Importing files is easy. At this stage, you can rename files, add metadata, and divide file types into subfolders, among other things.
Building a contact sheet of flower photos via the Create drop-down in Manage Mode.
ACDSee links up seamlessly with other software too, which is what the “Editors” drop-down is for. Simply add any other programs you’re likely to use and you’ll be good to go. You can flick between them as you can with Lightroom and Photoshop or Photoshop and ACR.
Properties pane – organizing, categorizing
You can add metadata and keywords in Manage, View, or Edit mode of ACDSee. That’s what the Properties pane on the right is for.
As a stock photographer, keywords are a necessity for me. They help potential buyers find my pictures if I’m lucky. I add any words I think are relevant to the image.
At the very least, you should batch-add keywords to photos from the same shoot.
You can add geographical information to the IPTC data of your images by placing them on the Google map in Manage mode and hitting “Reverse Geocode.”
Import keywords
A welcome improvement in the 2020 version of ACDSee is the ability to import sets of keywords. It’s hugely time-consuming to create a keyword list from scratch, but now you can import lists from the Internet or elsewhere. You can also export lists so that you can move them from one piece of software to another.
Keyword lists help you to be thorough in your keywording instead of relying on random ideas. They also save you from repeatedly typing the same words.
Keywording in View mode using the foundation list linked in this article. You can adapt and grow your list as required.
You can import Foundation List version 2.0.1 into ACDSee. You’ll need to build on it, but it gives you a useful structure and a good head start.
Keywords are stored in the ACDSee database and can be applied to all file types. Note the “Embed ACDSee Metadata” tool does not write keywords to the IPTC keyword data field. I recommend copying and pasting keywords to this field if you want them to be visible elsewhere.
Here, I’ve pasted keywords from the Organize tab into the IPTC data field of the Metadata tab. This ensures visibility elsewhere. Of course, you could enter words directly into this field, but then you forfeit the rigor of using a hierarchical keyword list.
Photos Mode, View Mode
ACDSee automatically catalogs the images as you browse. You can catalog folders you haven’t browsed, too, which might be useful if you’re adding lots of pictures in one hit. This is possible in Manage mode or Photos mode.
Photos mode lets you rifle through folders of images according to their date. It even gives you a fair chance of finding pictures with no keywords or tags of any kind. This is a good way of seeing all the photos on your drive in a short space of time.
Flying through images by date in Photos mode. This was the day the “Tour de Normandie” cycle race began a stage in Vernon a few years back.
For browsing photos individually, View mode is the place to be. It’s
incredibly fast, and it gives you a big preview of each photo. This is also a
good place to grade, categorize, and keyword your photos.
I’ll give you a complete workflow to use below, so you can catalog photos like a pro!
Edit Mode
ACDSee Photo Studio Home 2020 offers a solid set of editing tools for photographers of all levels. Of course, there are things omitted at this price point that advanced photographers may miss. Here are three absentees, along with their workarounds:
No layers or adjustment brush as such, but you can perform localized edits using gradient tools or a regular brush tool. These come with blending modes, so you get quite a lot of control over the result without the sophistication or confusion of layers.
No raw editing. You can open most types of raw files without any say in their processing. Don’t forget you can link ACDSee to a raw processor if you need that extra control. That may also solve the problem of other missing features (e.g. perspective tool).
No 16-bit support, so you have to save any files you edit in 8-bit color. If you bring 16-bit archival files into Photo Studio Home 2020 and want to preserve their color depth, you must use “save as” to create new 8-bit files with all your edits.
One niggle and some good points
On my PC, the Clone tool in this software and the version before it refuses to work. I get a black screen. That’s odd since I don’t see the same thing with ACDSee Ultimate.
There’s lots to like about the editing tools in Photo Studio Home 2020. You get all the control over color and tone you’re likely to need, including the basic version of ACDSee’s esteemed Light EQ tool. This lets you adjust shadow, mid-tone, and highlight areas of an image separately.
I like some of the little touches in ACDSee, such as the way right-clicking resets the default value of any tool. There are creative features here, too, like Color LUTs, Special Effects, and a fun Tilt-Shift tool.
The Tilt-Shift tool works well with high-angle views, but you can try it out on all sorts of photos to alter their “bokeh.”
Workflow suggestion
Although this is a sponsored post, I’m a regular user of ACDSee software. I use it to organize pictures and I edit a lot of TIFFs and JPEGs in it. Below is a Photo Studio Home 2020 workflow that takes you from importing photos to saving the finished articles.
Importing photos and naming folders
1. Import your photos. You can open the Import dialog box in Manage Mode or have it open automatically by selecting the software in Windows Autoplay.
2. Choose a destination for your photos in the Import dialog box. An example might be “Pictures” in Windows. Name a “single subfolder” using the following naming convention: yymmdd-location (e.g. 200531-Paris-France).
3. Locate your imported folder of photos via the Folders tab in Manage Mode. Using the above naming convention, the latest folders are at the bottom of the folder list by default.
4. Double-click the first thumbnail in your newly imported image folder. This will open the image in View Mode while allowing access to other images in the folder. You’re ready to start grading and cataloging your pictures.
Assessing and grading photos
5. Make sure the Properties pane is open alongside your photos.
6. Decide on rejects by tagging all keepers with the checkbox in the Organize pane (top left). At this point, tag all photos you will or might keep for whatever reason. Important: do not reject raw files on the basis of poor sharpness in View Mode, since you are probably looking at an enlarged view of the embedded JPEG. Check the technical quality of raw files later in Edit Mode.
7. Flick back to Manage Mode and click on View > Filter By > Untagged. Delete your rejects. Or, just filter them out by selecting “Tagged” if you don’t like deleting stuff.
8. Back in View Mode, you can now rate your images. Ratings go from one to five. Rather than rate photos on a whim, I suggest writing down the meaning of each rating at the outset so you have a reference point. For instance:
1 – poor photo with sentimental value.
2 – adequate record photo, average family snap.
3 – fairly strong photo with visual interest, worth showing to friends.
4 – approaching your best, worthy of inclusion in portfolios.
5 – your very best, potential competition winner.
Tracking workflow
9. In Edit Mode, use color labels to indicate where in the workflow images are. Again, I have suggestions:
Red – to delete. Once you get raw files into Edit Mode, you can assess their technical quality better at 100%. You might yet want to delete some of them or downgrade their rating.
Yellow – editing in progress. Still more work to be done on color and tone or retouching. Perhaps other possibilities to explore or versions to create.
Green – editing over. Nothing more to be done with this picture. Ready to use.
Blue – to print. You can return the status to green once it’s printed.
Purple – uploaded to a specific photo website, stock library, etc. You can use the blue label for this as well if you don’t tend to print photos.
No Color Label – nothing done since the initial assessments.
10. Photos that need work (those with yellow labels or no color labels using the above system) can be finished in Edit mode. Apply edits ranging from basic color and tone to special effects and LUTs. When you’re done editing, change the color label so you know you’ve worked on it or finished it.
Categories and keywords
11. Give your finished photos categories and keywords. If you’ve imported a set of keywords, you can go through the list top-to-bottom and apply any that suit the image. ACDSee comes with quick keyword lists built-in, which may be enough, depending on how thorough you want to be.
12. Copy and paste keywords from the Organize > Keywords field into Metadata > IPTC > Keywords. Write a caption in the Description field of IPTC. Hit “Enter” or none of this will save. This makes the data universally visible outside of ACDSee.
Naming files
I haven’t spoken of file naming above, since you might want to do that at the beginning or end.
Each photo needs a unique name. You can do it on import if you like. However, if you later delete photos, you might leave irritating gaps in your number sequence (file names invariably include numbers).
A way around this is to forget consecutive numbers and use date and time instead. This works as long as you don’t shoot multiple frames per second, which would create duplicates.
Photo libraries always had their own file-naming conventions. In the digital age, including subject names in the file name makes your photos SEO-friendly.
I always rename files after I’ve selected, converted, and edited them. That’s when I do most of my admin. Raw files keep their original names because I rarely revisit them.
I recommend using a sequential number and place, or subject names in your files (e.g. 0001-Eiffel-Tower-Paris). This can often be done quickly using ACDSee’s Batch Rename tool. The number should obviously be unique in every image.
Get started
Photo Studio Home 2020 is nothing if not versatile. Seasoned photographers who want extras like raw editing or layers can hook it up to other editors and still benefit from the superb DAM tools.
For beginners or photographers who only shoot JPEGs, this feature-laden software might be all they need. Why not get your photos sorted now?
ACDSee is a paid dPS partner.
The post Getting Photos Organized with ACDSee DAM Software appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Glenn Harper.
The company known for its video and image editing consoles, Loupedeck, has announced a software update that enables users to create custom profiles for third-party applications. With the new Loupedeck Profile Creator, Loupedeck CT owners can create various custom profiles for all of the software they use, including for applications like Davinci Resolve, Logic Pro X, Capture One and more.
According to Loupedeck, creators don’t need any programming skills to create custom profiles for their favorite applications. Profile Creator can be used for adjustments and actions using everything from mouse movements to shortcuts, macros, keys, run applications, links and text. The new capability is found in software version 3.2 and higher.
Users can find a series of custom profiles for popular applications available to download on the Loupedeck website here. The company’s Founder and CEO Mikko Kesti explained, ‘The possibility for all users to create custom profiles is an important step in delivering an increased level of functionality and flexibility the digital creator community requires with their editing tools.’
In addition to announcing the Profile Creator’s Custom Profiles feature, Loupedeck has also revealed that its Creative Tool now has native integration for Streamlabs, a live streaming app that is popular with creators. Going forward, Loupedeck CT owners will be able to use the console to directly control their stream, including the ability to adjust audio, quickly mute and skip content, hide and unhide sources, and more.
Kesti calls the native integration a ‘natural addition’ to the company’s Creative Tool, which is available to purchase for $ 549. Users who are new to the device can download its companion software from Loupedeck’s website, where the company also offers User Guide downloads for everything from general usage to using Loupedeck CT with specific photo and video applications like Photoshop and Lightroom.
Sony has released a new software development kit (SDK) that allows third-party developers to control some selected Sony cameras. The SDK will offer remote access to key camera controls and still image data, including adjustment of shooting parameters, shutter release and a live view image.
The company says the decision to offer an SDK was made after ‘extensive interest in their camera lineup from commercial customers.’ Sony also believes this kind of camera control capabilities should appeal to companies from a variety of sectors, including security and entertainment.
‘The customer’s voice is absolutely critical to all aspects of our business,” said Neal Manowitz, Deputy President of Sony Imaging Products and Solutions Americas. “After receiving many requests, we’re excited to finally be able to open our platform in this manner. Companies will now be able to custom develop applications to control our cameras remotely, allowing them to take full advantage of the many innovations in Sony’s lineup including industry-leading autofocus, shooting speeds and much more. Ultimately, this gives professional clients the ability to create new and different imaging experiences unlike anything that’s been done before.’
Telemetrics Inc. is a company that specializes in robotics and camera control systems and one of the first to use the new SDK. One of its products is a weather-resistant camera housing unit on a remotely controlled pan/tilt head that is compatible with some of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. Customers include users in broadcast, production, sports and education companies.
To start with the SDK supports Sony’s Alpha 7R iV and Alpha 9 II high-end camera bodies but the company says it is planning to expand support in the future. Users of the current Camera Remote API will have to switch to the new SDK or look for other alternatives as Sony will close it down.
Press release:
Sony Electronics Announces New Camera Software Development Kit (SDK) for Third Party Developers and Integrators
New SDK Enables Remote Control of Sony Cameras for a Variety of Professional and Commercial Application
SAN DIEGO – Feb 11, 2020 – Sony today has announced the release of a new software development kit (SDK) that enables third party developers and integrators to access control of Sony cameras.
Sony, the industry leader in both full-frame and mirrorless cameras, is releasing the SDK based on extensive interest in their camera lineup from commercial customers.
“The customer’s voice is absolutely critical to all aspects of our business,” said Neal Manowitz, Deputy President of Sony Imaging Products and Solutions Americas. “After receiving many requests, we’re excited to finally be able to open our platform in this manner. Companies will now be able to custom develop applications to control our cameras remotely, allowing them to take full advantage of the many innovations in Sony’s lineup including industry-leading autofocus, shooting speeds and much more. Ultimately, this gives professional clients the ability to create new and different imaging experiences unlike anything that’s been done before.”
With the new SDK, key camera controls and still image data captured will be available for remote access, including adjustment of camera settings, shutter release and live view monitoring. These control capabilities are appealing to the workflow of a wide variety of industries including security, entertainment and many others.
One of the companies that have a high expectation of Sony’s SDK is Telemetrics Inc., a company that specializes in robotics and camera control systems, selling complete packages including a weather resistant housing unit on a remotely controlled pan/tilt head compatible with select Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras. Telemetrics, Inc. sells to a wide variety of clients including broadcast, production, sports and education companies.
“Combining our expertise in robotics and camera control with the impressive capabilities of Sony’s Alpha camera technology will allow us to create some especially unique solutions for capturing live sports entertainment, which include the newly introduced PT-CP-S5 Compact Pan/Tilt Head and the WP-HOU-A9 Camera Housing unit,” said Michael Cuomo, Vice President of Telemetrics, Inc. “We’ve been thrilled with the results and are extremely excited at the potential for future integration with our systems.”
Initially, the Camera Remote SDK will support Alpha 7R IV and Alpha 9 II bodies, with plans to gradually expand the lineup of supported cameras hereafter[i]. The Camera Remote SDK is available now and can be downloaded from https://support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/app/sdk/en/index.html on Sony’s website.
The current Camera Remote API’s provision will be closed following this new release of the new Camera Remote SDK and its support will be terminated[ii].
Phase One Capture One 20 $ 129-299 | captureone.com/en/store
For many years, Adobe’s Lightroom was seen as the gold standard for photographers seeking a way to manage and edit their Raw files on Windows or Mac OS. These days, though, there are an ever-increasing selection of third-party alternatives on both platforms, and one of the most popular of these is Phase One’s long-running Capture One series. I regularly hear from pros who’ve switched to Capture One, and its popularity with enthusiasts is also on the uptick.
Now in its 13th generation, Phase One’s flagship imaging application covers all the bases: Images can be tagged, rated or given easily searchable keywords, and a wide range of manual and automatic tools are available to correct common exposure issues and lens defects, or to grade color and bring your artistic vision to life.
And for many cameras and camera backs from Canon, Fujifilm, Mamiya Leaf, Nikon and Sony, Capture One can even take charge of the capture process, allowing you to shoot remotely by tethering your camera to your desktop or laptop.
Key takeaways:
Organize, rate, cull and edit your photos in one app
Improved ease of use and image quality
Redesigned Basic Color Editor is both intuitive and powerful
Fair performance, but image rendering is on the slow side
Easily import your catalogs from Lightroom
Good support for mainstream/pro cameras, but less popular brands and some consumer-oriented models are missing from the list
Higher pricing than rivals, but you can choose subscription or perpetual licensing
What’s New in Capture One 20
Capture One 20 follows on from Capture One 12, released in 2018 and will still look very familiar to anyone who’s used recent versions. Although it’s not the revolution that the new version number might suggest, it nevertheless includes a few new and updated features, as well as support for a variety of more recent camera models.
In addition to its new camera support, Capture One 20’s main focus is on improving ease of use, and on getting better results from your images. Its extremely customizable user interface has been updated to make it less intimidating to new users, and it’s also easier to keep the tools you most use close to hand. Updated tools and algorithms promise easier cropping plus better noise reduction and dynamic range adjustments, while improved support for layers-based editing makes it simpler to copy your changes between images. And there are a variety of more minor tweaks and bug fixes on offer, as well.
The tool stack in Capture One 20 is now split into pinned and scrollable areas. You can easily add or remove tools, or drag them between the two sections.
A friendlier UI that’s easier to learn
Phase One has put a fair bit of work into making Capture One 20’s user interface more approachable, and I think it’s succeeded pretty well. New users will definitely appreciate the addition of text labels beneath the icons in the main toolbar, whose function otherwise might not have been obvious. And I found myself quite a fan of the tooltips which pop up when you hover your mouse pointer or pen over individual UI elements. These not only tell you what the various unlabeled controls do, but also show which shortcut key you could’ve used to access them more quickly.
You can now pin your most-used tools atop the redesigned tool stack for quick access
Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, these are searchable through the edit menu too, making it very easy indeed to learn how to operate Capture One from the keyboard wherever possible. (You can also customize them all to your heart’s content.)
Another notable redesign is in the tool stack which, by default, lines the left-hand side of the screen. Your most-used tool panels can now be pinned to the top of the list for quick access, while the others remain accessible in a scrollable area beneath, and it’s very easy to drag individual panels between the two sections to arrange things to your liking.
The Basic Color Editor is surprisingly powerful
Phase One has tweaked several of the individual tools on offer in Capture One 20. The most significant change is in the Basic Color Editor, which now sports two additional color ranges for a total of eight. Tweaking a color range you want to modify is now as simple as clicking on the nearest color in the tool panel and then dragging the hue, saturation and lightness sliders to make your change without affecting any other color range in the image. As you do so, you see your change take effect in near-real time.
Capture One 20’s new Basic Color Editor makes adjustments to specific colors — whether subtle or, as here, quite radical — both quick and easy.
While this in itself is great, I found the Basic Color Editor’s eye-dropper to be even more powerful and intuitive. To use it, you click to select the color you want to edit from the image itself, and then while holding the mouse button down, drag either horizontally or vertically to adjust the hue or saturation directly. If you want to adjust the lightness, you do the same thing, but hold down the alt key (or, on Mac OS, the option key) as you click-and-drag.
Regardless of which method you’re using, the Basic Color Editor tool now also supports layers-based editing, helping you to avoid the more complex (but also, even more powerful) Advanced Color Editor.
Better noise reduction, cropping and HDR editing
The updated Basic Color Editor is more of an attention-grabber, but several other tools have also received some useful updates. The noise reduction tool can now hold onto detail and color better, taming unsightly noise patterns. I still don’t think it’s as powerful as the PRIME de-noising engine in DxO’s PhotoLab, but it’s also far, far faster. A fairer comparison would be to Lightroom Classic’s noise reduction tools, and here I think Phase One is the equal of its main rival.
Capture One 20’s noise reduction can now better hold onto detail and color. Here, I’m comparing before-and-after 100% crops from a Canon M6 II shot at ISO 25,600.
The crop tool, meanwhile, now has visible handles at its corners and the center of each side and, when used in concert with the shift and alt / option keys, allows you to either fix the aspect ratio or to lock the crop adjustment around its center point. And the HDR tool has gained new white and black sliders to adjust the darkest and brightest areas of the image, while its highlight and shadow sliders now default to a centered position when zeroed out. Layer-based editing support has also been improved; you can now copy layers between photos even if their dimensions differ, all without replacing their existing layers in the process.
Improved camera support
One of the key changes in Capture One 20 is its improved support for more recent camera models. With eight cameras added to the list, the app can now work with raw files from almost 560 different models from most of the main brands used by enthusiasts and pros alike, and it also sports profiles for a similar number of fixed-lens or interchangeable-lens optics.
Capture One 20’s updated HDR tool in use.
Newly-supported cameras include the Canon EOS 90D and M6 Mark II, Nikon Z 50, Leica V-Lux 5, Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H, Pentax K-1 II, Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and Ricoh GR III. In addition, GoPro’s HERO line of action cameras have received generic Raw support, and you’ll get better results with native or converted DNG Raw files from cameras which aren’t explicitly supported. There’s only one new lens profile, though, for the Rodenstock RS-23mm/Aerial.
If your camera’s Raw format isn’t supported, you’ll still be able to edit JPEG images or Raws that have been converted to DNG format, but you’re not going to get the benefit of Phase One’s custom profiles which are tuned based on the company’s in-house hardware testing process. Phase One’s website has lists of cameras whose raw files are natively supported by Capture One 20, and lenses that Phase One has profiled for automatic correction.
Support for pen / touch and 4K, even on Windows
Although 4K displays are now quite common even in laptops, Microsoft’s Windows OS still doesn’t support them terribly well, and many apps are harder to use on really high-res screens. Thankfully, Capture One 20 has no such issues, even on Windows. All of its user interface elements are shown at a size that is not only readable, but also large enough to serve as touch-screen targets. (And they all function properly with my Wacom AES 2.0 stylus, as well.)
Modern hardware like 4K screens, touch screens and pens / styluses is all well-supported
Really, my only complaint on the resolution front is a relatively minor one. For the best performance, Phase One recommends making previews with at least the same resolution as your display, yet Capture One 20 defaults to previews that are just 2,560 pixels on the longer side even if installed on a machine whose display resolution is far higher.
It takes only a few clicks to change the preview image size in the preferences dialog, but new users with high DPI displays are likely to find themselves wondering why it takes a moment for their images to render when browsing them full-screen. I’d like to see Phase One detect the display resolution instead, and then either adjust the default appropriately, or prompt the user to do so on startup.
The updated crop tool in Capture One 20 is now easier to use.
Performance is fair, but could use improvement
Speaking of performance, I found it to be a bit of a weak point. Initial imports are pretty quick, letting you start browsing and editing images relatively swiftly. And browsing / editing of images is reasonably swift as well, although previews did lag behind my adjustments by perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 second, which is a bit slower than Lightroom Classic on the same hardware.
Creating preview images on my machine, however, took about twice as long as Lightroom, even if I allowed my computer to remain otherwise idle until the process was complete. And processing / exporting full-res images took about 20-30% longer in Capture One than in Lightroom, using similar settings.
Creating preview images and exporting full-res ones is a fair bit slower than Lightroom
Interestingly, this seems to be a conscious decision on Phase One’s part. If I open Windows 10’s resource monitor during these processes, I can see that Lightroom pegs all my CPU threads at 100% for the duration of the operation, whereas Capture One 20 would typically hover at around the 40-60% utilization mark on all threads, with only occasional spikes to 80%, and seldom reaching 100% utilization on any core.
I can only speculate that Phase One is attempting to keep the UI responsive during image processing, and indeed I did find it much more usable than Lightroom if I continued to browse and edit other images while these background tasks continued. But if so, I’d rather the full processor power be unleashed when the machine is otherwise idle, as it’s frustrating to be kept waiting longer than necessary.
On the plus side, though, Capture One does at least give you a surprisingly accurate estimate of how long each operation will take to complete. Adobe gives you no such estimate.
It’s likely Phase One are intentionally trading off pure rendering performance for a more responsive user interface
For reference, I am using a 2018-vintage Dell XPS 15 9570 laptop with 2.2GHz hexa-core processor, not a cutting-edge machine by any standard, but nevertheless reasonably recent and powerful. To ensure a fair comparison, I imported the same mixture of several thousand raw and JPEG images shot with several recent cameras to both Capture One and Lightroom. I first reset both applications to their defaults, and also used a fresh catalog. (The preview image size was set to 3840 pixels in both apps.)
Up next – let’s take a look at how Capture One 20 compares to an industry standard: Adobe Lightroom Classic.
The explosion of user generated video content for websites like YouTube has led to the launch of several competing non-linear-editors (NLEs) aimed at consumers, which vary in terms of price, feature set and upgradability. So, how do you choose which one to use?
One great option is DaVinci Resolve 16 from Blackmagic Design. The software is available for free from Blackmagic, but it’s not the only low-cost entry in the NLE arena, so what makes it different, and why is it so attractive to users getting into video editing for the first time?
First, a little bit of history. Originally created by da Vinci Systems in 1985, the software was designed mainly for color grading and color correction and ran on hardware costing more that $ 150,000. It has evolved both in terms of features and pricing model since Blackmagic Design acquired it in 2009. The most recent version, Resolve 16, introduces a more streamlined and less complicated workflow for many users, particularly those new to using NLEs, to edit video.
First time users
Opening up the software for the first time can be rather intimidating for those who haven’t used an NLE before. The sheer number of windows and buttons can be rather daunting. The only NLE I can think of which doesn’t introduce this sort of shock is iMovie, however that program has limitations for users who might want to move their work into the professional arena.
When opening Resolve you’re initially greeted with a window that allows you to open an existing project or create a new one. Once you have a project open in the main interface, you’ll see a row of workspaces for various parts of your edit along the bottom of the window. Blackmagic calls them ‘pages’. These are termed Media, Cut, Edit, Fusion, Color and Deliver, and are arranged left to right in order to assist with the workflow. You can jump between pages at any point.
The newly introduced Cut page allows a more simplified workflow.
Is it complicated?
The introduction of the new Cut page in Resolve 16 has simplified some of the traditional workflow that was visually complicated. The inclusion of a page with fewer options will attract a number of new users. It’s very easy to quickly add shots to the timeline and trim them without having to invoke the more complicated Edit page, which can be a little complicated.
The quick export option allows access to some render presets without the need for the Deliver page.
That’s not to say that you have to use the Cut page since at any time you can jump between any of the pages. This might seem confusing at first, but it’s done in a way that allows you to use the more complicated features when you’re ready. When you start out, for example, you may find that you don’t need to use the Fusion page (for VFX work) or Fairlight page (for audio), but inevitably you will probably want to use some of the features these pages offer as your skills and requirements change. The other great thing about the Cut page is that a number of common functions can also be accessed there. For example, there’s no need to go into the Deliver page to render files as you can export your edit within the Cut page.
One thing you don’t get is any sort of guided workflow. Some basic previous knowledge is assumed, but there are plenty of excellent online tutorial videos available on YouTube from channels like learncolorgrading and JayAreTV.
The Fairlight page enables fine tuning of your audio with features like EQ and dynamics filters.
As with any new version of software , the launch of Resolve 16 brings a lot of added features and improvements. For example, with previous versions it was easy to start editing only to realize later that the key settings – resolution and frame rate – had not been set correctly. In the past this could mean that you had to start again for optimal results. This is no longer a problem with Resolve 16 as a new timeline can be created with the correct settings without the need to create a new project.
How much?
I mentioned this selling point in a previous paragraph, but what exactly is the cost of Resolve 16?…$ 0. Yes, that’s correct, you can download and use Resolve 16 for free. No time limited trial, no logo burn in and no limitation to the length of your final output.
Yes, that’s correct, you can download and use Resolve 16 for free.
The free version of DaVinci Resolve does have some limitations, although a lot of these may not be important for those just starting out or even the more advanced user. Some key limitations are that the free version doesn’t offer HDR support or timelines with a resolution greater than UHD 4K. You’re also limited to using a single GPU, and I’ve found that the rendering speeds with the studio version are appreciably quicker. This is because you can select native Cuda acceleration in the Deliver page if you have an Nvidia graphics card.
There are other limitations as well which are detailed here, although the linked table should only be used as a guideline since, at the time of writing, it hasn’t been updated to Resolve 16 yet.
The Deliver page enables multiple exports for different platforms.
Will it work with my hardware?
There are, of course, some minimum hardware requirements for Resolve but these are quite reasonable. (It would be great to get a definitive requirements list from Black Magic Design, but that doesn’t seem to be available.)
To give you an idea of what’s possible, I previously ran version 14 on a 2012 Macbook Pro and, although a little slow, it did work. My current setup uses an AMD Ryzen 1700x with 32GB of RAM, along with an Nvidia GTX 1070Ti, and it works well for me. That’s not to say things wouldn’t be much quicker with better hardware but that’s a nice thing to have rather than a necessity.
One of the many upgrade options: the dedicated Resolve 16 keyboard, which includes a real jog shuttle wheel.
What’s the catch?
So why does Blackmagic offer such a full featured video editor for nothing? Well, they’re hoping that you like the free version of Resolve so much that you want to buy into their ecosystem. The upgrade path to Resolve Studio costs $ 299, but Blackmagic also sells a number of related hardware products that will assist you in your editing. These range from a dedicated editor keyboard at $ 995 to a control grading surface at $ 1025, and even a full production suite which retails at a staggering $ 30,805. This might seem like overkill for people just starting out, but you should know that Resolve is also used in professional post production facilities world-wide. There are options for all budgets.
The next question is which version should you get, the free version or Studio? There’s no penalty in trying the free version and then upgrading later if you need features in the Studio version. Why upgrade? For me it meant faster renders, and time is money. I also considered some of the additional VFX filters that are included for $ 299 and it made sense for me.
You can also upgrade the Studio version without cost to the next version. I went from 15 Studio to 16 Studio without paying any extra. Traditionally, this has been a selling point of Resolve.
Resolve 16 offers comprehensive color grading tools, including power windows
Help, I’m stuck
In addition to YouTube there’s a very active user community via the Blackmagic forums where developers and industry professionals with hundreds of years of combined experience can help you out. There are always more features that could be included, and as the number of users of Resolve has expanded so have the feature requests. Blackmagic is listening, hence the introduction of the Cut page and the ability to create timelines in the same project that have different frame rates and resolutions.
There’s also the recently published Beginner’s Guide to Using Resolve 16, but at 444 pages it may take some time to get through.
Is it for you?
The short answer is, it depends. I’d say give it a go, after all it costs nothing to try it. If you find it difficult to use then try watching some of the videos linked above. I find myself watching some of them when new features are introduced or if I need to look at a function that I’ve never used.
There are many functions you may never use, but it’s great to know they’re available if you ever need them. If you’re not limited by the software, you can develop your skill set as and when required.
What we like
Free version works for most users
Modest hardware requirements
Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
Excellent support resources, especially via YouTube
Reasonable upgrade cost if you require additional functions ($ 299)
VSCO, the company behind the popular photo editing app by the same name, has announced its acquisition of Rylo, a company known for its compact camera and advanced video stabilization technology. VSCO explains that the use of video editing has doubled on its platform over the past year, underscoring the growing demand for video tools. The newly announced acquisition will give the company access to Rylo’s video editing software.
According to Rylo’s founders Chris Cunningham and Alex Karpenko, their company will shift its focus entirely to software, leaving the physical camera aspect behind. The Rylo app will be available to download on mobile and macOS until January 31, 2021, and the Rylo camera will remain available to purchase from Best Buy until the units are sold out. The Rylo camera and app will remain available to use following the acquisition.
‘Building high-end video editing capability on mobile is no small feat and we believe our combined technology and focus on video will help pave new innovation for video editing tools,’ VSCO CEO Joel Flory said as part of the company’s announcement. ‘We can’t wait to make these new tools available to the VSCO community next year.’
Phase One has announced the launch of Capture One 20, the latest version of its photo editing software. Additions and enhancements brought in Capture One 20 are based on user feedback, according to Phase One, which says the latest version of its software brings a ‘highly intuitive and functional’ UI that is easier for new users to learn and use.
Capture One 20 brings both updated and new features, including a redesigned Basic Color Editor that now works on Layers, a new Crop tool that Phase One says is Capture One’s ‘most advanced’ crop tool to date, a new HDR tool that adds White and Black point sliders, a ‘re-engineered’ Noise Reduction tool, and new scrolling tools.
In addition, Capture One users can expect enhanced versions of the software’s appearance, interface, DNG support, copy and apply functions in Layers, and an entirely new ‘Select Next When’ option that makes it possible to automatically switch to the next image once a certain action has been performed (adding a color tag, etc).
Other enhancements include new toolbar text and icons, enhanced browser thumbnail resolution, improvements to the adjustments clipboard, and an enhanced White Balance Picker tool that has been re-engineered for what Phase One says is ‘much higher consistency.’ As expected, the updated software also brings new lens and camera support for models that include the Canon EOS 90D and M6 II, the Ricoh GR III, Nikon Z 50, and more.
Below is a feature overview of the newly-released Capture One 20:
Capture One 20 is available starting today with versions that limit support to camera models from Fujifilm and Sony (Capture One Pro Fujifilm 20 and Capture One Pro 20 for Sony, respectively). Customers have the choice to purchase Capture One 20 for $ 299 ($ 159 to upgrade from a previous version) or to sign up for a subscription to receive access to it for rates starting at $ 15/month. The Fujifilm and Sony versions of the software are slightly cheaper at $ 129 per license or $ 8/month.
A number of Nikon Windows programs have been mistakenly identified as viruses by certain anti-virus programs. While there was no actual threat to the security of the computers the programs were installed on, Nikon has released an update for all of its software products to ensure the programs don’t get incorrectly flagged by anti-virus software going forward.
In the changelog of each of the updates, Nikon says it’s ’Fixed an issue that caused certain anti-virus software to mistakenly identify the “IFGLS001.exe” and “ifasglog.exe” files in the installation destination folder as viruses during or after installation.’
You can download the updates using the following product support pages:
Loupedeck has introduced Loupedeck Creative Tool (CT), the latest product in its line of editing consoles for creatives. The Loupedeck CT is small and nearly square at 160 x 150 x 30mm (6.3 x 5.9 x 1.2in) with a weight of 365g (12.9oz). The new model joins the previously released Loupedeck and Loupedeck+ consoles, offering a design that can ‘work in sync with all editing tools and software.’
The Loupedeck CT is a plug-and-play console with native integrations for a variety of popular software, including Final Cut Pro X, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Lightroom Classic. This model also introduces Loupedeck console support for Adobe Illustrator and music production software Ableton Live; later on this year, there will also be support for Autodesk Fusion 360.
The ‘fully adaptable’ Loupedeck CT is made with a high-quality aluminum cover and dials, plus it features LED backlighting, touchscreens, and what Loupedeck says are machine-quality ball bearings. The console packs preset workspaces designed for each software product integration, as well, though users retain the ability to customize the workspaces to meet their own needs.
Loupedeck designed its latest console with portability in mind; joining its small size is a removable USB cable. In addition to its software integrations and various buttons, dials, and touchscreens, the Loupedeck CT features Bluetooth 5 LE connectivity and support for macOS 10.12 or later and Windows 10. Below is a short intro tutorial shared by Loupedeck:
The new model is available to preorder now for $ 549 from Loupedeck and B&H Photo; shipping is expected to start on November 11.
tool. This lets you adjust shadow, mid-tone, and highlight areas of an image separately.
The Fairlight page enables fine tuning of your audio with features like EQ and dynamics filters.
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