RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Performance’

Samsung’s ISOCELL Plus promises better color accuracy and low light performance

28 Jun

Samsung’s ISOCELL smartphone image sensor technology was introduced in 2013. It uses physical barriers between neighboring pixels to reduce color crosstalk and expand the capability to capture light, compared to conventional backside-illuminated (BSI) image sensors.

Now the Korean company has launched ‘ISOCELL Plus’ which has been developed in cooperation with FujiFilm. It replaces the metal grid at the front of the pixels with a new ‘mystery’ material, providing even better separation between pixels.

This material reduces reflections and light absorption by the barriers between pixels, leading to increased light sensitivity of up to 15% and better color fidelity. According to Samsung the technology allows for the design of sensors with 0.8µm and smaller-sized pixels without a loss in performance. This is 1/3rd the size of the pixels in a typical 1″-type sensor and should allow smartphone sensors with a resolution of 20MP and higher.

“We value our strategic relationship with Samsung and would like to congratulate on the completion of the ISOCELL Plus development,” said Naoto Yanagihara, corporate vice president of Fujifilm. “This development is a remarkable milestone for us as it marks the first commercialization of our new material. Through continuous cooperation with Samsung, we anticipate to bring more meaningful innovation to mobile cameras.”

In combination with other new mobile imaging technologies, such as multi-frame stacking and multi-sensor camera modules, ISOCELL Plus should allow for the design of smartphone cameras with even better low light performance than we’re seeing in current models.

Samsung will be showcasing the new sensors at Mobile World Congress Shanghai come end of June, but for now there is no word on when to expect the new technology in a production smartphone.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Samsung’s ISOCELL Plus promises better color accuracy and low light performance

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Magix celebrates 10th birthday with biggest ever performance update

20 Jun

Video editing software package Video Pro X has received what is described as its biggest update yet, to mark ten years since Magix Video Pro was launched. Owner Magix says the update focuses on speed and performance, and includes new tools to make editors’ lives easier.

Magix says that rendering HEVC/H.265 video can now done using the NVIDIA GPU encoder making export much faster than before, while AVX optimization speeds up image processing and improves the accuracy of color correction.

The company also says it has introduced easier methods for working with overlapping audio and video clips, and that its effects interface is now more clearly organized. Green screen work is improved, as is the package’s ability to handle and manipulate 360° content, and users can now edit stereo video footage as well.

Magix Video Pro X costs £299 / $ 399 and is available now. For more information visit the Magix website (link below).

Visit magix.com

Press Release:

10 Years of Video Pro X: MAGIX publishes the largest update in the history of the video software

On the occasion of the software’s 10 year anniversary, MAGIX Software is introducing the largest update for Video Pro X ever to the market. The anniversary version of the professional video editing program includes numerous new functions and improvements for significantly more power, productivity, and design flexibility.

The latest Video Pro X has arrived. Right on time to mark the anniversary, the powerful video processing system from MAGIX offers an extensive program of intelligent new and optimized features that help ambitious users to achieve high-end results even faster than ever before.

FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE

The most recent update from MAGIX had already put a strong focus on increased performance. However, the new version introduces the largest performance leap ever. For the first time, HEVC/H.265 video export can now be rendered with the NVIDIA GPU’s encoder. This makes export speeds possible, which were inconceivable in the past. Also new to the latest version is the comprehensive AVX optimization in the internal image processing and the 3-way colour correction resulting in faster image processing and much more precise output quality during colour conversion. Additionally, the output of 4K source videos into FullHD quality has been optimized by reducing high-frequency image components. This results in fewer bit errors during the conversion of high-resolution recordings.

MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKFLOWS

With the new Video Pro X, MAGIX pushes ahead with its workflow optimization strategy. The latest improvements include the new time-saving J-L cut and the intuitive “Move object content” mouse mode. With J-L edits, video and audio tracks can now be modified individually without losing the advantages of working with grouping. For video editors who work regularly with overlapping objects, such as spoken audio spanning several scenes in documentaries and interviews, work will become noticeably easier, and object content can now be moved more flexibly. From now on, users can intuitively select and adjust image content from video objects with a click of the mouse while maintaining the editing rhythm.

NEW EFFECTS AREA & OPTIMIZED CREATIVE TOOLS

The Video Pro X effects area has been enhanced and is now more clearly organized and user friendly than ever. Users can quickly navigate to the effects they want and control plugins much more intuitively meaning the creative workflow stays uninterrupted. Chroma Keying has also been optimized in response to customer feedback. A new algorithm supports the ability to recognize and extract objects. 360° editing was also improved. 360° image stabilization, a set of spectacular 360° transitions, and special 360° effects from HitFilm now supplement the Video Pro X 360° editing package. And now even stereoscopic videos can be processed by Video Pro X.

“10 years of development have been invested in the new Video Pro X. We would like to introduce the largest update in the history of Video Pro X as a way to say thank you to our loyal customers. Without the continuous feedback from the Video Pro X community, the software would by far not be as sophisticated and powerful as it is today,” says Florian Liepold, Product Owner Video Pro X at MAGIX.

Video Pro X comes with a year of Update Service free of charge. So, users who now decide to purchase the software will automatically receive any upcoming updates. For example, the flexible anchor point positioning, an intelligent function that helps to individually select the object focus – for maximum design flexibility while scaling and rotating.

All new Video Pro X features at a glance:

  • Accelerated export with NVIDIA NVENC support
  • Optimized workflow including J-L cuts
  • New effects area and In-App Store
  • Precise chroma keying
  • Improved Full HD output quality
  • Complete 360° package, including HitFilm effects
  • AVX-optimized algorithms
  • OpenFX interface with multithreading
  • HEIF image import for optimal support of iOS devices
  • Includes Update Service for 1 full year of all new features

Prices and availability:

Video Pro X – £299 / $ 399

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Magix celebrates 10th birthday with biggest ever performance update

Posted in Uncategorized

 

ON1 reveals Photo RAW 2018.5 with ‘massive performance boost’, LUTs and more

12 May

ON1 has released a major update to its ON1 Photo RAW photo editor. Version 2018.5 will be available in June and boasts, “a massive boost in overall performance” in addition to bug fixes and two major feature additions: a new LUTs filter in the effects panel, and the ability to select brand-specific in-camera profiles, including Fujifilm’s much-loved film simulations.

There are also some other new features like the ability to collapse RAW + JPEG frames into a single image to de-clutter your library, nested albums, background export, and more. But the big three additions are performance, LUTs, and Camera Profiles.

Performance Boost

ON1 says Photo RAW 2018.5 comes with a “massive overall performance boost,” which should be noticeable across Browse, Develop, and Effects. This is particularly obvious when you flip through photos in the filmstrip view, regardless of module. You should see practically no lag at all.

In addition to culling images, brushing performance, switching between modules, and exporting/sharing photos have all benefitted noticeably from this performance boost.

LUTs Filter in Effects

A much-requested feature, LUTs (or Look-Up Tables) are a popular way to add various color grading looks to your images. This feature is now available inside the Effects module in ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5, which will launch with “a ton” of LUTs, alongside packs you can purchase from professional photographers like Matt Kloskowski and Tamara Lackey. You can also import both the .3DL and .CUBE LUT formats into Photo RAW if you have LUTs of your own.

Applying a LUT will work like all of the current filters available in the Effects module, meaning you’ll be able to “stack them, mask them and control the blending options.”

Camera Profiles

The final feature update coming in 2018.5 is the ability to apply brand-specific camera profiles to your pictures. If you shoot Canon or Nikon, that means your Natural, Landscape, Portrait, etc. profiles will all be available. If you shoot Fuji, that means your film simulations.

Additionally, you’ll have some built-in ON1 profiles—in addition to ON1 Standard, you now have ON1 Faithful, ON1 Landscape, ON1 Portrait, and ON1 Vivid—that can be applied across brands, just like the recently-announced Adobe RAW profiles in Lightroom.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_8405143667″,”galleryId”:”8405143667″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5 is scheduled to arrive officially in June. It’ll be a free upgrade for owners of ON1 Photo RAW 2018, but if you’re not part of the ON1 ecosystem yet, there are some discounts to be had before launch.

Owners of previous versions of ON1 Photo RAW can upgrade for just $ 80 (usually $ 100) and new users can purchase ON1 Photo RAW 2018.1 for $ 100 (usually $ 120). Each license of ON1 Photo RAW includes both Windows and Mac installers, and can be activated on up to five devices.

To learn more about ON1 Photo RAW, visit the ON1 website. And if you want to learn more about 2018.5, the company has set up a landing page where they’ll be demoing new features every week before the official release goes live.

Press Release

ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5 – Coming this June

Portland, OR – May 10, 2018 – Today, ON1, Inc. announces the new ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5, a significant update to Photo RAW 2018. Version 2018.5 will include a massive boost in overall performance, fixes for user reported issues, and new key features such as LUTs and camera profiles.

“We’re incredibly excited to unveil the new features in ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5 over the next several weeks. We plan on showcasing the new features and improvements through weekly videos leading up to the June release,” says ON1 President, Craig Keudell.

Key Features and Improvements

  • Camera Profiles – Select the same looks you see on the back of your camera in ON1 Photo RAW. Select from Natural, Portrait, Landscape, etc. depending on what your camera offers. These are not presets as they don’t adjust any of the sliders, and are non-destructive. These will include popular cameras like Fujifilm®.
  • LUTs in Effects – LUTs or Look-Up Tables are a favorite way to add matte, vintage or cinematic color grading looks. These will be available inside Effects in version 2018.5. A ton of LUTs will be available in the release along with individual packs from Matt Kloskowski, Tamara Lackey, and Hudson Henry. The common .3DL and .CUBE formats found online can be imported into Photo RAW. LUTs will work like any of the current filters in Effects. You can stack them, mask them and control the blending options.
  • RAW+JPG – If you shoot RAW and JPG at the same time, you will be able to collapse and hide the JPG copy, so your library isn’t cluttered. Any metadata or file changes you make are mirrored to the JPG seamlessly.
  • Faster Film Strip for Culling – Using the Filmstrip in Develop and Effects will be just as fast as in Browse. You will be able to switch photos instantly! You can even perform your editing and culling tasks, like ratings, labels, rotate and delete, while you are adjusting your raw processing.
  • Transform Enhancements – The Transform pane in Develop will include new tools to correct perspective and rotation issues along with a new grid will make it easier to visualize results.
  • Nested Presets – Ability to better organize presets into a nested category structure will be added along with the ability to move, rename, delete, and nest presets and categories.
  • Nested Albums – Nest albums or photos inside of other albums. If you are migrating from Lightroom®, your nested collections are brought over by the Lightroom migration assistant.
  • Improved Brushing Performance – Brushing with the Masking Brush will be more fluid and responsive, especially on Windows computers with large or high-dpi displays.
  • Export Improvements – Exporting will be processed in the background so customers can continue to work on another job without having to wait for the export to finish. You can even stack multiple export jobs and continue working on your photos.
  • Performance Boost & Increased Stability – Significant under the hood speed and stability improvements are coming in 2018.5. These include speedier switching of modules between Browse, Develop, and Effects along with switching and culling photos using the film strip in Develop and Effects.
  • New Cameras & Lenses – Each update includes new cameras and lenses. The list is continuously updated, and we will share the final details when version 2018.5 is released.

ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5 Exposed

Each week ON1 will be adding videos showcasing the new features and improvements available in version 2018.5. Get a sneak peek of the new camera profiles, new LUTs, and overall performance improvements at www.on1.com/exposed.

Price and Availability

ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5 will be available this June. New customers can purchase version 2018.1 today and receive 2018.5 as a free update once it becomes available. ON1 is running an introductory price of $ 99.99 for new customers for a limited time (Reg: $ 119.99). Owners of previous versions of ON1 can also upgrade at an introductory price of $ 79.99 (Reg: $ 99.99). Version 2018.5 is a free update for all owners of ON1 Photo RAW 2018. A single purchase of ON1 Photo RAW will include both Mac and Windows installers and activation for up to five computers. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, world-class customer support, hundreds of free video tutorials, and free ON1 Loyalty Rewards every month.

About ON1 Photo RAW

ON1 Photo RAW is the only photo editor designed by photographers for photographers. ON1’s unique community-driven development approach via The Photo RAW Project gives customers a voice in how it’s designed, allowing users to submit ideas and vote on new features. The majority of new features and updates in version 2018.5 have come as a result of the Photo RAW Project. With fast photo organizing, hundreds of customizable photo effects, powerful masking tools, LUTs, Camera Profiles, HDR, panos, layers, and other Lightroom and Photoshop®-like features, Photo RAW is the ultimate all-in-one photo editor and raw processor with no subscription.

ON1 Photo RAW 2018.5 isn’t just for raw files. It also supports JPEG, TIF, PSD, PSB, PNG, and DNG are supported and benefit from the speed, performance, and abundance of editing tools in the app. Photo RAW 2018.5 will continue to work seamlessly within current photography workflows. The app will integrate as a plug-in for Adobe® Lightroom Classic CC and Photoshop CC. Like the current version, Photo RAW 2018.5 will integrate with the major cloud services to allow for uploading, managing, and editing photos across multiple computers. This enables users to sync photos and their edits across multiple computers or in a studio setting.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on ON1 reveals Photo RAW 2018.5 with ‘massive performance boost’, LUTs and more

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Luminar Jupiter update brings new Raw conversion engine and big performance boost

17 Apr

Skylum Software—the artist formerly known as Macphun—has released a major update to its photo editing program Luminar. The update, known as Luminar Jupiter, brings more than 300 updates and improvements, including a big performance boost for both Mac and Windows users, automatic lens correction tools, a new Raw conversion engine, and much more.

One of the biggest improvements Luminar Jupiter brings is speed. According to Skylum, the update improves performance by up to 5x on Windows devices and a whopping 12x on MacOS, as illustrated in the graphics below:

Comparison charts for Luminar 2018 running on a Mid-2015 15″ MacBook Pro.
Comparison charts for Luminar 2018 running on a custom-built PC.

Beyond speed, the core of the update is two new features available in both the Windows and MacOS versions of Luminar 2018. They are: automatic lens correction controls and an improved Raw conversion engine that’s said to yield better exposure calculation, cleaner gradients, minimized chromatic aberrations and more robust camera compatibility.

Windows users in particular gain numerous new features including batch processing, an improved cloning tool, and better masking controls, while Mac users gain advanced digital camera profiles.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_1182252186″,”galleryId”:”1182252186″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

The Luminar Jupiter update is available now as a free update to owners of Luminar 2018. Luminar 2017 owners can upgrade for $ 50, while entirely new users can grab the most recent version of Luminar for $ 70. To find out more or to purchase Luminar 2018 for yourself, head over to the Skylum Software website.

Press Release

CORRECTION: Luminar 2018 for new users costs $ 70 for new users, not $ 60 as this article previously stated.

Skylum Updates Award-Winning Software with Luminar 2018 Jupiter

Includes Enormous Speed Increases/New Features and Functions

WHO: Skylum Software, creators of multi-award-winning Luminar 2018 imaging software, has added new and improved features with Luminar 2018 Jupiter.

WHAT: Luminar 2018 Jupiter now provides processing speeds up to 5X faster with Windows and 12X faster with Mac.

Additional new features and updates include:

  • Automatic lens correction features (NEW for Mac and Windows)
  • Improved RAW Conversion engine (Mac and Windows)
  • Advanced Digital Camera Profiles (DCP) for Mac

10 NEW features for Windows users including:

  • Batch Processing
  • Free Transform, Flip and Rotate Tools
  • Overall, more than 300 updates and improvements to software

WHEN: Luminar 2018 Jupiter is available now as a free update to current owners of Luminar 2018. Luminar 2017 owners can upgrade for $ 49 and new customers can purchase Luminar Jupiter for $ 69 (No annual subscription or software renewal needed). Download software here

WHY: Through the efforts of its internal product development team, Skylum Software has developed one of the fastest, easiest, and most affordable universal image processing software in the world. A one time, low-cost purchase with no annual subscription.

DETAILS: Luminar 2018 Jupiter is taking the most complete and cost-effective image processing software and making it a whole lot better by:

  • Increased performance speed by up to 5X (Windows) and 12X (Mac)
  • Automatic Lens Distortion correction (Mac and Windows)
  • Improved RAW Conversion Engine (Mac and Windows)
  • Better exposure calculation
  • Cleaner gradients
  • Fewer halos
  • More cameras, better compatibility
  • Eliminate chromatic aberrations

New Features for Windows

  • Batch processing
  • Better cloning
  • Better masking controls, cleaner zooms, easy transformations
  • Improved workflow with other applications (as a plugin)
  • Share workspaces (remote sharing)

“Our loyal community of users continues to offer ideas for additional features that would benefit their respective workflows, and we continued to listen, learn, and improve,” said Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum. “Our goal is to produce a fast, easy, and feature-rich imaging software that can offer both single-click solutions as well as custom functions for those want absolute control.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Luminar Jupiter update brings new Raw conversion engine and big performance boost

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Microsoft adds ‘Ultimate Performance’ mode to latest Windows 10 Pro build

16 Feb

Microsoft has introduced a new “Ultimate Performance” power scheme in its latest Windows 10 preview build. The new mode will be available to Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, a high-end version of Windows 10 that Microsoft introduced back in August. The company explains that Ultimate Performance is a way to “provide the absolute maximum performance” on these workstations for users who need as much power as possible.

Ultimate Performance mode builds upon the existing High-Performance option, working to eliminate micro-latencies, says Microsoft, that are “associated with fine grained power management techniques.” Ultimately, the new mode is designed for reducing those micro-latencies and it may result in increased power consumption; as such, Microsoft hasn’t made this mode available on system powered by batteries (like laptops).

For creatives who need to squeeze the most power possible out of their Windows machine as they edit 8K footage in Premiere Pro or cull and edit thousands of photos in the speedier new build of Lightroom Classic, the new mode could potentially give you a performance boost in exchange for higher power consumption.

Both OEMs and users can enable Ultimate Performance via Control Panel > Power Options > Hardware and Sound. The feature is only available to Windows Insiders running Windows 10 Pro for Workstations via Preview Builds 17079 or greater, for now.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Microsoft adds ‘Ultimate Performance’ mode to latest Windows 10 Pro build

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Samsung teases Galaxy S9 low light and slow-mo performance

16 Feb

On the 25th of February, Samsung will unveil its latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S9, and the Korean company is already heavily teasing some of the new model’s new and improved camera features in a couple of short teaser videos on its Korean Youtube channel.

The first video (above) shows several low-light scenes in quick succession. Towards the end there is the silhouette of a deer in near darkness. The animal’s head brightens up when the number 9 appears around it, hinting at some kind of low-light mode or improved low-light capability in the camera.

Previous rumors have mentioned a variable F1.5/F2.4 aperture. The lower value would be one of the fastest apertures on any smartphone camera, but we’d suspect Samsung will add some clever multi-frame-stacking technology on top of that to achieve usable exposures in very low light and manage noise.

Another video is a quick succession of action-packed scenes. At the end, a skydiver is almost frozen in time as the number 9 appears, hinting at some kind of super-slow-motion capture. From what we know so far, the S9 will come with a 480fps 1080p Full-HD slow-motion mode.

These kinds of teasers always leave you with more questions than answers, but fortunately we’ll know more in 10 days time when the device is launched. We’ll be at the event in Barcelona, so stay tuned for more details!

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Samsung teases Galaxy S9 low light and slow-mo performance

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Lightroom Classic 7.2: Major performance boost, new features, and more

14 Feb

Lightroom Classic 7.2—the performance boosted version of Lightroom DPReview got to test for ourselves at the end of January—has finally arrived! And with it come numerous performance improvements, better support for Intel hardware, a fix for speed issues experienced by some users, and some new features to boot.

Additionally, Adobe has also updated the new cloud-based Lightroom CC ecosystem for both desktop and mobile operating systems. Let’s take them one at a time.

Lightroom Classic Performance Boost

The company explains that it has worked with Intel to improve performance scaling on computers that have multiple cores and at least 12GB of RAM, and as we showed in January, the result is much faster importing and preview generation, and improved speed for things like adjustments rendering in Develop, HDR/Panos rendering, and more.

“One key attribute of the enhancements is that they scale appropriately with a customer’s investment in hardware,” says Adobe. Users who invest in newer, more powerful hardware will see more performance improvements, particularly if the system has at least 12GB of memory. This time around, Adobe says it focused on batch processing improvements (how efficiently system resources are used and batch tasks are completed), but the company will also focus on Interactive (interface response speed) needs in the near future.

Some users had experienced problems with Lightroom Classic slowing down over time, an issue Adobe says it has fixed “in most cases,” though it is possible some users will still experience this issue.

Lightroom Classic Feature Enhancements

Performance improvements and fixes aside, Lightroom Classic 7.2 comes with multiple new features, including a text search for finding a specific folder (“Folder Search”), the ability to filter favorites within folders, an option for creating collection sets from folders for use with Lightroom mobile, as well as a feature for creating collections from Map Module pins.

This version of Lightroom Classic also adds a library filter for unedited and edited images and enables users to create smart collections with unedited or edited images.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_3173476968″,”galleryId”:”3173476968″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

Finally, Adobe says it has enabled Photoshop Continuously Scalable User Interface in the Adobe Camera Raw plugin, with the scaling limited to 100% or 200%. Support for per-monitor scaling in Windows has also been added. In explaining the plugin update, Adobe said, “This is primarily a Windows change to sync up Photoshop, and Windows users will now be able to scale the ACR plugin from 100% to 500%, in increments of 100%.”

The full Lightroom Classic 7.2 update changelog is available here, new camera support can be found here, and new lens profile support can be found here.

Updates to Lightroom CC and Lightroom Mobile

In addition to the Lightroom Classic CC updates, the whole Lightroom CC ecosystem—including the Lightroom Mobile apps on iOS and Android—have been updated as well with “optimized performance, added support for new cameras and lenses, and some great new features for desktop and Android.”

Adobe says it put a lot of effort into “tuning and improving stability” with this update. Lightroom CC on Mac and Windows will see performance improve when moving between photos, grid scrolling, and exporting, while all the apps across mobile and desktop should be “a lot more stable.”

As for new features, Lightroom CC for desktop gets the ability to add copyright to imported images; meanwhile, Lightroom Mobile on Android gets a geometry tab for correcting perspective distortion, the ability to add a watermark upon export, the ability to search your Lightroom library with Google Assistant, and a new “Add to Lr” option that will allow you to add photos from third party apps directly into your Lightroom library.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_8528326624″,”galleryId”:”8528326624″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”isMobile”:false}) });

All of these updates are available now, so if you have a Creative Cloud subscription, update to the latest versions and give them a go. And if you want to dive deeper into all of these new features, head over to the Adobe blog.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Lightroom Classic 7.2: Major performance boost, new features, and more

Posted in Uncategorized

 

*Updated* Adobe is preparing a major Lightroom Classic performance update, and we got to try it

30 Jan

This article has been updated to include results from a 2015 quad-core Apple MacBook Pro.

Adobe Lightroom Classic users have been pining for a serious performance update for ages—even Adobe admitted that Lightroom performance was lackluster, and improving it was ‘top priority.’ Well, it looks like ‘top priority’ is going to pay off very soon.

Late last week, Adobe told DPReview that it has a significant Lightroom Classic performance update in the works. The update—which is “coming soon”—is supposed to improve performance across the board for anybody using a multi-core machine with at least 12GB of RAM. Or, in Adobe’s own words:

In this upcoming Lightroom Classic 7.2 release, we were able to make significant strides with our partners at Intel on addressing key performance issues. We have optimized CPU and memory usage so that performance will scale better across multiple cores on computers with at least 12 GB of RAM.

Adobe claims the update will result in:

  • Faster import and preview generation
  • Faster walking of images in the Loupe View
  • Faster rendering of adjustments in Develop
  • Faster batch merge operations of HDR/Panos
  • Faster export

The company’s own benchmarks back up this claim in a big way. Adobe shared these results with DPReview, revealing substantially improved export times between the current v7.1 and the upcoming v7.2.

Adobe Export Test

Adobe tested the new build on three machines:

  1. A 10-core iMac Pro with 32GB of 2666MHz DDR4 RAM, a 3GHz Intel Xeon W processor, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 graphics card with 16GB of RAM.
  2. An 8-core Windows 10 PC with 64GB of 2400MHz DDR4 RAM, a 3.2GHz Intel Xeon E5-1660 processor, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card with 8GB of RAM.
  3. A 10-core Windows 10 PC with 64GB of 2400MHz DDR4 RAM, a 2.9GHz Intel Core i9 7960X processor, and an Nvidia Quodro P2000 graphics card

Each of the three showed significant speed improvements when exporting 100 heavily edited Raw files as either full-resolution JPEGs or full-resolution DNGs:

  • The 10-core iMac Pro exported JPEGs 29.5% faster and DNGs 43.7% faster
  • The 8-core Windows 10 PC exported JPEGs 32.5% faster and DNGs 32.4% faster
  • The 10-core Windows 10 PC exported JPEGs 48.3% faster and DNGs 64.7% faster

Additionally, while subsequent tests of the current version got slower and slower on the Windows, version 7.2 fixes this problem. In other words: Lightroom Classic will no longer slow down over the course of a long editing session on Windows machines.

Our own tests also showed a noticeable speed boost when it came to exporting files, and a massive increase in performance on import. Adobe gave us early access to the new build, and we tested it alongside the current version of Lightroom Classic CC twice. We ran an initial export test on a 2016 13-inch MacBook Pro, with 16GB Ram and a 3.3GHz dual-core i7 processor running macOS 10.12.6, and found a modest but still significant speed improvement of around 11%.

After speaking to Adobe’s technical experts, we then conducted a follow-up import and export test on a Mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro. Specifically, a Retina model with a 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and Intel Iris 5200 Pro graphics card. It’s not exactly in the same class as the 8+ core powerhouses that Adobe seems to have lying around, but it’s arguably closer to the average setup for an enthusiast or semi-professional photographer. Also, despite being an older machine, we knew that according to Adobe, more cores would give us a better chance of seeing some serious performance gains.

As such, these results replace our earlier published figures.

DPReview Import Test (2015 Quad-core MacBook Pro)

When importing 130 Raw files from the Fujifilm X-T2 (7.6GB in total), we saw a major performance boost in LR Classic CC 7.2, on our quad-core 2015 MacBook Pro. Roughly 80%, in fact.

  • LR 7.1 – 4:05 (245 seconds)
  • LR 7.2 – 50 seconds

DPReview Export Test (2015 Quad-core MacBook Pro)

When exporting the same 130 Raw files as JPEGs (quality level 80, Adobe RGB), after heavy edits (including exposure, shadow/highlight adjustment, lens corrections and luminance noise reduction) we saw a modest performance improvement in LR Classic CC 7.2 compared to 7.1. Roughly 10% when averaged out – very similar to the 11% performance increase we saw when we ran the earlier test on our dual-core 2013 Mac.

  • LR 7.1 – 11:08 (668 seconds)
  • LR 7.2 – 10:16 (616 seconds)

Adobe was adamant that this update is just the beginning. The company is “pleased with these performance improvements” and believes Lightroom Classic users will be please as well, but Adobe also told us it is “far from done.” The company promises continued performance optimizations and improvements in future releases of Lightroom Classic CC.

For now, we’re just happy to see the first fruits of that “top priority” promise Adobe made last year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on *Updated* Adobe is preparing a major Lightroom Classic performance update, and we got to try it

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Apple apologizes for iPhone performance issues, offers discount on battery replacement

29 Dec

In a “letter to our customers” posted on its website, Apple took a more active stance in the iPhone slowdown ‘scandal’ that has been making headlines over the past week. The company once again explained why it was reducing performance on older iPhone models, but the letter went a step further, apologizing to customers for the lack of transparency and offering a few potential solutions to placate angry iPhone users.

The letter first describes how batteries age, and explains that the company changed its power management system to reduce “unexpected shutdowns” on iPhone 6 and SE models last year. (Apple did the same with iPhone 7 models recently).

In response to negative feedback from customers (and perhaps lawsuits) Apple will be reducing the price of replacement batteries by $ 50 (to $ 29) for out-of-warranty iPhones. Furthermore, the company plans to release an iOS update that will, “give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone’s battery, so they can see for themselves if its condition is affecting performance.”

The battery replacement program will begin in January and run throughout 2018. More information will be posted soon on apple.com.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Apple apologizes for iPhone performance issues, offers discount on battery replacement

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Corel launches PaintShop Pro 2018 with improved editing tools and faster performance

12 Aug

Corel just released PaintShop Pro 2018, the latest version of its image editing and graphic design software suite. For this latest version, the Corel engineers have managed to reduce launch times and create a simplified graphical user interface with a new Dual Workspace Environment. There are also customizable tool bars and a number of improved editing tools, including Crop, Text, Selection, Clone Brush, Gradient Fill, Eraser and the Dropper tool.

In addition PaintShop Pro 2018 gets you ten new color palettes, thirty new brushes, thirty new gradients, thirty new textures and fifteen new patterns. If you decide to opt for the Ultimate edition you’ll also have access to a collection of add-ons including Painter Essentials 5, Perfectly Clear 3 SE and After Shot 3.

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_9445804007″,”galleryId”:”9445804007″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”standalone”:false,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

Corel’s new Photo Video Bundle combines PaintShop Pro 2018 and VideoStudio Pro X10 for a complete photo, design, and video editing package. All software options are available in several languages. PaintShop Pro 2018 will set you back $ 80 while the Ultimate edition is $ 100. For the Photo Video bundle you’ll have to invest $ 160.

Press Release

PaintShop Pro 2018 Makes Advanced Photo Editing More Accessible and Affordable Than Ever

Dramatically redesigned interface, accelerated performance, enhanced tools, and loads of all-new creative content jump-start your creative projects

Ottawa, Ontario – Aug. 9, 2017

Corel introduces PaintShop® Pro 2018, the complete photo editing and graphic design suite that offers more speed, flexibility, and creativity than ever before. Enhance your editing experience with a redesigned and customizable user interface that’s now friendlier with high-resolution displays and pen and touch devices. Start and finish your next project faster thanks to improved performance under the hood — and express your creativity with more than 125 pieces of exciting new content including brushes, gradients, textures, and patterns.

“Whether you’re looking for professional photo editing power or just getting started, you need software that lets you jump in and be productive right away. PaintShop Pro now lets you choose from two unique interfaces, plus it gives you the ability to customize them to build an editing and design environment that’s uniquely your own,” said Chris Pierce, Product Manager for Corel Photo. “With PaintShop Pro 2018, we’re delivering a dramatically faster, easier, and highly creative experience that’s even more accessible and of course, still subscription free.”

The new PaintShop Pro 2018 and PaintShop Pro 2018 Ultimate boost productivity with user-requested enhancements and spark creativity with all-new content, including:

  • NEW! Dual Workspace Environment: Introducing two new workspaces designed to match the way you work! New to photo editing or looking to focus on a core set of tools? Try the new Essentials workspace for an easy-to-use, streamlined look. Or, if you’re a PaintShop Pro expert, switch to the Complete workspace for a more traditional experience that offers access to the software’s complete editing and design capabilities.
  • NEW! Simplified, Touch & Pen-Friendly Interface: Now get more control over features, functionality, and customization. Node size not right? Change it. Scroll bar too small? Make it bigger. New larger icons now make it easy to work on touchscreens, 2-in-1 devices, and high-DPI monitors.
  • ENHANCED! Faster Launch Time & Performance: Time is precious and whether you’re launching a program or performing a specific action, no one likes to wait around. PaintShop Pro 2018 launches more than 50% faster than the previous version (X9), while the software’s most popular tools now respond with near-instant results. Text Wrapping is faster and Depth of Field adjustments can be achieved 4 times quicker than before.
  • NEW! Customizable Toolbars: Be more productive with larger, easier-to-see icons and use the new Quick Customize feature to update your toolbars with the tools you want at your fingertips.
  • NEW! Color Palettes, Brushes & More Creative Content: Choose from a selection of complementary hues with 10 new Color Palettes, apply artistic strokes with 30 new Brushes, and get creative with 30 new Gradients, 30 new Textures, and 15 new Patterns.

Choose PaintShop Pro 2018 Ultimate, the comprehensive editing kit for photographers, and also receive a collection of add-ons worth more than $ 250 including:

  • NEW! Painter® Essentials™ 5: Get photo-painting tools that easily transform your pictures into impressive art right before your eyes. Or start sketching, drawing, and painting from scratch using Natural-Media® brushes.
  • NEW! Perfectly Clear 3 SE: Restore details, color, and other elements lost by your camera with the proven, patented corrections. Create a custom look with robust, time-saving presets that let you control multiple adjustments with just one click — all without leaving PaintShop Pro.
  • AfterShot™ 3: With the addition of AfterShot, get a one-two punch to rival Adobe’s Creative Cloud photography subscription, only without the monthly fee — including, digital asset management, RAW conversion, and adjustment. Take advantage of non-destructive editing that preserves your original, whether you edit one version of your photo or 100.

Photo Video Bundle Delivers a Complete Editing Package

Also introduced today, the Photo Video Bundle brings together PaintShop Pro 2018 and VideoStudio® Pro X10 for a complete photo, design, and video editing package to help tell your story. For more information on the Corel Photo Video Bundle, visit us at www.paintshoppro.com/photo-video-bundle.

Pricing and Availability

PaintShop Pro 2018 and PaintShop Pro 2018 Ultimate are available now in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese. Suggested retail pricing (SRP) for PaintShop Pro 2018 is $ 79.99 (USD/CAN) / EUR 69.99 / £69.99 / $ 99 AUD. SRP for PaintShop Pro 2018 Ultimate is $ 99.99 (USD/CAN) / EUR 89.99 / £89.99/ $ 129 AUD. SRP for PaintShop Pro 2018 and Video Studio X10 bundle is $ 159.99 (USD/CAN) / EUR 139.99 / £139.99/ $ 199 AUD. All European pricing includes VAT. Upgrade pricing is available to registered users of all previous versions of PaintShop Pro. For more information or to download a free 30-day trial, please visit www.paintshoppro.com.

To discover how you can bring the power of PaintShop Pro to your business and learn more about volume licensing for commercial or education-based organizations, please visit www.paintshoppro.com/business.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Corel launches PaintShop Pro 2018 with improved editing tools and faster performance

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »