PP's Raw Converter

I am getting noticeably softer images using the PP raw converter than with either SilkyPix or RawTherapee. To create a comparison that we can both view, I found a website with several raw files for the FZ35 that can be downloaded.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 Digital Camera Thumbnails - First Shots - The Imaging Resource!

I am using the image in the upper right, FZ35FAR4000.RW2

I processed the raw file in PP, SilkyPix, and RawTherapee with default parameters with the exception that Highlight recovery was turned off in all converters. All the converters still do some processing so it is hard to tell exactly what's on or off. PP was set to AWB, clip, and Autocontrast. Full size jpgs from all three converters are here, click on "O" at the top to see the original sizes.


SilkyPix is image 24
FZ35 Test Pix - WernerG's Photos

Click right for image 25 - RawTherapee
Click right for image 26 - PhotoPerfect

View all three in "O" size to see full size images and look at the brickwork and the window and roof lines. PP's image is noticeably softer. Without Auto Contrast on there is a dark fog over the image that brightens when Auto contrast is on but the "fog" remains. I have noticed this in many of my own test images as soft edges on structures, soft, indistinct leaves on trees, etc. The SilkyPix image shows the most texture and crispness in the detail. It is interesting that RT and PP both use dcraw.exe 8.97 yet show different results.

Am I doing something wrong with the raw dialog? I have tried many iterations but I can't get a crisp image out of PP's raw converter.

The behaviour you described is normal as PP does not apply any sharpening, really 0 sharpening, to the RAW conversion - on contrary to other converters.

Normally the best result is achievable when you apply a bit sharpening as the LAST step - after post processing the RAW conversion - so leaving out the sharpening is understandable ;-)

Within PP either USM or Lanczos would yield the best results. If you have questions regarding sharpening, there are some interesting posts within this forum. Alternatively we would also be glad to share.

Best regards

Hoang-Tran

OK, I had forgotten that both SilkyPix and RawTherapee both do all their processes start to finish in a fixed order so they will always apply sharpening at the end. I was able to turn off SilkyPix's sharpening and it produced an image similar to the PP raw converter image.

When I first noticed this on my images it was after optimization with PerfectlyClear. I thought the sharpening function within PC as doing the job. When I noticed that the images were still soft I assumed it was raw converter problem.

I reworked the test image using all the processes, AWB, Restore(3) @ 4096, AutoContrast, a little brightening first, then PerfectlyClear with its sharpness on but it was still soft so I used USM and got an image very similar to the SilkyPix image. (There isn't much work for PC to do here but I wanted to see if its sharpener was enough.)

The corrected image is here, #27

FZ35 Test Pix - WernerG's Photos

Should I continue to keep the PC sharpening on if I still have to use external sharpening? Do these duplicate processes leave residues?

Once again, thanks for you help. I want to use PP from start to finish and I was getting worried that I would have to do the initial raw processing with an external converter.

Werner

Normally PC can sharpen pretty well. What settings are you using? Besides the checkbox, you can also set the strength from 0 -100. Do you use PC manually or via script?

Personally I would only perform sharpening once at the end, mostly via USM and thus prefer to turn off sharpening for PC. But as mentioned above, PC can sharpen pretty well if correctly set. Sometimes it is even too much.

As always it's a pleasure to assist :-)

Best regards

Hoang-Tran