Stoffer wrote:
Yeah? That is pretty important for the pixel shift feature. Could be real nice to a able to load the pixel shift baked .arw file into Capture One Pro.
The problem is that the Imaging Edge combines the 4 images pixel-shifted images and creates a new file with the ".ARQ" extension. Perhaps LR and C1 will be able to read this but I'm not sure.
A possible workflow would be to edit one of the RAWs first, copy the same settings to the remaining 3 and as a final step, run Pixel Shift on them.
Fred Miranda wrote:
The problem is that the Imaging Edge combines the 4 images pixel-shifted images and creates a new file with the ".ARQ" extension. Perhaps LR and C1 will be able to read this but I'm not sure.
A possible workflow would be to edit one of the RAWs first, copy the same settings to the remaining 3 and as a final step, run Pixel Shift on them.
In the pixel shift comparison performed by DPReview they made a raw file available for download from their studio scene. It's an 82MB file (compared to 41.4MB for the A7R2). It's an .ARW file so I downloaded it but it neither LR or PS would open it. I don't have an up to date version of C1 to try https://www.dpreview.com/news/5645755619/sony-a7r-iii-pixel-shift-lifts-a-veil-off-your-landscapes
mcbroomf wrote:
In the pixel shift comparison performed by DPReview they made a raw file available for download from their studio scene. It's an 82MB file (compared to 41.4MB for the A7R2). It's an .ARW file so I downloaded it but it neither LR or PS would open it. I don't have an up to date version of C1 to try https://www.dpreview.com/news/5645755619/sony-a7r-iii-pixel-shift-lifts-a-veil-off-your-landscapes
That's not the pixel shift (composite) file though. it's just one of the four captures. The composite file will be 4 times bigger than that and will have the .ARQ extension instead of .ARW.
Did they make the .arq file available for download?
Fred Miranda wrote:
The problem is that the Imaging Edge combines the 4 images pixel-shifted images and creates a new file with the ".ARQ" extension. Perhaps LR and C1 will be able to read this but I'm not sure.
A possible workflow would be to edit one of the RAWs first, copy the same settings to the remaining 3 and as a final step, run Pixel Shift on them.
Hmmm, if LR or C1 knows that the .arq file is already demosaic’ed, they just need to bypass that step and work on it like a normal raw file for the rest of the image pipeline. Sounds easy, but I’m no engineer so I really have no clue.
This is effectively what was needed for the Leica Monochrom camera... no demosaicing of a file.
It should be mostly trivial for LR and others to implement this in the software.
Secondarily, the file could be converted to a TIFF or similar file first and then read as a traditional file, however, that would require the RAW corrections, etc. to be done before that step.
It occurs to me that this process of pixel shifting might require new lens profiles to address some things in a more precise manner than they have been, like color fringing. I suppose that won't be done, however. Maybe it isn't really necessary.
Fred Miranda wrote:
That's not the pixel shift (composite) file though. it's just one of the four captures. The composite file will be 4 times bigger than that and will have the .ARQ extension instead of .ARW.
Did they make the .arq file available for download?
That's weird I wonder why they didn't say it's just one of the files. A little deceptive and no real point in posting it IMO. They could have posted all 4 ... that might have been useful now that the software is available.
elimoss wrote:
PlayStation and PlayStation Network have pretty good software and they support developers well. So Sony can get it done.
PlayMemories Apps was on the right track integrating with PlayStation Network. Not sure why they don't expand that.
I had difficulty paying for an app or two and after a couple rounds of failure gave up on it. I know that some say there are ways to make it work. But if a company has so many issues taking my money for an app, I'd rather not buy the app.
Since RawTherapee supports Pentax pixel-shift, it might work with Sony too. A7RIII raws certainly do work with it. It has good performance but atm so its quite slow (usually its pretty fast piece of SW) due some GNU related bug (fixed in next release).
Stoffer wrote:
Hmmm, if LR or C1 knows that the .arq file is already demosaic’ed, they just need to bypass that step and work on it like a normal raw file for the rest of the image pipeline. Sounds easy, but I’m no engineer so I really have no clue.
Yeap. Someone who has access to a .arq file needs to see if Lightroom or C1 can read it.
I have some old Olympus high res .orf files, and I just tested those in Capture One, ver. 10.2.1 and Capture One reads those perfectly, and you can do with them whatever you do with regular raw files. I guess Sony .arq files will work just as fine, since these files are basically constructed from four (Sony) or eight (Olympus) regular Bayer pattern raw files. Olympus high res files are created from eight shots and the Sony non-Bayer .arq from four files.
The workflow will look like this. You input four .arw files from a multi shot into Image Edge viewer, which produces an .arq file. Capture One will then read this .arq file just like any other raw file. Since Capture One already support Olympus high res files, support for Sony .arq files can't be far away.
The only thing that Sony's Image Edge will be needed for is to compile the arq files from the arw files. That's the consolation I can find in all of this.
virtualrain wrote:
I wonder why Sony opted to go this route rather than contract this out to Phase One who already offers a reduced feature version of Capture One Pro for Sony owners for free.
The last thing the world needs is another RAW converter from a camera manufacturer.
I agree, and not only the C1 reduced set version for free, but for nearly 1/6 of the price, the "Pro" (for Sony), Version has ALL the features of Capture One Pro, it's just that it will only work with Sony Files. It's €50+VAT as against €279 +VAT for any make.
Only know this as I've just invested in C1 Pro 10 (for Sony.)
bjornthun wrote:
The only thing that Sony's Image Edge will be needed for is to compile the arq files from the arw files. That's the consolation I can find in all of this.
That’s as far as I will take this software. We just need C1 and LR to see the files so we can process the final tif in our own sauce.
I have C1 Pro version , had it for at least 10 years or longer
virtualrain wrote:
I wonder why Sony opted to go this route rather than contract this out to Phase One who already offers a reduced feature version of Capture One Pro for Sony owners for free.
The last thing the world needs is another RAW converter from a camera manufacturer.
Sony has to do this, even if it sucks, because Sony needs outboard software for tethering, pixel shift, and any future features they come up with that they cannot (or do not want to) develop inside the camera, and they cannot put themselves in the strategically vulnerable position of depending on third-parties to make key features of their cameras function.
I thought wireless tethering to a computer was also a feature in the Sony software? I use the wireless remote on my iPad and Phone often and was hoping to do the same to my laptop on occasion. I use C1 tethered with a cable as standard procedure but at times it would be great to have a wireless option. I'm also looking forward to the USB-C tethering!
