Golferdude1977 wrote:
The ACR update is for CS4. I am like you, have CS3 and won't work with the IV. But CS4 should be here tomorrow and with ACR 5.6 update, CS4 will work.
ACR in CS2 will open them, if you convert them to DNG first!
Yes, but if you have CS4 and the ACR 5.6 update, you should be able to open as is, no converting them. Otherwise, for CS2 and CS3, you have to use the DNG converter then open them in CS2/CS3. Still works, just an extra step.
Mickey wrote:
CS4 with ACR 5.6 works with the MKIV just fine.
Of course. LR3beta has new demosaic and NR algorithms. NR is far superior in LR3beta. That's the point I've been trying to make. The latest releases ACR 5.6 and LR 2.6 both have Mark IV support.
Would you elaborate on your response? I'm using Lightroom 2.6. Is the noise reduction better with Lightroom 3 Beta? That is assuming I have already converted the file to DNG? Thanks.
Golferdude1977 wrote:
The ACR update is for CS4. I am like you, have CS3 and won't work with the IV. But CS4 should be here tomorrow and with ACR 5.6 update, CS4 will work.
You'll like other CS4 features as well. It's nice doing localized adjustments.
Rhett Gibson wrote:
Would you elaborate on your response? I'm using Lightroom 2.6. Is the noise reduction better with Lightroom 3 Beta? That is assuming I have already converted the file to DNG? Thanks.
Yes, the noise reduction is noticably better in LR3, plus there's better sharpening and post-crop vignetting. With that said, LR3 is a beta product, and I find it noticably slower. Right now, I'm only using LR3 for testing. To get your Mark IV files there, you have one of two options. First you can export the images as DNG from LR2, but you'll also send any adjustments you've made with them as LR embeds your adjustments into the DNG. This may be good if you like your file and don't want to start completely over. The other option is to download the free DNG converter that I linked to earlier. It will ONLY do the conversion and make no adjustments. With fresh files, I prefer option 2. YMMV.
Do you think when the upgrade is released it will have any more IQ advantage over converting to DNG and then processing ?
I really don't think so. When you set up the DNG converter, you have two options on how it deals with the file. In the first, you have the option to keep the original data, and in the second, you have the option to create a linear file. The linear file is demosaiced by the DNG converter, so the file would be changed. The linear file is essentially what you get with a sRAW or mRAW canon file. If the demosaic process has NOT been done (e.g., sRAW, mRAW, Linear), then the new LR algorithms will do the debayer or demosaic processes.
With that, this is all off the top of my head, so the terms and accuracy may not be 100%. The general concept is true, however.
The simple answer to your question; LR3 will only have an advantage if a) they do not change the algorithms from the beta, or b) you keep the original bayer information included in the file.
)