Any thoughts on DDP comparision to other programs

[andnowimbroke]

To be honest, I never even installed the program to see what it was capable of. I think even Bryan used it to convert his raw files over but can't promise that as my memory is a year older than it was last week:). I was reading sooo much stuff at the time when I first started (way back in 2009) I lost track. I got the general idea from people more brilliant than I in other forums, that Canon made cameras and just offered up the DDP crap as a freebee, and Adobe Camera Raw (among others) were the programs of choice as their niche was software. It made sense at the time. After several recent posts from others talking about DDP (automatic adjustments to specific lens, etc.), it's starting to sound like it does more than what I originally gave it credit for especially considering what little I do with pictures. I'm still using Lightroom Beta and really don't use the catalog feature (which is pretty much the whole reason people use Lightroom2). I'm still in the early stages of picture-taking and would like not to drag a picture through three or four programs I'm unfamiliar with to reach the final result. My question is, how does DDP stack up with other programs in terms of basic adjustments (cropping, borders, signatures stamps, plug-insif needed,noise removal,and possible cloning or spot removal)?

[DavidEccleston]

(cropping, borders, signatures stamps, plug-insif needed,noise removal,and possible cloning or spot removal)


Yes, No, No, No, Yes, and Yes.[:D]


With DPP you work in your choice of 5 different color spaces. You can adjust brightness, contrast/highlight/shadow, black level, white level, white balance, color tone, saturation, and sharpess, and picture style. You can apply a tone curve, and change hue, perform noise reduction, lens aberration correction (peripheral illumination, distortion, chromatic aberration). You can crop, rotate, and clone via tools in the menus, and you can resize during a save.


It works quite well for everything it does. If you need a border or a signature stamp though, you'll still need another tool.

[andnowimbroke]

If you need a border or a signature stamp though, you'll still need another tool





It's not a biggy, but would have been nice. How does the noise fix'in compare to specialized programs? It would make sense that Canon knows what their noise looks like and should be decent, but does it get real muddy and lose detail. I peaked at noise ninja (and imagenomic(?) later on)after seeing a banner on Rob G.'s website.

[dmckinny]

First a caveat, I am not a pro, or even an experiences amatuer.


My short answer is give DPP a try, read Brian's workflow article on this site, and be patient. What it does with your shots is actually pretty good.


I got my first SLR (30d) and PSE6 about two years ago and have been using that combination the whole time. Recently I moved everything over to a new computer with Window 7 and had some issues with PSE6 (compatibility, stability etc.) Since I have primarily been shooting my daughter and her soccer team, and the season was coming to a close I needed to process almost all my spring shots. I decided to take the opportunity to try DPP, roughly following Brian's workflow. This worked for me since I was just doing basic stuff on a global basis. What I am finding is that while the controls in DPP are a little harder to figure out, I have picked it up pretty quickly. I also found out that I am much happier working in DPP with large (for me) picture sets from a game or tournament. I have never figured out a reasonable way to process multiple shots in PSE6, at least not on that I like.


What I am doing now is use Canon tools to load the pictures on the computer. Then use DPP to process the RAW files and finally load the processed files into PSE6 to take advantage of the cataloging.


Ihave severalbooks by Michael Freeman, and in one of them he did a chapter on various RAW processing programs, and how they have very different outputs with the same inputs. It was rather enlightening. It appeard that Adobe Camera RAW and DPP were very close in what they did. We have choices, however the poor Nikon folks (like my father-in-law), have a pretty crappy program from Nikon!

[andnowimbroke]

I was just thinking about this the other day. I was supposed to take some classes at a college this summer, but doesn't seem like it is going to work out. With the student discount, I was going to get a good all-in-one program to play with. After I found out I wasn't going, I saw PSE8 on sale for $50 and almost bought it as my thirty days of CS4 are finished. I guess I just need to dig the disk out of DDP and do like you said. I just didn't want to load up any more junk on this ancient machine that I have and resign myself to more than likelyneeding more than one program to do what I want.


Thanks for the input

[mikehillman89]

Sorry for the off-topic-ness of this, but I couldn't get DDP to work with my friends 7D. It kept giving me an error and would just quit itself... I just use photoshop cs5 for now.

[andnowimbroke]

Sorry for the off-topic-ness of this


No bothers mikehillman. I rarely stay on topic anyway:) Just curious, was it the DDP version that came with the 7D, and did you have any problems when installing the software?

[mikehillman89]

it was version 20.4 that came with my dads 50D. But he got his 50D way after my friend got his 7D so the version should be newer than the 7D version that would have come with it. And no, 0 problems on install, just when trying to read and run the program

[andnowimbroke]

The 50D was prolly just sittin' on a shelf and might not have had the lastest and greatest. I did some diggin' and think the 7D had Canon EOS Digital Solution Disk(Version 21.0) and Digital Photo Professional (Version 3.7.0). I'm not sure what mine had. I was under the assumption that anything you had to pay extra for was better than something you got for free. I know now just to try it first. CS5 though prolly wins..at least it better for an extra grand[:D]

[neuroanatomist]

It doesn't matter which disc the camera came with. You can go to the Canon software download page ("http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=DownloadIndexAct) and get the latest versions of DPP and the other software. Even selecting an old model like the 10D brings up the latest version of DPP (once you select your OS from the pop-up menu).

[mikehillman89]

Hmmm... That could do it. I'll have to look into that to see if it actually needs 21 to work properly.

[Brian Kreitman]

My 7D came with a solutions disk that has Version 21.1 stamped on it.


But, once you get one version installed, all of the upgrades from Canon are free. Just download the latest.


But, there are only upgrades available (and the install program does check for an existing installation). There are no fresh installs, except for version on the solutions disk that you get with the camera.

[andnowimbroke]

It doesn't matter which disc the camera came with


I was just referring to needing at least the version that came with the 7D to run it properly. Sometimes I think better than I type...and that's scary[;)]

[Neil1000]

Hi,


my first post. I have not used DPP for a long time, preferring Lightroom and CS4. Recently I got a 7d and tested AutoISO. It frequently set ISO3200 in low light. I would never set this high with my 5D. The result was disappointing - more noise than I expected. I found Lightroom and CS4 to be not satisfying with reducing noise from such a high ISO settingwith a 7d.


I remember reading here that someone mentioned the Canon tech at his shop saying than Canon understands its sensors and builds this knowledge into its software. So I returned to DDP and downloaded the latest 3.8.1 and had a look at the noise reduction features. Wow, I share that it handles 7d ISO 3200 noise reduction much better than I have found with either Lightroom or ACR CS4. Transferring the improved files to Lightroom is a bit problematic and the noise reduction data is a bit scrambled. But in ACR CS4 the transferred files retain the DDP noise reduction data well.


Thereare someother nice features I have discovered with DPP 3.8.1


a) taking lots of pictures for microadjustment and using Control I shows the microadjustment of each photo so it is easier for me to review them than looking back at my notebook to refer to settings.


b) reviewing similar files done in Liveview and the microadjustment data is gone from the file. I wonder is this feature disables in Liveview?


anyway, enough for a first post. Great forum - I have learned a lot from the posts here.





best wishes, Neil

[btaylor]

Hi Neil, welcome to the forums mate.


I'm in a similar situation to you, I have been using Adobe Bridge, Adobe Camera Raw and CS4 as I like the integration between the programs for my workflow. However I have run a few photos from the 5D II through DPP recentlyand I must say the results are much better than ACR.


Just need to adjust my workflow now and get used to transferring between programs but if the images come out better then that's a small sacrifice.


Cheers, Ben

[neuroanatomist]

b) reviewing similar files done in Liveview and the microadjustment data is gone from the file. I wonder is this feature disables in Liveview?


It would be, depending on which focus mode you're using. In Quick AF (where the mirror flips up to use the dedicated AF system), I would think that the microadjustment would be applied. But, in Live AF (or Face Detection AF) where the AF is performed using contrast on the image sensor, I would think that the AF microadjustment would not be applicable.

[andnowimbroke]

Wow, I share that it handles 7d ISO 3200 noise reduction much better than I have found with either Lightroom or ACR CS4.





That pretty much sealed the deal right there for me. Well done Neil! It's going to be a few more days at least before I can play on my computer, but I will certainly be installing DDP after hearing that.


Do you know if the update can be installed on a cd or does the actual DDP program need to be installed on the computer your downloading from? Some day I'll get the internet, but I need steps inside my house first. Been walkin' on drywall mud buckets for years. Actually had to replace a lid in December because it cracked[:D].

[Neil1000]

Hi


any version of DPP installed on your computer from the very first is enough or if you have a CD with any version of DPP it is enough after you install it then you can go to canon usa, europe, uk or whatever and download the updates. DPP 3.8.1 is a huge upgrade and is free if you bought a Canon camera. But with DPP installed, Canon has made a huge and unadvertised upgrade to all its other softwaresitting in one of the sites above for you to download


I would like to say I have kept up to date with DPP but have not and let many updates pass by. I can only say that someone on this site triggered me to look again at DPP and there are algorithms in 3.8.1 that are superb for all Canon cameras to enjoy. And adobe has much catching up to do. But then you transfer to adobe to do the other stuff that is not covered by DPP. Soload from the card via Zoombrowser. Then go to DPP and in particular do noise reduction if you run high ISO then ignore Lightroom and go to CS4 (if you have it).


DPP 3.8.1 is new to me, I looked at this freebie when it was new and moved on. But in the interim there have been astonishing improvements. The algorithms are amazing and so much better that theearlier releases.


best wishes, Neil

[Neil1000]

thanks neuro.





The guys here love the 85 f1.2. I have the 50 1.2 Microadjustment with this DOF is doing in my head. With my other lenses it is easy,


I have abandoned live view 10x or straight for this task. Paper with writing on is hopeless but a coloured (European spelling) image with sharp lines is what is needed. Real people are so much easier but you can't ask them to sit there whilst you do the full microadjustment run (with picture review)





best wishes Neil


ps I have a lab sitting next to me with more photomicrography stuff than I have ever seen and in 4 years have not seen anyone use it