Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

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johnp
Posts: 79
Joined: December 10th, 2009, 11:52 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Canon 90D

Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

Post by johnp »

Does anyone have any experience with Canon's "Digital lens Optimizer" software and suggestions on how to fit it into the Picture Window workflow?

John P
den
Posts: 856
Joined: April 25th, 2009, 6:33 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Canon EOS-350D/Fuji X100T
Location: Birch Bay near Blaine, WA USA

Re: Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

Post by den »

John...

My Canon camera/lenses predate the 'Digital Lens Optimizer' portion of Canon's Digital Photo Professional [DPP] but I do use DPP's 'Lens aberration correction' often.

When I do, I will:
1) use DDP for RAW conversion at its default settings (basically duplicating the in-camera image processing settings) and apply preference 'Lens aberration correction'; then save a 16-bit tiff to a folder...
2) using Vista's drag and drop features, I will use Windows Explorer to open the folder, then select one or more the DPP tiffs and 'drag and drop' them onto one of PWP's [v7.0.14+] two desktop program links for opening either into PWP's workspace or a selected Workflow... ...for PWP tone/color/sharpening adjustments...

...den...
johnp
Posts: 79
Joined: December 10th, 2009, 11:52 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Canon 90D

Re: Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

Post by johnp »

Den -

I'll be out for a couple of weeks on a trip and trying out my new Canon 70D - It and the lens are supported by the Canon Lens Optimizer,
so I'll report back on how things work. I'll try your drag & drop method and see what else might work.

I'll be interest in seeing how PWP Raw conversion stacks up against Canon's.

John P
mark_hay
Posts: 28
Joined: August 22nd, 2009, 4:05 am

Re: Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

Post by mark_hay »

Hi John
I was curious how you found the RAW conversion with Canon DPP and DLO compared to that in PWP?

I am using Canon 40D with several Canon lens some of which are supported by DLO in DPP software.
I tend to convert RAW files in DPP, then use PWP for final edits. (Like Warp transformation - that DPP does not offer).

From what I could see, DLO seems to make detail clearer at edges and corners e.g. foliage, grass looks sharper. And maybe it removes some chromatic aberration. So useful when printing large for me.

best wishes, Mark.
Robert Schleif
Posts: 340
Joined: May 1st, 2009, 8:28 pm

Re: Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

Post by Robert Schleif »

Generally I carefully work up a small number of images per month, but for large prints. Most of these are used to make high resolution landscape composites assembled from four to twenty images. I use the DLO in DPP because its lens-specific (and presumably focal length-specific) distortion and vignetting corrections increase the precision of the overlays in the composites even though my panorama program, Hugin, is capable of detecting, quantifying, and correcting both aberrations. I then use PWP on the assembled composite.
doug
Posts: 111
Joined: April 24th, 2009, 10:06 am
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Nikon D-500
Location: Toledo, Ohio USA

Re: Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

Post by doug »

Robert ....
When I first wanted to play around with a panoramic composite, I looked for a cheap way to experiment with the technique and stumbled upon Hugin. I don't do much of this processing. But haven't felt the need for anything more sophisticated (or expensive). It sounds like you feel the same way about this software.

One problem for me is that there doesn't seem to be much instructional help. So if I get back into this work and have a question, I may contact you.

Meanwhile, one curiosity I have is that my last composite of four images with nearly 50% overlap did not have more pixels in the combined result than did any one of the four input images. Is this normal or did I likely select a wrong setting?

Doug
johnp
Posts: 79
Joined: December 10th, 2009, 11:52 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Canon 90D

Re: Canon's "Digital Lens Optimizer" software for RAW images

Post by johnp »

Sorry for the delay in discussing my results using the DLO s/w. I've not yet tried to do
an AB comparison of the same raw image using DLO vs PWP conversion. For now, my
results are entirely empirical (and may be influenced by my new Canon 70D). Previous
experience was with a Canon 40D with other lenses.

Several caveats...
a) I'm partially red/green color blind - no color prints by me!
b) I'm using an Epson 1430 printer with the Paul Roark B&B inkset. (nice!)
c) Either my eyes or my technique has made calibrating my monitor & printer less than optimal.

Subjectively... so far, my experience has been very positive. I tend to preview images
in the DLO s/w (it seems to create thumbnails and previews faster then PWP), experiment
different filters, etc. I then export the image as a TIFF and use PWP for all my editing
and printing. Printing seems to be easier with this flow and I get more satisfying prints with
less hassle. Prints look to be sharper than before, but this may be the 70D vs the 40D.

When the weather cools down and the rains start, I'll try to re-print a 40D raw image with the
new flow to see if results with it are better than my original versions.

Trip suggestion - if you ever get a chance to go to Plitvice national park in Croatia, do it! I bought
the new camera simply because I was going back there. I was there in 1971 and because of a
camera accident, got 0 picture of. I've longed to go back and finally did it and it wildly
exceeded my memories. They say there's no going home? Well, let me tell you, this
was soooo good! I've got a couple of my prints hanging in our family room and every time
I see them, I smile. I love B&W!

John P
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