Wife and I just watched this together, she commented how professional your presentation was throughout it (she is a school teacher), and I agree. I hope this is helpful for some of the newer DSLR users that come to our site (it very well should be!).

Cheers,

Carl

Well, I have listened... so now all I need do is "act". I found this really useful and as such consider myselg a guinea pig and will report back once classes have been taken!

Thanks for the pointer.

Iain

Hi guys thanks for the comments, means a lot. Hopefully this and future tutorials will help lots of people. I guess it's not a bad way for AMW to kick off the New Year.

Thank you very much - this is really helpful.

Does this sound like a good workflow, or am I missing something . . . I use Lightbox to quickly review photos on my CF card and to delete the outtakes. Then I use IDC to process, as shown in your video, and save as TIFF files (because the raw processing in IDC doesn't seem to carry over to my next step). From there I use Photoshop Elements to manage my library, due to its greater editing and classification capabilities.

Also, do you have any more info on the types of noise addressed in IDC, i.e., color and edge? I don't understand how they differ (I just see noise, or not, when I look at a photo), and I can't seem to find any meaningful discussion where I can learn more about them. I also have Noise Ninja, and they use other terms, but I still can't get educated about this topic.

Sony should really be pointing its customers to this site. It's terrific. Thanks.

Hi TFD, thanks for your comments on the tutorial. I'm glad that you found it useful, in response to your questions first, your workflow does seem OK, although I wonder why you don't just use Elements to convert the RAWs most of the time. ACR has a bit of a bad reputation as does IDC, but as with most things it's not as bad as it seems. Certainly in ACRs case it only seems to effect the ultra high ISO shots. But never mind, IDC can produce some nice results in itself and when combined with Noise Ninja turns is good results.

As for the info on noise hopefully this will help: The colour noise control will remove the colour noise in the images without removing too much detail- it leaves the luminance noise well alone. It is very similar to the colour noise reduction in other packages- it is sometimes referred to as chrominance noise.

The edge noise control deals with the luminance noise reduction- this is the control that can destroy fine details if not used very carefully. In most other packages it would be called "luminance noise reduction".

Hopefully that helps, cheers.

Nice video Andrew..and good to hear a nice British accent too ;-)
lol

Not used IDC much, it has some interesting aspects, find the NR controls tricky..and sharpening a bit odd. I will continue to play about with it though.

I can see where you are coming from with regards to noise reduction, and the sharpening is not as refined as in Photoshop for example. But unless you are shooting at some ridiculously high ISO taking out the colour noise is often enough. As you say sharpening is a little odd if you are used to USM...

Firstly, the subject is of interest to many or indeed most owners of Sony DSLR Alpha cameras because optimum usage of the IDC package seems largely to be left to one's own devices and experimental skills.
Unfortunately the quality of the video is dire. Above all it is so fuzzy as to be virtually illegible. The speech volume is too low for normal settings and, while the pace of the speech itself is OK, the progress of the commentary is far too quick thus leaving the viewer no time to digest information before it moves to the next point.
So a worthwhile project unfortunately ruined, in my opinion, by pretty appalling execution.

I think you are speaking from an advanced users imput however. True possibly for an advanced user, but already the target of this type of project has outnumbered your less than enthusiastic response to it.

As far as the pace is concerned, I disagree with you. A pause button comes in very handy, and is quite available. If the video were done at a slower pace, it would have been perceived as too slow and boring.

The volume of the production could stand a bit of raise, yet lets not get to critical as I am sure a volume adjustment would simply remedy that situation.

Appalling, as you put it, is way overly critical imvho.

Carl

Thanks, your answer is very helpful. I have been reading what I can find on this topic - I'm afraid I was remiss in not studying the pdf user guide for Noise Ninja, which has some directions that should improve my results with that tool. Like you, they suggest minimizing luminance noise adjustments and focusing on color noise. From your answer and what I was able to glean from that user guide, I take it that luminance noise is what sometimes appears as a halo or shadow along detail edges (I don't see much of that in my pictures), whereas color noise is a mottled or splotchy look in solid color regions (which I do see at higher ISOs).

As you suggest, I'm going to retry using PS Elements with its ACR, and my new found Noise Ninja techniques. That would be much easier! I'll see how that compares to a more refined use of IDC.

Thanks again.

This tutorial is a wonderful idea and the timing is perfect. I’m sure there’s a lot of people with new sony’s looking for a place to learn more about their new camera. I am one of those.

I found the medium very good. I looked at the video on one computer, paused when I needed to and perform the steps just learned on another one. This is a very easy way to see a new topic and try it out immediately. The depth of the subject is appropriate for a ten minute beginner video and I’m encouraged to see this is only the first of more to come. For someone with limited computer experience, the relationship between lightbox and data converter for raw files could be a tough one to grasp. This video does a good job at describing how that works. The narrator was easy to understand and the cadence was spot on.

So for some constructive criticism, I found the video quality very poor and difficult to follow along with and the sound was too low. I’m sure these two items are will be easy to rectify in the next one.

This video does a good job of describing how to get your files into the software and how to access the controls. In the next videos I would like to see an injection of a photographers thought process in what the switches do to my picture, how the switched related to each other and why I would use each one. (“move the slider to the left for more green” helps me understand what the slider does, but I need to know in what circumstances I would want to do that. Contrast and sharpness are two I specifically need to know more about).

I would also like to see the relationship between what the switch in the software does compared to doing the same thing on the camera, and when I would want to consider using one over the other. After that, you could move to focusing on training to help new folks get the kind of results the pros and semi-pros are getting in the challenges. One video on portraits, one on wildlife, one on silhouette....

I am definitely looking forward to the next video. Keep up the great work.

Nick A.

Although the clarity of the video was fuzzy I still found it very very helpful. I'm new to RAW processing and I find myself with a variety of editing programs - none of which I've mastered or even learned much about. This well-done overview of how to approach a raw file from the beginning was illuminating to me. After seeing this little video I know what steps to take first - and where to take them. Thanks for your efforts. I appreciate it.

I have already commented here and would like to now "update" those.

If the test of such a tutorial is having a complete newbie watch, then try using the software and see the successful (or otherwise!) outcome, then at a personal level, it has absolutely achieved it's outcome.

Before the video, although I had read here at AMW that new users should be using RAW, I was a JPEG man through and through. I was struggling with the camera settings as taking the picture, then getting home to be disappointed was becoming almost dis-heartening.

Now, I am armed and relatively dangerous. The confidence of using RAW as I now know how to use the software in invaluable. Using the software allows me to understand better the camera settings and in time I will ultimately improve my selection of settings at the time of shooting. At least that is my aim.

The comments about more detail are valid in my opinion, but not for this tutorial. I could not agree more that seeing tutorials from the eyes of the improved amateurs to semi-pros and or pros on this site would be a HUGE benefit to members. But at this level the basics need to be covered and besides, half the learning is in experimentation anyway.

Mr Anonymous has missed the target by a long shot. Shame he has not had the balls to respond to real world comments from the end users who clearly love the presentation.

10 mins.... perfect amount of time
Simple... perfect
fuzzy?.... I could see it and fuzzy never crossed my mind
too quiet... a little but there again... that is what the volume knob is for.
Too quick.... yes Carl... odd invention that pause button!

I am a new RAW user, newly enthused. Thanks AMW.

Iain

Hi Scampi and others,

Thanks for watching the tutorial and then taking the time to post a comment here. It means a lot to us here at AMW, the comments you've posted Scampi have hit the nail on the head.

The timing of ten minutes is about right for an introductory video (any more and it could become tedious, or harder to follow). As you say, the aim is to help beginners take their first steps with RAW processing and to help them find their way around. The video is a bit fuzzy but I believe that is in the upload to Youtube as it works perfectly well and clearly from my mobile me account. We shall look into keeping the quality higher for the next upload.

Scampi I like your comments on the speed, if it is a bit quick then that's where the pause button comes in handy, but if we'd made it any slower then we'd have had people complaining that it was too slow- there is no way to speed it up in youtube!

The sound is an easily fixable area- our next video will be louder for sure.

Once again thanks to all of you that have taken the time to watch and/or respond.

I'll admit I haven't even installed either of these programs, choosing to do RAW processing with a 3rd party app. After seeing this, I'll definitely think about migrating to these tools for RAW processing.

The content of the video was excellent, and I thought the audio was very good. As for any 'gripes', the only issue I had was that the video quality wasn't high enough to allow me to read any of the text. Maybe you could upload in 720p? Youtube allows for that as an HQ option...

Great job overall - I look forward to more of these!

Thanks!
Tom

Great idea to explain functions.

Presented in a nice manner.

I only would like to have seen a photo that needed corrections. so , you get a before and after image.
Now only the buttons are shown but not really the functionality outcome.

And then ofcourse with your expert advise, what's best to do, what's best not to touch to much when developping .

As said, well done and I look forward to further tutorials.

Ronald

Hi,

Ive installed the adobe flash player but i cant watch the tutorial.

Any sollution?

Regards,
John

Hi John

Have you got QuickTime on your computer? Secondly have you tried to watch directly from YouTube? Search for AlphaMountWorld and it will bring it up. HTH.

Ok just a few thoughts on this IDC..been having a play for a while now.
Any views on this fire away folks..

It's not bad really, I can see some nice enough areas..

I have a basic pro and cons, list. (windows)

Pros:
+ I am ok with the interface, it could be better, but its not bad and you can de dock them too
+ The highlight colour distortion correction works well
+ Speed is ok..it could be better but acceptable (on my pc)
+ WB correction works very well IMO (target grey area)
+ Export to jpeg is fast..nice
+ Vignetting corection (not that I use it much)
+ Manual DRO is decent enough
+ Lightbox application is fairly handy
+ Double view

Cons:
- No CA/PF correction
- Cannot seem to disable noise reduction fully, even off it's not as nice as I would like, aka fine grain noise etc
- Cropping is just an area selection, no choice of aspect ratios etc, which would be useful for print sizes etc
- No spot heal, if you get dust etc..though possibly not expected for a free product
- Still not mad about the sharpening..it's ok, USM would simply be easier though
- Annoying nag whenever you select a creative style..(aka message it will discard previous settings), really a pain!
- Should have permanent histogram on display, not just at the bottom with the tone curve
- Could use hard buttons for Highlight/Shadow warnings etc..lots of unused space on the top panel
- Some basic distortion correction would be welcomed..
- Very limited use/options for jpeg work..

Not really a con, but you have limited creative styles on this with the A200. I know the camera has a lot less than the A700 etc, but I don't see the harm in having those available in this software for raw use.

So overall a mixed bag, but not bad at the same time. Anyone who has any thoughts on the above (I might have missed something), do add to this if you want to.

I am sure sony will continue to work on this application, it has potential

Barry
Forgive me, but I thought we were supposed to be commenting on the merits/demerits of the video, not on those of Sony's IDC!

Well I thought the video did it's job pretty well. However, you cannot not comment on IDC really, as it's the subject of the tutorial.
Those were just my own personal thoughts, on the program..I don't see that as a bad idea myself ;-)

Its related to the content here just fine, never struck me as unrelated. I think it could have stood on its own as a separate forum topic, but this is just fine too.

Carl

Well I am happy enough for you to move it to a forum for a discussion, I should have thought of that one myself!

Hi Barry,

Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and then provide us with feedback. I liked your list of pros and cons... sums it up quite nicely really. I think the main thing to remember is that this (and I mean the tutorial by that) was/is aimed at the beginner or user who doesn't want to spend any additional money on PP software. So it's a basic "quick start" guide to processing a RAW image. I think that the cons you've raised are indeed legitimate and it would be nice to see Sony address these issues with the next round of cameras- making the software backwards compatible too!

From your list of cons I think some form of CA/PF correction would be really useful, especially if they implemented it in a similar fashion to DxO and the software that Hasselblad use on the MF cams- i.e. lens specific and have a built in database so it auto corrects. That would really set it apart from most manufacture supplied software. A healing brush would be useful too.

Overall for the user not wanting to spend any additional money I think it's a good package and can produce some nice results. Once again thanks to all who have commented.

As a newbie I found this very informative and look forward to more like it.
Thank you.
Bill Martin
Edinburgh

Excellent. Minimum words, maximum information. Delightfully spoken. Extremely well presented. Sony and I owe you.

Very many thanks.

Mal

Hi,

Did my first lot of images in RAW yesterday. This video has helped me to understand the basics. Very informative and easy to follow. I now feel a little more confident in attempting to use IDC. Time to experiment.

Thanks again!!

Mahbub

Hi ! Do you have any ideea where I find a RAW processing program (old IDC or other ...) for Windows 2000 pro. ? It seem to all IDC are only for XP and Vista, and what I found is an upgrade at the newest version of Win.
Thanks !