Adobe Lightroom 4 Review

You probably already know that Adobe released Lightroom 4. I am a big fan of LR, using it since the first release.

DPreview published a review about the latest release (click here). And they are more than positive about the new tweaks and features (me too, as far as I can tell having played around with the LR 4 public beta).

One of the most acclaimed tweaks in LR4 is the new Process Version (PV 2012), that’s the underlaying image processing engine.

PV2012 stands out by introducing a redesigned and recalibrated set of the Develop module’s Basic panel tools, along with more localized editing options. Simply put, PV2012 is of huge consequence for every serious Lightroom user. Its changes are significant and will have a direct effect on your editing workflow.

For what I have seen using the public beta, the new PV is definitely more usable, especially for adjustments of shadows and highlights.

From DPreviews conclusion:

Lightroom 4 is a substantial upgrade and for many users will represent a significant change from their current Lightroom workflow. Yet it does not take long to get the hang of the changes to the Develop module, for instance, and after processing dozens of images in PV2012, I find I am consistently getting pleasing results in fewer discrete steps.

and

For many (myself included), the use of Lightroom is based first and foremost around image quality. Adobe can add all the bells and whistles they want in order to keep pace with the competition, but I have to be able to get great looking results from my raw files. With version 4 it’s clear that the Lightroom team has kept its eye on the prize, so to speak.

The raw conversion engine introduced with PV2012 strikes a better balance between image sharpness, detail rendition and noise reduction. A new, automated CA correction tool works impressively well on a range of images. And the addition of more localized adjustment parameters saves some trips to Photoshop. Put simply, you can get superior results from raw files compared to previous versions. It’s hard to think of a more compelling reason to upgrade than that.

Adobe Lightroom 4 will have a retail price of $149, but there are student versions and other options.

Adobe Lightroom 4 B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA [via dpreview]

More EOS 5D Sample Pics

Canon Europe silently published another bunch of 5D3 sample images. Only JPGs and no RAW. Clicking on the images below you will open the original files. Be aware that these have a huge size (up to approx. 18-19 Mbyte).

More samples, movies, hands-on videos and reviews, and world-wide pre-order options can be seen clicking here.

EOS 5D Mark III: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

5D3 ISO 100
5D3 ISO 100
5D3 ISO 100
5D3 ISO 100
5D3 ISO 100
5D3 ISO 100
5D3 ISO 100
5D3 ISO 200
5D3 ISO 200
5D3 ISO 400
5D3 ISO 400
5D3 ISO 800
5D3 ISO 1600
5D3 ISO 1600 (Hey, that's Ljubljana in Slovenia)
5D3 ISO 6400
5D3 ISO 6400
5D3 ISO 25600

Video High ISO Comparison 5D3 vs 5D2, and more about 5D3’s high ISO settings

There is an interesting video on youtube (user Saika) [via P5D]. It compares two movies both shot with ISO 12800, one with the 5D2 and the other with the 5D3. You can view the videos side by side for an easy comparison.

 

There is visibly less noise in the movie shot with the 5D3. Click here to see a still taken from the video:

What do you think? Is the performance of the EOS 5D Mark III better? There is less noise, no discussion, but to me it looks as if the 5D2 maintains more details. It seems that the noise reduction algorithm on the 5D3 (at least at ISO 12800) does its job (heavily) at the expense of details. Click here to read the original post on P5D.

A more technical analysis of the 5D3 noise reduction algorithm can be read on dptnt.com. They downloaded dpreviews’ sample pics and did a in-depth analysis. The question they pose is

Did Canon improve the sensor ISO noise performance or did Canon improve their noise reduction algorithm in image processor?

Well, good question! Lets go on:

Examining the images at 100% reveals that the fine details indeed disappear when ISO is increased. It is safe to say the camera applied significant amount of NR to reduce the appearance of the noise but the question is how much and what is the true performance of the sensor. Without RAW files, we cannot know. But there is a way we can get some idea: the file size vs. ISO.

And here comes the point. I can’t show the graphs here, but you can see them on the original post. They conclude that

You can clearly see a step-down in file size at ISO 800. At ISO 12800, the file size increase from ISO 6400 is small compared to the file size increase from ISO 3200 to ISO 6400. It appears the image processor in Canon EOS 5D Mark III applies different levels of noise reduction at different ISO levels.

And finally that

The image engine inside Canon EOS 5D Mark III does a good job. There are definitely loss of the details when viewed at 100% but the loss mostly occurs at fine detailed area which may not be an issue depending on the output size and media.

Crops of the original images are available (click on the ISO value) at ISO 100, 1600 and 6400. Have a look and judge by yourself.

You may also want to have a look to my constantly updated 5D3 info page with lots of sample pics and movies, technical info, hands-on reviews and previews, world-wide pre-order options, and more (click here).

[via dptnt.com]

Another #EOS5DMarkIII hands-on review

By the guys at techradar.com. Rather complete and worth to be read imho. They conclude

While the Canon EOS 5D Mark III may not have quite the wow factor that some were hoping for, the headline figures such as the pixel count aren’t as high as some may have wished for,it’s clear that a lot of work has gone into it. If Canon has managed to control noise levels at the mid to high sensitvity settings as much as it claims (it is supposed to have 2EV advantage over the 5D Mark II), it could be a very versatile camera and a real competitor to the Nikon D800.

Read the review clicking here.

Don’t miss my constantly updated 5D3 info page with lots of sample pics and movies, technical info, hands-on reviews and previews, world-wide pre-order options, and more (click here).

[via TR]

More #EOS5DMarkIII RAW sample pics at high ISO

First of all, Canon has put all the images on the 5D3 sample pic page (click here). They can be downloaded so you can play around with them.

Next, now we have some RAW files to analyze (click on the ISO value): 6400 and 51200. Having RAW files is a good thing, since they show the real performance of the sensor.

More high ISO pics can be seen on Paul Wards site, including crops and comparison with the 5D2:

The post has also a quick hands-on review and a HDR shot (click here, then scroll down).

Don’t miss my constantly updated 5D3 info page with lots of sample pics and movies, technical info, hands-on reviews and previews, world-wide pre-order options, and more (click here).

[via CR forum, PW]