RAW converters- not all are created equal

By now, if you are doing the digital photography thing, you've probably experimented with shooting images using the RAW format. If you are new to doing this, you may even have used the manufacturer's software- the logical thing to do, you would think. However RAW can appear a bit daunting at first glance, and for some people a real minefield.

In fact it isn't. There is a lot of help out there. One of the best articles I have read on using it for exposure is on Michael Reichmann's excellent Luminous Landscape site. You can find the article here.

But wait, there's more...If, like me, you are the restless type and a software dipper (you have to to try the latest software/update), you will have noticed that are a lot of raw converters out there, ranging from the supplied-with-camera type to really expensive things like Aperture and Capture One Pro. So which one do you go for? Actually which ones do you go for? I would like to suggest that the best path invloves using at least 2. Let me explain. But first, a little history.

The first time I tried RAW, back on a Fuji S2, I was underwhelmed. There didn't seem to be half the controls I had read about. I later found out why: for a little extra(!!!) I could buy the Hyperutility software. Then I got functionality-if I had a mainframe to process it on!

Move on a step to the E-!. Again the manufacturer's software, which caused a major crash and rebuild for my PC. By now I was learning, and happily fell into the arms of CS1 with its(mostly) excellent Adobe Camera Raw. I say mostly, because the colour from the software was a bit bland for my tastes. So I went looking...and realised that there were an increasing number of dedicated raw converters out there. Favourites included Breezebrowser and Bibble. I experimented with Capture One Pro, but the $NZ 900 price tag was a bit too rich for me!

Along came PhotoShop CS2 and ACR (Adobe Camera Raw). A big improvement on CS1, with curves added into the palette, pre-conversion cropping and horizon straightening, to name but a few. Combined with Bridge, the new stand-alone file browser app, it makes a fairly unbeatable combination. Granted you can batch process to a degree, but it seems to me to be a workflow that favours a single image. When I come in from a shoot with maybe 500 images, I still want to have a life and anything that speeds things up is worthy of consideration.
I shoot Canon, so I occasionally use Digital Photo Professional, the app that came with the camera. Good for some things, but not for all.

Enter Rawshooter Essentials. I had heard about it on Rob Galbraith's site and went hunting. The initial version was a shocker barely out of beta. More bugs than my windscreen on a hot summer's evening. It wouldn't even run on an AMD-equipped PC. But they ironed the faults out, and while PC-only (sorry Mac users), it is a very nice product. I am not sure, but it has a feeling similar to Capture One. Things I like include:

1. Sharpening algorithms built in. It automatically sharpens the image unless you tell it otherwise. You can fine-tune the sharpening if you wish.
2. A set of "looks". I shoot a lot of landscape and the default settings give me the closest look I have got to film. There is a wonderful richness to finished images that really reminds me of transparency film. Again you can tune hue, saturation, shadow and contrast if you want to. The conversion algorithms are quite intuitive. I suspect a real photographer has been involved in its development.
3. The ability to prioritise by labelling images and then batch-converting final selections. CS2's labeklling system is, I have to say, a bit better. But not much.
4. VERY powerful batch conversion. Click one button and it goes away and converts in the background while you get on with the next image. Or take a pile and send them to convert in the background. best of all it doesn't seem to slow the program down in any way.
5. A clean uncluttered interface. It may appear a bit bald the first time you look at the app. have a look round at each of the icons and you will discover that the is a lot of power lurking in the background, hidimg there til you need it. This is one of my beefs with Bibble. Too much is on-screen and I find the image drowns amongst all the palettes
6. The ability to batch rename files. I have to say, on this score, CS2 does it better, with a more intuitive interface and greater options.
   
7. Best of all, IT IS FREE!

But wait, there's even more.. The nice people at Pixmantec have come up with RawShooter Premium, which adds functionality, including a control called vibrance. Sort of like a saturation control with contrast added. You can import directly into RSP. It builds previews while you download, so there is no waiting around to get to work. The curves tab has greater functionality. The list goes on..
Of course they want to get back their R&D, so there is a price. $US99. To my way of thinking, it is cheap at 2x the price, especially when you look at the price of Capture One, and every bit as good.
So why would you want more than one raw converter? After playing with all these different apps, it dawned on me that there was a good reason. Let me explain.

When I worked in a darkroom (remember them?), i would use a range of film developers. I loved Tri-X, but I learned that the choice of developer had a big impact on the final negative. Sometimes I used the venerable D-76, sometimes Xtol, and occasionally Rodinal or Ultrafin. Each imparted a certain character to the negative and therefore the printed image. Over time I learned which ones to use for which jobs.
It's all about Craft.
I am now convinced that the same approach applies to the digital era. Your image "look' is significantly affected by the camera (sic. sensor) you use. The same thing happens with raw converters. Each imparts a distinct personality to the finished image.
But don't take my word for it. Try them out for yourself and see which apps suit the type of photographs you shoot.