DIGITAL CAMERA RAW CONVERTER COMPARISONS
with Canon 1Ds Mk II, Canon 400D XTi, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 images
Adobe's ACR
(Photoshop & Lightroom), Bibble Pro, BreezeBrowser Pro, Capture One Pro,
Canon's Digital
Photo Pro, SilverFast HDR Studio and Silkypix Developer Studio
Color and Tonal Range
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Color Chart plus natural colors and density gradations |
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The photo used on this page was shot outdoors in overcast conditions. The photographed subject for this series was an inkjet print of a PhotoDisk® digital test pattern printed on my Epson 1800. This image is one of my favorite printer calibration test patterns. I replaced the test pattern's original smooth gradient grayscale with my own 25 step graduated grayscale. 25 steps allow for an approximate difference of 10 points for each graduation in a 255 level histogram. The steps make it easier to compare densities between the different RAW converter outputs. The overcast sky made photographing the glossy print without incurring harsh glare relatively easy. The camera used to photograph the test pattern print was my Canon Digital Rebel XTi. White balance was set to cloudy. This photo setup was the most expedient way to get some flesh tones, other natural colors and some test patterns all in the same RAW photograph. We are not looking for ultimate color accuracy in this series. I thought it might be useful to see the comparative color and dynamic range differences between each RAW converter's output. In fact, these images demonstrate my Epson 1800's poor driver performance since the grayscale dynamic range steps in the default image series go from bluish to yellowish in the transition from black to white. The digital file graduated grayscale has a range from 10 to 244 between pure black and white as shown on the center image below. The images on the left are each program's default conversion. The images on the right have had a new white point set by using the program's levels tool before saving as TIFF. I checked the white point with each program's 'color picker' during the adjustment until the bottom 'white' swatch of the vertical graduated grayscale was around 245. The new white point adjustment was done to expand the dynamic range of the image. Since the graduated grayscale had a lot of false color due to my stinky printer driver I converted it to actual grayscale for the right hand side images. To accomplish this I selected and desaturated the graduated grayscale pattern in Photoshop CS4. This made reading the tonal range of the 25 step chart much easier. All tonal range number readings were done in Photoshop on the converted and saved 16 bit TIFF file. The numbers on the grayscale pattern in the left hand side default images show the absolute end of tonal gradation. In other words nothing above the top number read less than that number and nothing below the bottom number read more than that number. The bottom number on the grayscale pattern in the right hand side adjusted images shows the new white point after levels. the other two numbers show the two places on the 25 step grayscale chart where the 255 level tonal range compressed to less than 8 points per step. The steps in the original image were separated by 10 points. There may be some tonal compression when you go from digital file to print. Taking a photo of that print induces a little more tonal compression in the now 'third generation' digital image. In fact, all of the RAW converters did a pretty decent job with this task. If your monitor is not well calibrated, you will not be able to properly see the grayscale steps. There are subtle differences in the dynamics of the histogram and levels adjustments in each of these RAW converter programs. This makes consistent adjustments between programs difficult at best. However, I felt that setting the white point to 245 on the bottom white color swatch was a reasonable way to expand the tonal range for all these programs. Digital imaging is part science and part artistry. My own color science knowledge and technical skills could be considered a limiting factor in this comparative series. |
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Original PhotoDisk® image resized for web placement
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| ACR/Lightroom | ACR/Lightroom with levels applied |
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ACR/Lightroom did a good job with this photograph. ACR was one of only two of the converters to reproduce the 10 point black of the original digital file in the default conversion. The leveled version expanded nicely but the tonal range above 220 may be a little too compressed and the midtones are a little to high. This is probably due to the fact that the levels tool in Lightroom does not have automatic gamma (midtone) adjustment. However, tonal separation in the blacks is excellent. |
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| Waiting on Bibble 5 release | Waiting on Bibble 5 release |
| Bibble Pro |
Bibble Pro |
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| BreezeBrowser Pro | BreezeBrowser Pro with levels applied |
BreezeBrowser like ACR captured the dark tones in the default conversion down to 9, just one point off the original digital file. Tonal range in the leveled version is excellent with slightly compressed blacks. The levels tool in BreezeBrowser has a gamma (midtone) adjustment but it is not linked to either white or black point settings.
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Digital Photo Pro |
Digital Photo Pro with Levels applied |
DPP did a very nice job with this image. The leveled version is a little too compressed above 220 and the midtones are just a little on the high side. The levels tool in DPP does not have automatic gamma (midtone) adjustment.
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| Capture One Pro | Capture One Pro with Levels applied |
Capture One Pro had an acceptable tonal range before levels. The leveled version has excellent tonal range with just a little too much compression in the blacks. Capture One's levels tool does the job right with automatic adjustment of gamma when resetting the white point.
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| SilverFast HDR | SilverFast HDR with Levels applied |
As usual, HDR made a fairly compressed tonal range with the default conversion. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Compressing the tonal range on default just about guarantees you won't have any blown highlights. Default HDR conversions are seldom 'finished product' quality in the tonal range department. Nonetheless, the leveled image has excellent tonal range with very slight compression in the blacks. SilverFast's levels tool has a linked gamma (midtone) adjustment.
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| Silkypix Developer Studio | Silkypix Developer Studio with Levels applied |
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SilkyPix did well on the default conversion. Silkypix doesn't have a levels tool. I used the exposure bias tool to set the new white point. This adjustment opened up the tonal range nicely with slight compression in both blacks and whites. Silkypix does have a gamma (midtone) adjustment tool. |
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