Practical Photography Review

I did a search, but did not find a post on this. In the May 2008 issue of Practical Photography there is a comparison review of Aperture 2.0, Capture One 4 and Lightroom 1.4. They picked Aperture 2.0 as the Testers Choice and wished it were available for Windows. Of particular note was they concluded that it does the best job of recovering highlights. Congratulations to the Aperture team at Apple.

Hi everybody,
I read the paper when it came out and it reminded me some other papers i've read in the past.
Of course, reading it after having written a wrapper on top of OCI, it looks trivial :-)
It explains OCI bases and some basic performance driven concepts (binding over re-executing statements, pooling, ...).
Most of the code examples are also available in the OCI Guide.
I really do think that the best resource for getting started with OCI is the OCI Guide and the OCI samples.
I would say that this paper is a short summary of the COI guide.
This paper is a nice 'introduction" to OCI, trying to make OCI attractive.
And that's reaaly a good thing !
And then you get into the real world of OCI where you survive only if you've got a good coffee machine -))
OCI is the most powerful and the largest DB API ever made (thousands of functions).
It is also unique in the way it offers plafform independant primitives for handling non DB functionnalities : file I/O, threads, unicode strings, ... That's rocks when you're involved in projects where portability matters
As Jonah said, this paper is a nice way to get introduced to OCI....
OCI is so rich and large that it got year after year a bit complicated (for DB API).
And it takes quite some time to handle well OCI programming !!

Similar Messages

How to resolve most of the Oracle SQL , PL/SQL Performance issues with help of quick Checklist/guidelines ?

Please go thru below important checklist/guidelines to identify issue in any Perforamnce issue and resolution in no time.
Checklist for Quick Performance problem Resolution
·         get trace, code and other information for given PE case
          - Latest Code from Production env
          - Trace (sql queries, statistics, row source operations with row count, explain plan, all wait events)
          - Program parameters & their frequently used values
          - Run Frequency of the program
          - existing Run-time/response time in Production
          - Business Purpose
·         Identify most time consuming SQL taking more than 60 % of program time using Trace & Code analysis
·         Check all mandatory parameters/bind variables are directly mapped to index columns of large transaction tables without any functions
·         Identify most time consuming operation(s) using Row Source Operation section
·         Study program parameter input directly mapped to SQL
·         Identify all Input bind parameters being used to SQL
·         Is SQL query returning large records for given inputs
·         what are the large tables and their respective columns being used to mapped with input parameters
·         which operation is scanning highest number of records in Row Source operation/Explain Plan
·         Is Oracle Cost Based Optimizer using right Driving table for given SQL ?
·         Check the time consuming index on large table and measure Index Selectivity
·         Study Where clause for input parameters mapped to tables and their columns to find the correct/optimal usage of index
·         Is correct index being used for all large tables?
·         Is there any Full Table Scan on Large tables ?
·         Is there any unwanted Table being used in SQL ?
·         Evaluate Join condition on Large tables and their columns
·         Is FTS on large table b'cos of usage of non index columns
·         Is there any implicit or explicit conversion causing index not getting used ?
·         Statistics of all large tables are upto date ?
Quick Resolution tips
1) Use Bulk Processing feature BULK COLLECT with LIMIT and FOR ALL for DML instead of row by row processing
2) Use Data Caching Technique/Options to cache static data
3) Use Pipe Line Table Functions whenever possible
4) Use Global Temporary Table, Materialized view to process complex records
5) Try avoiding multiple network trips for every row between two database using dblink, Use Global temporary table or set operator to reduce network trip
6) Use EXTERNAL Table to build interface rather then creating custom table and program to Load and validate the data
7) Understand Oracle's Cost based Optimizer and Tune most expensive SQL queries with help of Explain plan
8) Follow Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices
9) Review tables and their indexes being used in the SQL queries and avoid unnecessary Table scanning
10) Avoid costly Full Table Scan on Big Transaction tables with Huge data volume,
11) Use appropriate filtration condition on index columns of seeded Oracle tables directly mapped to program parameters
12) Review Join condition on existing query explain plan
13) Use Oracle hint to guide Oracle Cost based optimizer to choose best plan for your custom queries
14) Avoid applying SQL functions on index columns
15) Use appropriate hint to guide Oracle CBO to choose best plan to reduce response time
Thanks
Praful

I understand you were trying to post something helpful to people, but sorry, this list is appalling.
1) Use Bulk Processing feature BULK COLLECT with LIMIT and FOR ALL for DML instead of row by row processing
No, use pure SQL.
2) Use Data Caching Technique/Options to cache static data
No, use pure SQL, and the database and operating system will handle caching.
3) Use Pipe Line Table Functions whenever possible
No, use pure SQL
4) Use Global Temporary Table, Materialized view to process complex records
No, use pure SQL
5) Try avoiding multiple network trips for every row between two database using dblink, Use Global temporary table or set operator to reduce network trip
No, use pure SQL
6) Use EXTERNAL Table to build interface rather then creating custom table and program to Load and validate the data
Makes no sense.
7) Understand Oracle's Cost based Optimizer and Tune most expensive SQL queries with help of Explain plan
What about using the execution trace?
8) Follow Oracle PL/SQL Best Practices
Which are?
9) Review tables and their indexes being used in the SQL queries and avoid unnecessary Table scanning
You mean design your database and queries properly? And table scanning is not always bad.
10) Avoid costly Full Table Scan on Big Transaction tables with Huge data volume,
It depends if that is necessary or not.
11) Use appropriate filtration condition on index columns of seeded Oracle tables directly mapped to program parameters
No, consider that too many indexes can have an impact on overall performance and can prevent the CBO from picking the best plan. There's far more to creating indexes than just picking every column that people are likely to search on; you have to consider the cardinality and selectivity of data, as well as the volumes of data being searched and the most common search requirements.
12) Review Join condition on existing query explain plan
Well, if you don't have your join conditions right then your query won't work, so that's obvious.
13) Use Oracle hint to guide Oracle Cost based optimizer to choose best plan for your custom queries
No. Oracle recommends you do not use hints for query optimization (it says so in the documentation). Only certain hints such as APPEND etc. which are more related to certain operations such as inserting data etc. are acceptable in general. Oracle recommends you use the query optimization tools to help optimize your queries rather than use hints.
14) Avoid applying SQL functions on index columns
Why? If there's a need for a function based index, then it should be used.
15) Use appropriate hint to guide Oracle CBO to choose best plan to reduce response time
See 13.
In short, there are no silver bullets for dealing with performance. Each situation is different and needs to be evaluated on its own merits.

Application publishing issues after temp profile usage

We haven't figured out the solusion to this issue but we do know the cause and a workaround for it that works, kind of...
A brief description would be that after permission issues for some users roaming profile storage on the fileserver application publishing and several applications fail in a different way for different users. This is due to the creation of C:\Users\TEMP,
TEMP.DOMAIN etc folders rather than using C:\Users\Username folders. The issue seems to be that App-V 5 client remembers this temporary folder in a way that we havent figured out yet, all references to the temp folders for each users account UID in the
registry has been removed and the roaming profie was deleted locally and on the fileserver YET app-v remembers the path C:\Users\TEMP and tried to create shortcuts etc there without success --> the packag then failes completely and dissapears from the client/powershell
Get-AppvClientPackage view as if its not even published to the user.
The BIG question is how the "#¤/&¤ can you get the App-V client to forget about the C:\Users\TEMP foders and retun to the users correct folder? We have tried to remove all user accounts UID from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppV\MAV\Configuration\Packages
etc and also the users profiles so this data must be stored somewhere else. The issue is local to specific XenApp servers, if the temporary profile wasnt created on a server the issue will never appear there.
The workaround is that all users with the issue have full access to the paths C:\Users\TEMP and C:\Users\TEMP.DOMAIN folders, however when app-v generates shortcuts in that folders we'll need to manually move them to the correct path so that they are
available to the users, smooth!
The environment is based on 4x Windows 2008 R2 server with citrix XenApp 6.5. App-V 5 SP1 RDS client is installed and configured to use a single publishing server "Add-AppvPublishingServer -Name SERVERNAME -URL
http://FQDN:8080"
The details:
(we think) Some users had the follow error since they couldn't access the faulty profile path TEMP or TEMP.DOMAIN:
Failed to create file by callback data: \Device\HarddiskVolume2\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\AppV\Client\VFS\FE7FE758-FDD8-4208-AF3D-E2505AEF6791\AppData\Adobe\Acrobat\
Another user got only one package (the only package without a shortcut):
This user receives 1 out of 8 packages.
We have tried removing the local and centrally stored roaming profile without any change.
The following is recorded in the event viewer (Microsoft\AppV\Client\Admin):
Log Name:      Microsoft-AppV-Client/Admin
Source:        Microsoft-AppV-Client
Date:          2014-02-04 09:30:04
Event ID:      19104
Task Category: Publishing Refresh
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Publishing Refresh
User:          DOMAIN\username
Computer:      XENAPPSERVER1.domain.com
Description:
Part or all packages publish failed.
published: 1
failed: 8
Please check the error events of 'Configure/Publish Package' before this message for the details of the failure.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
    <Provider Name="Microsoft-AppV-Client" Guid="{E4F68870-5AE8-4E5B-9CE7-CA9ED75B0245}" />
    <EventID>19104</EventID>
    <Version>1</Version>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>36</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x8000000000800000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-02-04T08:30:04.164025400Z" />
    <EventRecordID>661</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="3376" ThreadID="34620" />
    <Channel>Microsoft-AppV-Client/Admin</Channel>
    <Computer>XENAPPSERVER1.domain.com</Computer>
    <Security UserID="S-1-5-21-XXXXXXXX" />
</System>
<EventData>
    <Data Name="Value1">1</Data>
    <Data Name="Value2">8</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
In addition to the above the following is recorded for every failed package (Microsoft\AppV\Subsystems-RegistryStaging), however the package that works arent displayed in the log.
Log Name:      Microsoft-AppV-Subsystems-RegistryStaging/Debug
Source:        Microsoft-AppV-Subsystems-RegistryStaging
Date:          2014-02-04 09:30:02
Event ID:      2002
Task Category: None
Level:         Information
Keywords:
User:          DOMAIN\username
Computer:      XENAPPSERVER1.domain.com
Description:
Configure package called on already configured package '{a849ce4c-2b7b-46a9-b54e-c72e61858de1}' version '{e780bf5c-effa-4419-bd4a-03bcc394baf4}'.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
    <Provider Name="Microsoft-AppV-Subsystems-RegistryStaging" Guid="{1f4a896a-fea6-4862-bbeb-aaa190ae31c0}" />
    <EventID>2002</EventID>
    <Version>0</Version>
    <Level>4</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-02-04T08:30:02.853894400Z" />
    <EventRecordID>89</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation ActivityID="{01AFCC48-F800-0001-4FF3-2C81241CCF01}" />
    <Execution ProcessID="3376" ThreadID="34620" ProcessorID="3" KernelTime="544" UserTime="3885" />
    <Channel>Microsoft-AppV-Subsystems-RegistryStaging/Debug</Channel>
    <Computer>XENAPPSERVER1.domain.com</Computer>
    <Security UserID="S-1-5-21-XXXXXXXX" />
</System>
<EventData>
    <Data Name="package">{A849CE4C-2B7B-46A9-B54E-C72E61858DE1}</Data>
    <Data Name="version">{E780BF5C-EFFA-4419-BD4A-03BCC394BAF4}</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
We also notice the following errors in Microsoft\AppV\Subsystems-shortcuts when AppV tries to generate icons in the wrong/old profile path (cmd.exe "set" displayes the correct path but why cant appv get this info?):
Log Name:      Dbg
Source:        Microsoft-AppV-Subsystems-shortcuts
Date:          2014-01-28 13:55:47
Event ID:      130
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:
User:          DOMAIN\username
Computer:      XENAPPSERVER1.domain.com
Description:
Failed to write shortcut file 'C:\Users\TEMP.DOMAIN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\' with error '6629316385409335299'.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
    <Provider Name="Microsoft-AppV-Subsystems-shortcuts" Guid="{a7782ffe-c5f5-4554-ab1c-acb874c1ccf9}" />
    <EventID>130</EventID>
    <Version>1</Version>
    <Level>2</Level>
    <Task>0</Task>
    <Opcode>0</Opcode>
    <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2014-01-28T12:55:47.925264700Z" />
    <EventRecordID>251</EventRecordID>
    <Correlation />
    <Execution ProcessID="3376" ThreadID="3628" ProcessorID="0" KernelTime="378" UserTime="136" />
    <Channel>Dbg</Channel>
    <Computer>XENAPPSERVER1.domain.com</Computer>
    <Security UserID="S-1-5-21-XXXXXXXXXXXX" />
</System>
<EventData>
    <Data Name="string">C:\Users\TEMP.DOMAIN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\</Data>
    <Data Name="uint64">6629316385409335299</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
We noticed thet the user DOMAIN\user had a TEMP.DOMAIN profile path due to faulty permissions on the profile store and that this path thoug its fixed was stil configured in the AppV part registry according to below.
Since this key is global to the server and not bound to the user account it wasnt removed with the user profile, we tried removing the specific keys manually where the user account UID occured without any change to the problem. The removed keys werent
regenerated in the registry though.
The specific user account SID uses TEMP.DOMAIN paths (\Users\TEMP.DOMAIN\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\AppV\Client\VFS) for two String Value names "TargetLongName" and "TargetShortNamefolders" in the following key (and others):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppV\MAV\Configuration\Packages\04ADC3E8-E368-4B95-98AF-F53A625070CD_C248B175-B174-41F5-A4D6-62835CF86519\UserConfig\S-1-5-21-XXXXXXXXXX
As mentioned the UID keys "S-1-5-21-XXXXXXXXXX" did not reappear UNTILL we manually created the folder C:\Users\TEMP.DOMAIN with full permissions for the affected user. Once this folder was created App-V recreated the registry keys "S-1-5-21-XXXXXXXXXX"
with the correct \Users\USERNAME\* values however the icons for the applications was distributed to the C:\TEMP.DOMAIN\Desktop folder and since the users desktop is accually in C:\Users\USERNAME\Desktop none of the icons was visible to the user.
Another user had similar issues but with the java plugin for internet explorer failing without error messages, once that user got access to C:\Users\TEMP.DOMAIN the user was again able to run java.

Cheers,
Ended up putting in some workarounds.
Citrix\Microsoft best practice hotfixes
Review all userprofiles to check correct permissions etc (powershell script)
Purge Key each week, possibly switch to nightly.
$CitrixOU
=Get-ADComputer
-filter *
-searchBase 'OU=Citrix,OU=Servers,DC=test'
| Select-Object
-expand Name
Invoke-Command
-cn $CitrixOU {gci
HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppV | foreach-object {gci
$_.pspath}
|where-object {$_.name
-like "*S-1*"}
|remove-item
-Recurse -Force}
until we can work out if this is 'by design'

How to send a photo to a forum full quality

HI:
Pardon my lack of knowledge but I recently got back into photography and joined a few photo forums, I would like to post some pictures but I am told that I need a hosting service like pbase which has a fee.
I have a .Mac acount and use the iWeb and backup.
Does the .MAC have the ability to be a host for pictures.
I would like to show a picture within the forum reply and/or posting box. In other words what I am typing into right now.
The photo forums have the ability to show a photo with out having to click to a link.
An example of a WEB SITE would be:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1030
The web name is digital photography review.
I asked how on the web site and they recommended pbase.com
I asked if they knew about Apple and could not get anybody to respond.
My last resort would be to set up a iWeb and direct them to it, two questions come to mind:
(1) I remember reading that the iWeb pictures that are transfered from iPhoto lose quality . if true, would a transfer from PE 4 or nikon photo software be better quality or does everything get compressed.
(2) can i direct them to a particular photo within the iWeb Folder ?
Sorry for the obvious lack of knowledge but I am still amazed what the digital cameras can do
Greg
thanks,

From their help section:
Posting help
* Using your password - before you can post you must be registered, once you have received your password (by email) you can login here, then change your profile / password and also post messages.
* Enter a subject - please enter a concise subject description, this will be the first thing a reader sees of your message, make it count. If you're following-up to a message we would encourage you to CHANGE the subject to reflect the content of your message.
* Email address - Please use your real email address, we use sophisticated anti-leeching technology, your email address will be safe, we will NOT disclose it to any third parties or use it for any mailing list (unless you sign up to one).
* Embedding images (only available to registered users) - To embed an image or photograph simply paste (or type) the URL (web address) of the image into your message (eg. http://hostname.com/image.jpg), images more than 480 pixels wide will be scrollable. To link to an image WITHOUT EMBEDDING IT simply add a semicolon (;) to the end of the url (eg. http://hostname.com/images.jpg;)
* Embedding links - To embed a link to a website or other type of URL simply paste (or type) the URL of the site into your message (eg. http://yoursite.com/home.htm).
* Please use "Samples & Galleries" - We encourage our users to embed image links into their text, however if you're simply posting a link to your favourite picture or your latest gallery we'd ask you to post this in the Samples & Galleries forum
For .Mac images, you could put them in the Sites folder of your iDisk and link to http://homepage.mac.com/yourusername/imagename.jpg

Lightroom Profiles for Lumix GX7?

I'm trying out various programs for RAW processing using my new Lumix GX7. I quite like DXO Optics Pro 9 due to the camera and lens profiles for my equipment. However, it has limited functionality compared to Lightroom 5.6 which I'm also trying.
I note the resources folder for Lightroom contains the file Panasonic DMC-GX7 Adobe Standard.dcp which appears to support the GX7. However, the Adobe folder does not contain any lens profiles for my Panasonic or Olympus lenses.
Does Lightroom correct aberrations in these lenses in a similar fashion to DXO Optics Pro without me having to do anything? If I need a Lightroom lens profiles for Panasonic & Olympus lenses, where do I find these since they do not appear to be installed by Lightroom 5.6?

Thanks, I can now see that the Lightroom RAW image is very similar to the DXO Optics Pro RAW image with distortion correction enabled in DXO Optics Pro. I can see a slightly wider FOV and more distorted image when the DXO Optics Pro distortion correction is turned off compared to Lightroom. Lightroom is obviously correcting the image distortion, although this is not obvious from the user interface. These results are using my Oly 9-18mm Micro 4/3 zoom at 9mm where the distortion is most evident.
I have another curious query regarding "dead pixels" and DXO Optics Pro some of you may interested in commenting on at Lumix GX7 - Black / Dead Pixels: Micro Four Thirds Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
DXO Optics Pro marks various RAW pixels with a magenta cross with noise processing disabled and ACDSee Pro shows them as a black dot. I'm still unsure whether these are "dead pixels" or just pixels marked for particular analysis. Lightroom, SilkyPix and RawThreapee mentioned above have no "dead pixels" on initial RAW image import. Very curious.
My personal preference for image rendering is DXO Optics Pro (despite the "dead pixel" issue) but I quite like Lightroom's cataloguing functionality.

When will we get better handling of Fuji raw files?

Why is it that Fuji raw files (I'm using a Fuji X-T1 camera) are treated so badly in Lightroom? I have just tried Irident Developer and just exporting random photo of my son with default settings in Irident got me a vastly better result than I able to get from Lightroom.

Joergen,
I was quite concerned myself when reading some of the posts about LR processing X-trans files, even after the fix done in LR 4.4 (Adobe's Fujifilm X-Trans sensor processing tested: Digital Photography Review)
What I noticed though, is that the articles with "comparisons" are biased and usually talk about "detail" and trying to "fix" it to no avail. My experience with every single raw file available was, however, that it is possible to do a much better job with LR than what the articles present, leading me to think that the authors are either clueless or marketing agents in disguise.
Moreover, some of the files that are presented as "better" are in fact quite over-sharpened showing an obviously digital result.
My recommendation is to try and see with your own eyes. I was able to test the packages using trial periods and finally ended up sticking to LR for the overall way it handles the images.
Here go a couple of raw files for you to try:
Dropbox - DSCF2432.RAF
Dropbox - DSCF2425.RAF
100% comparisons between LR (PROVIA profile) and OOC jpg (PROVIA Film Simulation):
1.A 2.B
2.A 2.B
Any preference?
1.A and 2.A are the Raw files processed with LR. 1.B and 2.B are OOC JPG, PROVIA

Nikon D3 Raw Conversion difference between ACR4.4 and CaptureNX

Digital Photography Review has just published an in depth review of the D3. In it they compare raw conversions by ACR 4.4, ViewNX 1.0.3 (Capture NX), and Capture One 4.0.1. The ViewNX conversion mirrors the camera's jpg standard; but there are significant differences - to my eye at least - between that and the colours in the GretagMacbeth chart of the ACR result.
Is this sort of thing common knowledge among the LR community?
I would have thought this a rather fundamental issue; but would welcome any thoughts from those more familiar with this level of colour expertise.
Anyone interested can see the dpr result on page 17 of the review at
www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonD3/page17.asp

It's not unique to a D3. Check out http://www.damianharty.com/Purple.html for my take on it all - including a step-by-step guide to the calibration process Michael mentions.
Others get very uptight about the fact that this isn't a "proper" calibration and I'm sure that technically they're right, but life is short and this route works well for me. It also ends up as an LR preset and is super-fast to apply.
If "accuracy" was the only consideration, the camera wouldn't have "vivid" and "portrait" and all those other settings in it. We also wouldn't have had, in days gone by, the choice between Fuji Velvia and Kodak Portra - see http://www.damianharty.com/Film.html for my take on all that, too.
Both my articles are typically short-attention span things that appear on the net. Try "Real World Color Management" for a genuine guide through it all.
Or else don't worry about it.
Damian
PS I'm sure I used to be able to format links more nicely than that. Where did that go?

Separate alert log for every day

Hi,
Apart from regular alert_SID_.log file, can i configure alert log something like :
alert_SID_StartDateAndTime_EndDateAndTime.log
I mean can i configure separate aler log for 12.00 AM to 11.59 PM everyday, because :
1.It will easy to have separate alert log; so that if i have to send it i can send.
2.It will record all message in separate file, so that we may know that on which date, what db actions have been performed etc.
Thanks,

Satish Kandi wrote:
You could achieve this with a simple cron job, as indicated by CKPT, to rename the existing alert.log to required format.If you please show an exmple, it will help me to understand it
>
On a side note,
1.It will easy to have separate alert log; so that if i have to send it i can send.Where do you need to send the alert log on daily basis?Sometime if client ask it.
How will you send the alert log for last one month, if required? Wouldn't that be simpler with just one file?
Ofcourse, sending one file is easy than many, but many have separate info as well.
2.It will record all message in separate file, so that we may know that on which date, what db actions have been performed etc.Alert log already has a timestamp included, so I don't see how this will benefit you.
Still, if there is dbms_separate_alert_log (assumed new feature for Oracle 12g), i think it may be helpful to us.
Its a general practice to review the alert log on daily basis and keep only the "required" (definition changes per individual) information in the file. Personally, I prefer to have a complete backup of the alert log contents in a separate file and stripped out version of alert log as current one.Currently i am using 10.2.0.1 on windows xp.
Thanks,

Panasonic LX-3 RAW support

I've been waiting patiently for Aperture to include support for the fabulous Panasonic LX-3 but still no joy. Does anybody have any idea if this camera will ever be supported? I use Aperture for my Nikon D300 all the time and hate having to use my "carry about" LX-3 in JPG mode.

I agree that that this (sending feedback to Apple via the Aperture Menu) is important. I've just sent this. I was once told by someone in a position to know in a major company (they weren’t in Apple!) that 5 public contacts on an issue raises it on the radar, 10 is a problem, 25 is a crisis: -
All I really need to know from Apple is ‘This is important to us. We are working on it. The reason for the delay is that we want to make the internal changes necessary to how RAW files are handled good for the long term’
What I would like to hear as well is ‘We are releasing an interim solution’.
The LX3, and D-Lux 4 (which I use) are remarkable cameras, something that has been highlighted in major reviews.
Luminous Landscape;
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/lx3.shtml
Digital Photography Review;
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmclx3/
I work with cameras ranging down from the Canon EOS-1 Ds and L series lenses downward. I use Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture. The D-Lux 4 now fills the gap where other tools produce poorer results, such as reportage where I don’t want to get in the way, as well as ensuring I can follow Rule One for capturing the moment – have a camera!
Panasonic/Leica have taken a remarkable step by including information in the RAW file that allows software processing of RAW to allow automated correction of barrel distortion and chromatic aberration. Those are not defects; they are there an intentional trade-off to allow f2 and 24mm equivalent. Processed through Adobe Camera Raw / DNG converter/ 5.2 (but not through CaptureOne, which can also open Leica RWL files) the results are astonishingly good.
*Other manufacturers will follow, because embedding this information allows their offerings to perform better than they would otherwise do. This is why it would be imprudent for Apple to ignore this – which is also why I don’t think they can be(?)*. But picking up this additional data is apparently non-trivial.
Adobe have put quality above compatibility, and the need for a work-around solution above finality, and produced an interim response in Adobe Camera Raw / DNG converter/ 5.2. This produces truly astonishing results with the D-Lux 4 and I am certain with the LX3 as well. The trade-off is that it is inelegant – the files are 3 times the size of the RAW file, and is not backward compatible (which is why Aperture cannot open the .dng files produced by Adobe DNG converter).
The issues underlying this have been set out on the Adobe Camera Raw Forum, in one thread, see in particular post 14
http://www.adobeforums.com/webx?7@@.59b62677/12
This thread is remarkable because
1) It explains the issue to end users, and what Adobe are doing about it, in so far as they can while observing the conventions of inter-company diplomacy;
2) It has people such as Eric Chan, Thomas Knoll and others of the Adobe Camera Raw team replying. You can’t get any higher than this – it is astonishing;
3) When I asked whether the D-Lux 4 would also be supported at the same time as the LX3 I got a reply on the forum (affirmative) from Eric Chan in 40 minutes! Astonishing!
Moreover, when there was a bug in the Camera Raw 5.2 updater that resulted in LX3/D-Lux 4 RAW files remaining unopenable for some people using CS4, that forum was actively used by Adobe’s engineers to track down and resolve the issue as quickly as could reasonably be expected. Remarkable. Kudos Adobe.
Phase One’s CaptureOne can also produce .dng files. These are backward compatible (they can be opened in Aperture), the same size-ish as the original RAW files, but includes all the original lens distortion, the chromatic aberration, and a strip of unused pixels for the picture format selected, that the end user was never meant to see. If you have Lightroom/Photoshop this is all manageable for individual images, but a pain (and you wouldn’t now be using Capture One!), but if you have Aperture you are stuffed, not to put too fine a point on it. Phase One’s own rendering is corrected for distortion if you remain within Capture One, but not for CA.
I assume/hope that the reason for the slow response of Apple is deliberate, they having decided not to produce interim solution’s along the lines of Adobe and P1. They may be waiting for Adobe to produce a new specification for DNG, which Adobe have said they will do, and which will presumably specify the new fields that will be allocated within DNG to allow for lens distortion and CA data to be picked up from the file.
Perhaps Apple weren’t expecting this to take so long. However, I think they should have, like Adobe, produced an interim solution for reasons that are now obvious for everyone using RAW on an LX3, D-Lux 4 and the other Panasonic cameras. If a solution does arrive in the next few days then it doesn’t matter so much. If it is going to be three months . . . not good, not good at all.
Aperture does have some significant advantages over the competion in some areas, which is why I am using Aperture as well as LR/CS4 . . . however I wonder whether the balance of advantages and disadvantages for the professional users and skilled enthusiasts, and the pace of advance of the alternatives, is once again become critical.
Malcolm
Photography at
[www.pisces-rfr.org]

Sony a6000 raw files: Green shadows

Please look at this discussion: Re: Raw file: Sony Alpha/NEX E-mount Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review LR produces green shadows, Capture One and DXO do not. The explanation is a wrong value of the Black Levels in the Sony ARW (312 instead of 309). Can and will this issue be addressed in the next release?
Thank you

That camera has been supported since version 5.4 of Lightroom. Are you sure you have Lightroom 5.6 installed? There is no plug-in for Lightroom to provide the camera support. Lightroom does not use the Camera Raw plug-in.

What digital camera is the best

Hi Guys and Dolls. I want to buy a digital camera up to £400 ($800) and don't have a clue which one. You are the only forum i trust. please excuse non-topical question but for me it will be once in a life or at least a decade purchase so i want to get it right. I'm not professional but i would like to take artistic, amateur artistic pictures.
thanks

Hello C.elegance
My current "serious" camera is the now-discontinued Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1. It does NOT get dirt inside because it does not have interchangeable lenses; uses the same batteries, cables, and memory sticks as my Sony camcorders; and makes great images, including those with its powerful dedicated flash. Because of the kind of photography I enjoy, its slow shot-to-shot speed does not bother me.
What is "best" for you depends on your needs. Buy the ones with the features you want. However, I always have an opinion to share.
Because of the amount you want to spend, I am ruling out some great Point-and-Shoots that offer features in which you might be interested such as rugged construction, underwater capability, movie clip capability, and small size or light weight at a lower price.
Here are the ones I would call the "best" at your price point. Both are highly recommended by Digital Photography Review
• Nikon D-80 Images from these cameras, particularly with their "at-additional-cost" lenses, are superb.
• Canon EOS 400D Use the GREAT Canon EF-S lenses for superb image quality.
You may get other specific suggestions if you provide more details about the kind of pictures you want to make. Do you mostly make still-life images, portraits, or sports/action, etc.?
It will also help if you can identify any special requirements such as:
• Size restrictions
• All-weather or underwater use
• High-durability (if you will make tens of thousands of images with this camera)
• etc.
The more specifics you can provide, the more likely someone will already be using a camera like the one that will be "best" for you, so post back if you need more.
Enjoy shopping!
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.1) External iSight

Lr Beta Mk 11 announced in UK - but nowhere to be seen

Digital Photography Review announced release of a 3 Beta update at 0940 Z this morning - but the link to the download just goes to the original Labs page. If DPR is right it will dash the hopes of many for a near release of Lr 3 proper. They also hint at the new Beta including import and management of video files - which if correct shows how little notice is taken of this forum. No mention of soft proofing - although that doesn't mean it will not feature in the final release. Link to DPR:
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.dpreview.com/

Covered in some detail on the Beta forum itself.
http://forums.adobe.com/community/labs/lightroom3

Font in safari (body fonts on websites) has suddenly changed

Don't think i have done anything to make this happen, but the font has changed when i visit certain websites (including my own site)
It has got smaller, in fact it seems to be using a different font altogether.
My site uses css for the navigation buttons, i use Helvetiaca Neue, it has changed and i can't work out why.
Here is a link to a screen grab from the digital photography review website showing how my mac displays the font:
http://www.michaelshuttleworth.com/font_problem.tiff
Please could you check this image against the digital photography review website:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1017
Thanks in advance for any help.
Mike
P.s safari is set in preferences to Times 16 and courier 13
I have also trashed the pref file and restarted safari, with no joy

mikey --
That usually only happens when you've added new fonts, and one is conflicting with your Helvetica Neue. By the way, your site looks very nice to me . . . I cannot see any obvious problems. Have you looked in your Font Book or font manager to see if you can find the rogue font???

How to fix playback problems

I am having problems with playback on quicktime player version 10. I recorded some HD .MOV files on my canon 7D none of the files will play back properly? The files are 720p and 1080p. I am worried because I have an edit to finish. Can this files be used?

I am having problems with playback on quicktime player version 10. I recorded some HD .MOV files on my canon 7D none of the files will play back properly? The files are 720p and 1080p. I am worried because I have an edit to finish. Can this files be used?
Assume your are referring to the Canon EOS 7D DSLR here. According to the manufacturer & Digital Photography review, this camera records MOV files using H.264 video and Linear PCM for audio. This combination should be edit compatible with all QT apps have editing capabilities. As to playback, unlike editing, it is a "real time" work flow and the smooth playback of 720p or 1080p files may well depend on the platform your are using. Since you did not indicate the specific nature your "problems with playback," we don't know if you are referring to something simply like dropped frames on an older platform or a more serious problem. In addition, you have not indicated what sort of editing you wish to do here, so it is difficult to answer whether or not the "files can be used."

Cs6 clipping raw files?

With Sony A77MII RAW files I'm noticing that CS6 is only pulling in the area that corresponds to the JPEG preview thumbnail, not the full RAW image. Is there some kind of setting I'm missing or is this an issue with ACR/CS6? Here's a link to a question about it in DPR: PS CS6 clipping A77MII files?: Sony Alpha SLR/SLT A-mount Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
I also shoot Canon but haven't had a chance to check it yet.
Rich

Tentative answer: I checked the camera and the output is set to 16:9. DxO and Capture One apparently ignore this; the Adobe products don't.

Practical Photography Review

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