Which is best ARW/RAW converter for Alpha 100?

[gborce]

I have been using the CS3 Camera RAW so far, but I do get noise in the blue channels, shadows, etc. more often than I would like to? I have given a try to the bundled in Sony Image Converter (or whatever is really called), but the couple of images I convert did not strike me as much better as the ones from CS3?

Has anyone done some extensive comparison between these two programs (or maybe a third one, Aperture, Lightroom, etc., I am willing to pay the money to switch just not to have to deal with the noise anymore!) and can recommend the best quality software to convert ARW files?

I have the A100 model now, so this question is mostly about that model, but I am getting the A700 soon, so any suggestions for both models are welcome, although right now I mostly care about the A100.

I am aware that the Sony sensors are also used in Nikon cameras, but I guess it would be going out on a limb to assume that somehow Nikons software can be used for ARW conversion?

thanks
BG

[Dr. Harout]

I mostly use CS3, sometimes even rarely Sony's IDC (Image Data Converter). I have no complaints from CS3, but will be glad to know which performs best.

[Dr. Harout]

Oooops, I forgot... welcome to this forum.

[gborce]

thanks for the welcome i was researching around the web as to which is the most popular alpha related forum, since i dont' see many sites dedicated to our dear cameras, everyone seems to be using nikons and canons..

[David Kilpatrick]

I use ACR and the latest version, 4.4.1, is pretty good with A100 files. Search for 'raw converters' on the main website here, and you will find a comparison of many different converters on the A700. You will also find an article about DxO Optics Pro. While this is useless for the A700-200-300-350 (it does not even support them) it has a relatively full module for the A100 including several popular lens types. The colour from DxO Optics Pro can be superb and the built-in corrections for distortion, chromatic aberration etc work well.

David

[Magnusvb]

Hello gborce

I compared many raw converter for my A700. I always used Aperture for the Dynax 7D but was not completely happy with it's conversion of A700.

So I tried (on a ISO 640 image) Raw Developer, Raw Photo Processor, SilkyPix, Bibble and Aperture. For me the very best was Raw Photo Processor with Raw Developer and SilkyPix close behind. But RPP need a lot of manual work (really basic conversions) and SP have a very unusual interface – so I went with RD.

To make a long story short – now I'm using Aperture (again) because I missed a lot of it's DAM functions. And after playing with the settings for edge sharpening and sharpening the result are equal with RD.

Regards, Magnus

[David Kilpatrick]

DxO Optics Pro is now in version 5.2, offers much improved support and better high ISO. I am working on the review now covering A100, A350, A700. For some reason they have omitted the A200/300 entirely from supported cameras. That's the problem with DxO.

David

[bossel]

DxO Optics Pro is now in version 5.2, offers much improved support and better high ISO. I am working on the review now covering A100, A350, A700.

Are you still working on this? I've been trying ACR4.5 with PSE and IDC and find both clumsy to use, plus IDC is very slow (might need a new PC anyway ). Been looking at LR, bibble, DXO, for normal use (not specifically ISO6400 as the other review on this site). Bibble initially got lots of praise, now LR with ACR4.5 seems to be the latest greatest and since short DXO supports the A700. Quite confusing for a RAW-beginner.

[David Kilpatrick]

I had a lot of work to process, and of course, DxO didn't support the particular combinations of kit we were using - A200 with 18-250mm, A700 with 28mm f2, A700 with 70-300 SSM. The only shots supported in our last serous shoot (end of June) were the A700 with 16-80mm. So I reverted to using ACR 4.5 final release, which appeared midway during processing.

I have not had time yet to do proper ACR camera profiling, as my task for August (when I have no magazine to produce) is to clear out 1000sq ft of offices which were filled with over 15 years of paperwork and useless photo files. I'm still in the middle of that.

David

[bossel]

I take this as a no

Anyway I'll keep looking around and will download the trial versions when I have some time (maybe wait til Photokina and some upgrades, like bibble 5...)

[Alain]

At the moment I'm using Bibble, It was rather easy for me to adapt it inside my existing workflow.
I have no problems, but probably will take a look at capture one also to see if that delivers better images.
Probably only after Bibble 5 is there.

BTW. I found the Bibble team quite fast to questions and remarks about Bibble.

Alain

[Cogito]

I have no experience with the A100 so am not in a position to provide anything realistic to this thread, but have you tried RawTherapee? It claims to work with just about all Sony DSLRs and you can try it out for as long as you want! Gabor (who I believe writes it) supplies it for free although donations are appreciated. It handles many, many RAW formats, TIFs and JPGs so I use it quite a lot, with appreciation!
If you feel like trying it, there's a download link at the top of the page I pointed to.

[tbroadley]

The best one for me is Silkypix. There are reasons to badmouth the Sony iDC but it does work very well across the ISO's
Asa general rule ACR 4.5 is a nice general purpose tool. I just think Silkpix gives me the best combination of color, sharpness and noise handling across the board
Tim

[marktuma]

I use Capture 1 and like the results, but I haven't tried the others.

[David Kilpatrick]

I have just been re-archiving all my raw folders. I was amazed at the amount of surplus rubbish left behind by Capture One Pro - sometimes doubling the overall size of the folder. I saved over 20GB just by deleting all the stuff left behind by C1 Pro on the relatively small number of source folders it had been allowed to process.

I've been having major problems with Bridge, showing the wrong thumbnails and previews for raw files. Hopefully a recent transfer of all these files to newly formatted HDs will solve what seems to be a directory/filename related issue. I'll still stick with Bridge because nothing does the job I need to do any faster, and the latest version with camera profiles has solved the poor colour issues.

David