column at the right of the main image
window. To return to a previous state
of settings, just click the Snapshot.
The final settings could then
be saved as a loadable preset, and
although I only processed a single
image, any saved settings can be
applied as a batch to as many
selected files as you want. They
can be processed unattended and
automatically saved and numbered
at the end of your adjustment session
for a single master example.
The colour tags shown above
the thumbnails allow any lightbox
of images (the contents of a folder)
to be grouped into four different
categories, which in turn allows
different saved settings to be applied
to images from each group.
Dimage Master has other
functions including a wide range
of colour profile conversions (you
can save as Pro Photo RGB, one of
the hotly-tipped expanded spaces
supposed to be superior to AdobeRGB
for archiving), focus metering which
can help you check which are your
sharpest lenses for digital work,
and of course processing of JPEGs.
Extra Fine JPEGs may, as long
as they are correctly exposed and
white balanced, even prove better
than raw files for scaling up and
sharpening. Some functions such as
white balance changes can not be
applied to JPEGs and only appear
in the left hand menu options when
a raw file is selected. Within limits Above: some output options. Top, resiz-
colour, tone, contrast and exposure ing the image by interpolation. Centre,
corrections can be made to good adding an imprint to the digital
JPEGs but raw .MRW files always image. Bottom, selecting the file format
offer more scope for adjustment. for saving, and in this case the level of
JPEG compression. All screen shots from
Technical comparisons
Macintosh OSX 10.4.3 Tiger.
Unlike other converters – notably a generic RGB setting. Comparing
Top: Comparison window, an alterna- Adobe’s Photoshop Elements and CS2 Macbeth Color Checker tests
tive shot-choosing method. Left: Tone Raw plug-ins – Dimage Master uses converted using Dimage Master 1.1
Curve and Exposure adjustment, and what they call a 3-D Colour Table. and Adobe Photoshop CS2/Bridge,
Sharpness control. Above: colour con- This is similar to an ICC Profile but Master extracted a great dynamic
trols – White Balance, Colour Space, with more data than the 256 colour range by default, without clipping
and Filter & Colour Effects. Below: values contained in a basic camera either end of the histogram. This
unadjusted compared to adjusted, with profile. Other converters often do makes the picture look slightly dull
Snapshot shown (right of images). not even use a camera profile, just in comparison, but actually provides
more scope for accurate adjustment
of exposure. The white of the colour
checker was Level 246 when exported
using Adobe’s plug-in, Level 227 using
Master; Black was clipped by the
Adobe plugin, and set to 15 by Master.
There are other issues present
and Adobe’s plugin is by no means
bad, permitting extensive recovery
of highlight luminosity values at the
expense of colour. Ideally you should
have both Master and Photoshop
Elements (3.0 for Mac, 4.0 for PC)
to hand for raw file conversions.
– David Kilpatrick
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25 photoworld
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