|
|
..
|
Digital
Photography Software - Adobe Photoshop CS
|
Please go
to the George Mann - Adobe Digital Workflow Series Pages
for information regarding Adobe Photoshop CS2 and Adobe Lightroom Beta
|
 |
Adobe Photoshop CS -
Camera RAW 2.1 update
Updated
Camera Raw Plug-in Adds Support for Broad Range of New Digital Cameras
from Fujifilm, Kodak, Leaf, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax
and Sony
SAN JOSE, Calif. —
Feb. 12, 2004
— Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) today announced a new Camera
Raw plug-in for Photoshop® CS, extending raw file support to 14
additional digital camera models. Available as a free download from
Adobe's Web site, the plug-in builds on the raw file functionality
integrated in Photoshop CS, adding new support for digital cameras from
leading manufacturers such as, Fujifilm, Kodak, Leaf, Leica, Nikon,
Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony.
The
Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in allows photographers to directly
manipulate the original data captured by a digital camera sensor,
producing images with superior tonal range and the maximum amount of
detail. Accessing the raw image before conversion into formats like
JPEG and TIFF allows users to adjust the white balance, saturation and
sharpness instead of leaving these decisions to the camera's automatic
settings.
With
the addition of the plug-in, Camera Raw functionality in Photoshop CS
software now supports formats from more than 40 different camera models
and allows professional photographers to easily manipulate their
"digital negatives" without sacrificing any image quality. Now,
professional photographers can more quickly and easily import and
manipulate raw data, saving time while increasing artistic control.
"Just
four months after the release of Photoshop CS, we're providing this
free update to our customers to solidify Photoshop as the platform of
choice for capturing raw files," said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice
president of digital imaging and video products at Adobe. "We are
committed to anticipating the rapid technology developments in the
digital camera industry and providing photographers with the tools they
need to keep pace and produce the highest quality results."
Adding
raw file conversion to a professional photographer's workflow is now
easier than ever with Photoshop CS. The redesigned File Browser allows
users to view thumbnails and large previews of raw captures for easy
sorting and batch adjustments. Support for 16-bit images provides
photographers with the opportunity for optimal image quality by keeping
the layers intact when saving files. A new Camera Raw interface in
Photoshop CS now includes advanced calibration controls and the ability
to create and save customized color profiles for individual cameras.
"Adobe
Photoshop CS Camera Raw support lets me use 16-bit files and manipulate
camera settings such as white point and exposure - a terrific
advantage," said John Warner, a professional commercial photographer
with more than 25 years of industry experience. "I can work much
faster, while giving art directors room to bring up the highlights and
sharpen an image as necessary. Plus, I can save different settings so
that I have a good starting point every time I pull up an image."
Pricing and Availability
Available
immediately on the Adobe Web site, the additional cameras supported by
Photoshop CS, include: Fujifilm FinePix F700, FinePix S5000 Z and
FinePix S7000 Z; Kodak DCS 720x, DCS760 and DCS14n; Leaf Valeo 22;
Leica Digilux 2, Nikon D2H, the Olympus C-5060 Zoom and E-1; Panasonic
DMC-LC1; the Pentax *ist D; and Sony DSC-F828. The plug-in supports
Photoshop CS customers running Mac OS X 10.2.4 and higher,
Microsoft®
Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 3, and Windows XP.
To
see the functionality in-person, please visit Adobe at PMA
International 2004 in Las Vegas, February 12-15, at the following
booths: P55, Q48, R48.
The updated Camera Raw plug-in can be downloaded for free by going to
the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html.
|
|
Adobe Photoshop
CS
The best just keeps getting better.
For more than fifteen years I have been saying that Apple should buy
Adobe and make the Adobe applications available only on the Mac. Once
again I feel like saying it because no digital photographer (which very
soon will mean all photographers) can ignore the superiority of Adobe
PhotoShop for manipulating his images and making them be what he had
intended when he pressed the shutter, or to enhance them to another
level far beyond their origin.
PhotoShop CS is a milestone in software development for digital
photography. And I hate it when PC users say to me, "I can do the same
thing on my PC". I want PhotoShop to be an exclusively Mac product.
Here are the ten most important new features of PhotoShop CS (according
to Adobe).
Improved File Browser - Quickly preview, tag, and sort images; search
and edit metadata and keywords; and automatically share batches of
files from the improved File Browser.
It isn't as elegant as iPhoto but it sure beats its pants off in the
features that serious photographers want category. Actually a great
no-nonsense browser, I still prefer iPhoto for organizing my image
library and giving me the sense that I know where everything is though.
Match Color command - Achieve a consistent look between package shots,
fashion photos, and more by instantly matching the color scheme of one
image to another.
Ever had a terrible shot that had the exposure just right and a good
shot that was over or under and color balanced wrong, well you can now
tell the software to take a look at the first one and give it's values
to the second one. If you have a whole batch of images that need to be
shown together this could literally save you days of work matching all
the images.
Histogram palette - Monitor changes to your image in the Histogram
palette, which dynamically updates as you make adjustments.
If you are a Histogram freak this will make your day. Not only are the
Histogram palettes in one place now, they also operate in real time and
show you a ghost of the old setting while displaying the position of
the new setting. Time to break out the champagne.
Shadow/Highlight correction - Quickly improve the contrast of over- or
underexposed areas of an image while preserving the overall balance of
the photo using Shadow/Highlight correction.
This function, as they say, makes it all worth the price of admission.
It is unbelievable how easily this simple little function makes a bad
photograph into a good one. No more masks, no more agonizing for hours
over the right settings. Just slide the lever and the shadows
disappear. Some photographers might even fire their assistants and
throw away their reflectors.
Text on a path - Create eye-catching typography by placing text on
paths or within shapes. Edit the text at any time, even in Adobe
Illustrator(r) software.
The advantages of this are self explanatory and mostly aimed at poster
producing graphic artists but even the rankest amateur will be able to
produce a better Christmas card.
Integrated digital camera raw file support - Get truer, higher quality
output by working with the complete raw data files from most major
digital camera models.
For serious amateur photographers and professionals this was the most
wanted change and it hasn't been a disappointment. Having full RAW
support is now a must for all serious digital imaging software. The
interface is well thought out and thorough.
I personally recommend that all users of high end digital cameras,
especially DSLRs, still buy, update, and use the software developed by
their camera manufacturers because not everything is equal in the world
of RAW. But I also recommend using PhotoShop CS and imagine that most
everyone that has both will end up using PhotoShop CS the majority of
the time or in combination with the camera manufacturer software.
Comprehensive 16-bit support - Perform more precise editing and
retouching with expanded support for 16-bit images in core features,
including layers, brushes, text, shapes, and more.
As mentioned above, Adobe did an incredible job of producing the most
all around useful digital photography manipulation software available
at this time. There are some individual features that are taken further
in other digital image manipulation software but not in combination
with all the features present in PhotoShop CS.
Layer Comps - Create design variations for clients more efficiently by
saving different combinations of layers within the same file as Layer
Comps.
Another feature that will be hard to comprehend by anyone not working
in the commercial art world, but appreciated by those who do.
Macromedia Flash file export - Use ImageReady CS to create
Macromedia(r) Flash(tm) (SWF) animations, complete with vector artwork
and variable text.
A juicy bone for the multi media users and a tip of the hat to
Macromedia.
Customizable keyboard shortcuts - Customize, save, and print a summary
of your ideal set of keyboard shortcuts, so the functions you use most
are always at your fingertips.
Some day I will learn to use the keyboard rather than the mouse, or
maybe I won't.
Adobe
Software - http://www.adobe.com
|
|
