RAW processing in DPP and ACR

[Trev4]

I have been looking at the way I handle and convert my RAW files. There seems to be a difference between ACR and DPP when they convert files to CS4.

The main difference I see is that DPP colour is warmer and the picture is softer. ACR is colder and sharper.

To do the comparison, I applied no sharpening in camera (7D) and I cancelled all sharpening in ACR and DPP. All other settings were left at default.

I opened the same picture in both ACR and DPP, then without applying any changes, I opened the picture in CS4.

The only change I made in CS4 was to do a small crop and image resize to upload.

Here is the same picture with the 2 conversions. The picture isn’t for critique, its just something I used for the colours and the smaller details.

I have searched the threads here but cant find any previous reference to this.
The question is, has anyone else noticed this, and I am sure I am not the only one, and have the more experienced members any thoughts or preferences on this.

1) Processed in DPP

2) Processed in ACR

I hope I have explained the processes I have used and that they make sense to you.

Thanks for looking.

 

[tdodd]

Personally I don't think your comparison serves much purpose. The raw data is the raw data, but DPP will process it in a different way to ACR. For starters DPP will pick up on many of the settings in the camera such as picture style, noise reduction and other things. ACR will ignore all those things entirely and do whatever it fancies. Even in ACR you have different camera profiles, which each yield different results. Adobe Standard does not look like Camera Standard, which does not look like Camera Neutral and so on. Also, I'm not sure that it is correct to assume that zeroing out a field will lead to absolutely zero effect. The effect will be whatever Adobe decided zero should represent. I don't use ACR, but I do use Lightroom. Lightroom does not seem to understand the values for white balance that are coded into the Canon files. It is highly likely that the images will look different. All in all the comparison is meaningless.

I think the only comparison that makes sense is to see which application produces the better image when you process the file correctly. Processing the file incorrectly just seems a little bit crazy. It's like comparing the performance of supercars by running them all with flat tyres. Why would you do that?

 

[Trev4]

Thanks Tim, I understand what your saying and realise I am looking at it in the wrong way now. I did the comparison probably out of ignorance thinking that a RAW image should be just that no matter what the program, but obviously it isn’t that straight forward now that you have explained that. That of course is why I didn’t apply any changes so that the comparison was identical, to use your analogy, at least I was using flat tires on ALL the cars lol

The reason I have been looking at this is to decide which system to use, ACR seemed to produce slightly better results albeit noisier. Yet, I assumed that DPP would be better in as much that it was developed by Canon for use with their products therefore able to read the intricacies of the camera that non Canon software was unable to read.

Overall I do prefer the facilities that ACR and CS4 provide and if I can obtain at least as good results using ACR then that is the way I’ll go.

Thanks again for your reply.

 

[jakeblu]

Aaarrggghhhh is it just me, this is the 2nd thread I have read tonight with missing images. I can see the ACR one but not the DPP :bang:

Steve

Edit: Ignore that post can see them both now.

You would have thought that the canon software would get more out of your files but maybe not. I personally have never used DPP despite being a canon owner from day one, but what i had read indicated that DPP should process your files better.

Steve

 

[tdodd]

Try right clicking and then "Show image". It worked for me.

 

[Roy C]

Trev, in DPP there is a preference for noise reduction settings. You can either apply Camera settings or set your own defaults - I set my own defaults with all the noise reductions set to zero so no noise reduction will take place. Maybe worth a check to see what you have set.

I also have CS4 with ACR but prefer to convert my RAW's via DPP before sending to CS4 as a 16 bit tiff to finish the editing.

 

[whiteflyer]

Every RAW converter is different, I've used ACR, DPP, Capture One, Aperture and Phocus, they all come out very slightly different.

It's just another personal choice thing.