Ken, FWIW, I turn off all sharpening in the camera (Nikon D100) and in ACR2. Once the raw file is converted, I use PhotoKit Sharpener.
…. what Nick says. PhotoKit Sharpener is great.
Thanks guys.
Anyone else?
Ken Storch
So, nobody else uses ACR2?
Ken Storch
You should post in the Camera Raw forum
I did Mark.
The only response there was from Philo.
I’m surprised that other users have no comment.
Ken Storch
I’m surprised that other users have no comment.
I like pancakes. 🙂
(my camera is to "cheap" (oly 3020zoom – orig. $550!) to be supported by CR or CR2.)
But Dave, syrup? butter? during the making, or only in post operations?
The only adjustment I allow ACR2 to make are white balance and color space.
I use Focal Blade for sharpening. It is better than Photokit Sharpener, IMHO. It’s a PS add-in, which Photokit Sharpener is not.
One big advantage of Focal Blade is the split views that let you preview unsharpened and sharpened versions simultaneously as you adjust the settings.
I do tend to use a three-stage sharpening process a la the recommendation of the Photokit Sharpener developers. But I do it with Focal Blade.
Cheers,
Mitch
Thanks Mitch.
Uh, what’s the 3-stage methoid entail?
Ken Storch
Initial sharpening shortly after digital capture. Just enough to restore detail lost by the digital capture.
If there is significant noise, I will run Neat Image Pro+ first to avoid sharpening noise. Then, the initial sharpening, which is done on a layer.
Localized sharpening is the second step. That’s done with layers and layer masks.
Output sharpening is done after the image is resized and output profiled. Also done on a layer.
By sharpening on layers in PS CS, you can alter the settings later, if you find you over/undersharpened.
Cheers,
Mitch
I should explain just a bit more . . .
The sharpening in the first step is similar to what you would get with ACR2. You’re not aiming at all for a final sharpenning up front. You’re just aiming to restore lost detail from scanning or the microlens assemblies used in digital SLRs and digicams.
So, why not just sharpen with ACR2? One word: Layers!
The changes you make in ACR2 are applied directly to the image. By using layers, you can change your mind later. You can also use different blending modes, such as Luminosity, and Blend If settings to better control the effect of sharpening.
You want to avoid adding sharpening effects early in your workflow and then subsequently editing those artifacts. By using a gentle sharpening and limiting it to luminosity mode, you can avoid the introduction of lots of sharpening artifacts. By sharpening on a layer, if you find artifacts emerging as you edit, you can go back and tone down the sharpening effect.
One of the things I like about Focal Blade is that I can do my initial sharpening on a single layer. Photokit Sharpener tends to use multiple layers and sublayers to get the job done because it is going to use highpass and find edge sharpening techniques to keep the sharpening focused on the edges. Well, Focal Blade gives you complete control over the amount of edge sharpening *AND* surface sharpening without a profusion of layers in your image.
Cheers,
Mitch
Ken,
I haven’t used Focal Blade, so can’t comment on it. Here’s a link to an article by Bruce Fraser, one of the developers of PhotoKit Sharpener, in which he goes into detail about the 3-step sharpening process:
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http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/20357.html>
Nick
Hi, Mitch. Looks like we’re both having our coffee at about the same time this morning. <g>
Nick
Glen: Photokit sharpener is an addin to Photoshop. It is not a *.8bf file but still it functions through Photoshop through the automate menu. It is not a standalone product. Ken: have you considered asking the question on the MAC ACR forum?
Thanks for the input guys.
The 2 articles I’m working on are about ACR2, not specifically the sharpening aspects, but that’s one area I was having trouble getting info. And since I’m editing down the pieces(so many settings, so little editorial space!), there won’t be a lot of ‘sharpening’ details included…especially if no one is really using the feature.
Glenn,
Thanks for the detail.
I generally do a similar sharpening method of: initial (to correct for chip inexactness), local, and a final for output (using USM on a ‘Stamp Visible’ layer).
Nick,
Thanks for the link. I had read Bruce’s piece at the time,(as well as the original article), and remember mentally nodding as I agreed with his approach. Thanks for reminding me.
Philo,
I think I’ll give that a try. After a thread on ACR forum ,and this one, I didn’t want to overdo it. Since both threads have been used only by this select few people, I’ll cross the veil.
Ken: I’m looking forward to your article, expecially the part where you describe in detail how to alter the custom colour sliders to give an exact camera profile. I’m so excited!
