[interested_observer]

I admit that I have been pursuing post processing backwards. I have been looking at tone mapping and stitching utilities in terms of the end result, and treating the RAW conversion process as being essentially equal. Obviously this is not the case - slow learner here.

I have had a bit of trouble earlier this year with a noisy sensor in my K20. Pentax replaced the main boards along with the sensor. I usually do low ambient light landscapes/city lights using bracketing about half the time at ISO 100 nearly exclusively. My glass is as good as it is going to get.

I've slowly come to the conclusion, with some help here, that the RAW converters used by some stacking & stitching packages just add noise to the problem - with correspondingly poor end results. So, going to 16 bit TIFF as an input to the stitching utilities does help tremendously, which begs the question. What RAW package does the best job for Pentax?

Yes, by all means, I am being lazy here, by not just launching into trial versions of all the RAW packages. However, I thought that I would ask what packages tend to do the best job, and start from that culled list (standing on the shoulders of Giants). I know that I am pushing the envelope here with ambient low light and the K20 not being as good as the K5 (especially with its DR) - but all in due time.

Currently I am using Bibble Pro 5 and I do have Elements 6. I came across Oloneo's PhotoEngine for Tone Mapping, which does an excellent job - even on a single image. This has brought me to this question.....

[Darren]

Despite a different take on workflow than most I find the Pentax utility offers the best rendition of PEF files - it also ties in best with any camera setting you have set plus does automatic removal of distortion, noise and CA based on the settings in camera.
Don't dismiss it as it's free.

[klh]

Despite a different take on workflow than most I find the Pentax utility offers the best rendition of PEF files - it also ties in best with any camera setting you have set plus does automatic removal of distortion, noise and CA based on the settings in camera.
Don't dismiss it as it's free.

If the measure is value for the money, then PDCU or Rawtherapee get my vote.

[borno]

I like capture one, at least if you use pef format. Most of the software companies will let you do a free trial to see which one you like.

[rawr]

In my experience of tooling about with RAW software, the best RAW convertor in general - and particularly for high ISO and detail extraction - is Lightroom. Then DxO Optics Pro, which has a lot of strengths (including some in-built HDR stuff), then PDCU, which I still use a lot.

I have Capture One Express, Raw Therapee and about 3 other RAW converters too, but they rarely get any use.

[dosdan]

I like Silkypix Pro, because it has the same colours I like in Pentax DCU (which has a Silkypix engine), but it's interface is much better.

Dan