Digital Camera Utility 4 - batch processing

**MSL** · 02-19-2012, 10:48 PM

Does anyone know of any good tutorials on using Digitial Camera Utility, and specifically how to do batch processing. As noted in my vent a few posts ago, I kind of need to change the white balance on a large number of images. I've done basic color corrections using Irfanview, but I'm wondering if DCU can do it better. I'm pretty tech savy, but this program seems to do things in a counterintuative way.

hcc · 02-19-2012, 11:35 PM - **1 Like**

One method is:
Set one photo to the setting you want to apply.
Then Save preferences (Save Parameters).
Apply these Preferences (Open Parameters) to all photos you require.
Also do Check each photograph
Go to Check 1 list. Select All. File/Process Multiple Files

Hope that the info will assist...

PS: Do make sure that you use PDCU 4.33 or later, which is more stable for batch processing.

**MSL** · 03-07-2012, 10:45 AM

This did help. Turns out some of the images had been rendered unprocessable for some unknown reason. When I tried it on a fresh batch of images I was able to make your method work. Thanks.

Washingtonstater · 08-15-2013, 08:40 PM

Everyone likes to have things explained to them in a manner they understand best. I never really could understand what was being described in this post. After much trial and error, I figured out how to use Digital Utility 4 to batch denoise raw .DNG images. So I will describe, in my words, the process to use Pentax Digital Utility 4 to denoise high ISO .DNG images in a batch process.

In the Browser, find the .DNG images you want to process. They will be in the view window. The default location is along the bottom. Select Laboratory Tab. Right click on one of the photos and select "Display image on Tab Pane." This will bring up the image in the large window so you can see what you are working with. Now find the Noise Reduction tab and apply the noise reduction settings you want, using this image as your guide. There are three settings with sliders. Experiment until you find what you like best. Under the "View" tab, you can change the zoom size to make the photo larger so you can see what you are doing with more detail. After you are satisfied, right click on either the thumbnail, or the larger view of the image and click, "copy parameters." Now select all of the images in the view window you want to batch process. Right click on one and click, "Paste Parameters." The Utility will apply the noise settings to all of the selected RAW images. Then right click on one and select, "Process Multiple Files." It will bring up a dialog box where you can, among several options, select where you want the images saved. Then click, "Save." The Utility will convert the raw files to jpg and apply the denoise settings to all of the images in a batch process.

I agree with the observations that the software is not intuitive. Also the Help files are weak. This process should be explained in detail, but it is not.

However I compared my results using the Pentax Digital Utility 4 with Photoshop Elements 11, and I like Digital Utility much better. It does a far better job of denoising images. With text, it improves the readability of the text, and improves detail. With Elements, you loose detail. I am glad I spent the time figuring out how to use this software.

02-19-2012, 10:48 PM	#1
MSL Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Greater Toronto Area Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,749	Digital Camera Utility 4 - batch processing Does anyone know of any good tutorials on using Digitial Camera Utility, and specifically how to do batch processing. As noted in my vent a few posts ago, I kind of need to change the white balance on a large number of images. I've done basic color corrections using Irfanview, but I'm wondering if DCU can do it better. I'm pretty tech savy, but this program seems to do things in a counterintuative way.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Camera Digital Utility 4	Rick Clark	Pentax K-5 & K-5 II	17	12-31-2011 04:13 AM
Digital Camera Utility Help	mcut	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	4	11-18-2011 11:23 AM
Help me assess: Pentax Digital Camera Utility vs In Camera JPEG	Arrvon	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	19	09-18-2011 10:47 AM
Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4 - Why Use it?	lats	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	6	12-03-2010 03:21 PM
Digital Camera Utility 4 - Crash	Furball	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	11	07-31-2010 03:02 PM

02-19-2012, 11:35 PM - 1 Like	#2
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,002	One method is: Set one photo to the setting you want to apply. Then Save preferences (Save Parameters). Apply these Preferences (Open Parameters) to all photos you require. Also do Check each photograph Go to Check 1 list. Select All. File/Process Multiple Files Hope that the info will assist... PS: Do make sure that you use PDCU 4.33 or later, which is more stable for batch processing.

03-07-2012, 10:45 AM	#3
MSL Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Greater Toronto Area Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,749 Original Poster	This did help. Turns out some of the images had been rendered unprocessable for some unknown reason. When I tried it on a fresh batch of images I was able to make your method work. Thanks.

08-15-2013, 08:40 PM	#4
Washingtonstater New Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 5	Everyone likes to have things explained to them in a manner they understand best. I never really could understand what was being described in this post. After much trial and error, I figured out how to use Digital Utility 4 to batch denoise raw .DNG images. So I will describe, in my words, the process to use Pentax Digital Utility 4 to denoise high ISO .DNG images in a batch process. In the Browser, find the .DNG images you want to process. They will be in the view window. The default location is along the bottom. Select Laboratory Tab. Right click on one of the photos and select "Display image on Tab Pane." This will bring up the image in the large window so you can see what you are working with. Now find the Noise Reduction tab and apply the noise reduction settings you want, using this image as your guide. There are three settings with sliders. Experiment until you find what you like best. Under the "View" tab, you can change the zoom size to make the photo larger so you can see what you are doing with more detail. After you are satisfied, right click on either the thumbnail, or the larger view of the image and click, "copy parameters." Now select all of the images in the view window you want to batch process. Right click on one and click, "Paste Parameters." The Utility will apply the noise settings to all of the selected RAW images. Then right click on one and select, "Process Multiple Files." It will bring up a dialog box where you can, among several options, select where you want the images saved. Then click, "Save." The Utility will convert the raw files to jpg and apply the denoise settings to all of the images in a batch process. I agree with the observations that the software is not intuitive. Also the Help files are weak. This process should be explained in detail, but it is not. However I compared my results using the Pentax Digital Utility 4 with Photoshop Elements 11, and I like Digital Utility much better. It does a far better job of denoising images. With text, it improves the readability of the text, and improves detail. With Elements, you loose detail. I am glad I spent the time figuring out how to use this software.