[gaweidert]

I just purchased SILKYPIX Developer Studio Pro 8 a few days ago. Let me start by saying that the only post processing software that I have ever used is the PDCU software that came with my Pentax digital cameras. I am pretty much a total newbie as far as how much a program like this can really do. I figured that since I am already somewhat familiar with what comes with my cameras this would be a best route for me. I do not like any subscription software and when Lightroom went that way I decided not to pursue getting it.

I also liked that it came with three licenses so I can load a version on my daughter in laws computer for her to use. And I can help her learn to use it. It cost me about $177 on sale which was the same as the upgrade price from PDCU to a full blown version so pretty easy on the wallet.

Playing around with it has been a lot of fun. Doing stuff like removing purple fringe, CA etc is great. My older lenses can still contribute. The "Clarity" tool is pretty interesting too. I like it. There is also a separate sharpening tool. Processing speed on my current laptop is about the same as the PDCU software so no complaints there. Still need to learn how to work on small areas of an image but that is just all part of the process. At my age I have found that I can still learn a few things so all is good.

This is not intended to be a review in any sense. Just my impressions as a total newbie to how complex modern image processing software really is. I am sure that there are plenty of people here with tons of experience using several different software packages and modules who would like or hate how various features work but to me seems pretty intuitive so far.

[aleonx3]

Congrats on your purchase of Silkypix Developer Pro 8. I have been a user of this software since Developer Pro 6; I use it mainly for RAW development. I am currently using Pro 7. There are several things I like about this software as RAW development tool. Among the first is noise reduction which I don't need to touch the slider at all, the RAW files taken from the camera has the native and recommended adjustment showing on the slider. Another thing which I find convenient is the ease of use on WB adjustment.

[pschlute]

Another vote for Silkypix Developer Pro here, using v7

My advice to the OP is try to learn something new each time you use it, using the (?) icons to bring up the manual. Learn how to set up profiles and you will soon find you can batch develop a number of files very quickly. Some of the Japanese-English terms can seem a bit awkward at first, but you will get used to it. one of the things I like is using the Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V functions, so that if I find I need to adjust say white balance on the first file in a series you can easily copy that setting to all the others in one go.

[dosdan]

I've got SilkyPix Developer Studio Pro 6. (I upgrade from Pro 4). I've tried v7 & v8 but didn't find the changes worthwhile. I paid a lot of money when I first purchased SP Pro 4, but I rationalised it that its support of Pentax colours was good.

When I was shooting junior soccer stills each weekend, (now I mainly shoot junior soccer using video), I'd shoot 1,000-2,000 raw stills a match and cull this down to 250-350 to be developed, so I got to use SP a lot over a 7 year timespan.

Useful hot-keys:
Shift L.Arrow/R.Arrow – switch between fitted display & 100% zoom.
Shift-F1 – 400% – Handy when you're manually correcting CA in a corner of the image.
F11/F12 – Next/Previous raw file.
Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V – Copy & paste development parameters between one or more files.

There is no hot-key for partial-pasting of development parameters, but it's worthwhile to set one:
Settings | Shortcut keys settings | Function category: Parameters | Partial paste of development Parameters – press Ctrl-Shift-V | OK.

Here's the screen layout I usually use:




Note: Ctrl-F will bring up the list of directories/folders, here situated on the LHS. You can click on the "x" near the Top L. of this panel to close it to increase screen space.

Ctrl-Q will toggle the levelling tool. Note: use this tool to draw a line either against a horiz. or vert. edge to level the image. (This is the only program I'm aware of where a horiz. levelling tool will also work against a vert. edge like a door.)

Ctrl-T will toggle between the fitted whole image with crop area and just the fitted crop area.

Ctri-Shift-P will toggle between your current view mode (Thumbnails/Combination/Preview) and Full-Screen Preview.

I've assigned Ctrl-1/2/3 to the blue/green/red tag marks. I use these to indicate which images I'll process further with PSP X7 or which images are particularly good. In Thumbnail view, I've set the Sort Order (View | Sort Thumbnails), in ascending order, to:

Delete Mark (use F6 to mark an image for deletion)
User Mark 1 (Blue mark)
User Mark 2 (Green mark)
User Mark 3 (Red mark)
File name
Edited

So all my marked stuff comes first.

F8 – Development mark. Use Develop | Batch develop selected images to process
F5 – Add to development queue and immediately start to process
Ctrl-S – develop just this image (can use different settings from what has been set to be used for batch processing)

Tone/Contrast is useful to pep up stuff shot under overcast/rainy/foggy/flash lighting/dull lighting. In the Tone settings, Black Level and Contrast Centre are sometimes very useful. Generally, I'll use Exposure Bias to pull the histogram to the RHS, and Contrast to stretch the histogram to both the LHS & RHS, with Black level, if needed.

The Fine Colour Controller is useful to get bluer skies and to improve the weird greeny-yellow colouration you get when shooting back-lit grass etc. Back-lit players can be improved with the Dodge control. I don't use HDR very often, but I use Dodge in virtually every shot.

If the RHS of the histogram is clipped because the amount of expose bias you want to use has pushed the RHS into clipping, you can often compress just the RHS using Highlight Controller | Dynamic Range enough to bring the clipped part back into range. But using too high a setting here can produce a colour-cast on skin.

Dan.

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Last edited by dosdan; 04-16-2018 at 12:21 AM.

[skyer]

Does anyone know what Silkypix settings equal to "Bright" profile of Pentax K-1? I know that Silkypix is a different converter but it seems to me that the "Bright" profile can be reproduced in Silkypix because PDCU is powered by Silkypix.

[sbh]

I haven‘t tried, but in DCU you can see the sliders and the colour wheel changing when you set the profile. Maybe you can find and set the equivalent sliders in Silkypix?

[skyer]

I haven‘t tried, but in DCU you can see the sliders and the colour wheel changing when you set the profile. Maybe you can find and set the equivalent sliders in Silkypix?

This was also my first thought about the issue. However, in Silkypix this "wheel" is absent (actually, as well as in PDCU. in PDCU one can only see changes on the "wheel" but can't alter them by dragging the corresponding points).

[halimj7]

Bismillah

I think I want to migrate from Lightroom CC classic, but I am uncertain how painful it will be to keep the edits I made on my previous pictures with Lightroom. Can anyone offer their experience migrating from Lightroom to Silkypix? Thanks.

[skyer]

Bismillah

I think I want to migrate from Lightroom CC classic, but I am uncertain how painful it will be to keep the edits I made on my previous pictures with Lightroom. Can anyone offer their experience migrating from Lightroom to Silkypix? Thanks.

I exported my photos edited in Lightroom as jpegs and now I almost never use Lightroom anymore. Lightroom, no doubt, is easier to use but photos edited in Silkypix have much better colors. So usually, I edit photos in Silkypix and if I need some more minor adjustments, I export a .tiff file from Silkypix and then edit it in Photoshop.

[halimj7]

Bismillah

Thanks. I started trying Silkypix out and really like it so far.

[monochrome]

Does Studio Pro 8 handle Pixel Shift files?

[gaweidert]

Does Studio Pro 8 handle Pixel Shift files?

Yes it does.

[Winder]

DSP8 is a very powerful RAW editor that gives great results, but I find it to be slow, expensive, and less intuitive to use than LR or C1.

[halimj7]

Bismillah

Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier and IMO worth the slight learning curve

[niklas]

I use Silkypix Develoer Studio Pro 9 and have used it since version 1.
I bought it in the joint venture with the UK company and even though they split up, Silkypix allowed me to upgrade at reduced price.

I prefer using Silkypix over other RAW converters.
To me it's intuitive in a degree beyond the competition and it just gives better results.....to me.