[waynelr]

1) How many use it?
2) Is there a good tutorial in English
3) How does it compare to the rest of the PP software world

I'm just embarking on a little raw file processing and would like suggestions.

Thanks

[Mister Horrible]

1. Not a lot of people in "real numbers." Still, it gets updated regularly and consistantly, and has good output. Let's face it, you didn't buy your Pentax because it was the most popular option, now, did you?

2. There is a "real english" translation of the Engrish manual at, I believe, SilkypixUK - Authorised UK Distributor of Silkypix. The author charges a nominal fee for it.

3. It's still pretty competitve, but lacks a DAM component, so you'll have to look at a 3rd party solution if you want to catalog your images.

4. Full disclosure: I almost bought SP3, I think it is a very nice, if quirky, piece of software. I have built my current workflow around LR2, which also gives me DAM and some local editing as well.

[deejjjaaaa]

would like suggestions.

just in case if you missed that link - Shortcut Software Forums - Powered by vBulletin

[waynelr]

Got the tutorial and version 4.0. It seems like more than I will ever need to do PP.
As soon as I figure out the batch mode so I can process an entire folder at once I'll like it more. Then if I don't like the default processing I can go back and tweak a few of them.

[pschlute]

Got the tutorial and version 4.0. It seems like more than I will ever need to do PP.
As soon as I figure out the batch mode so I can process an entire folder at once I'll like it more. Then if I don't like the default processing I can go back and tweak a few of them.

I use Silkypix Pro and love it. The guide you have been directed too is well worth it.

I have set up my own personal "taste" as my default setting, and usually load up to 10 images at a time. I can then do any individual tweaking/cropping/spot removal, before batch processing. You can set up parameters for batch processing so all your pictures are processed X pixels wide for exampe and have a certain amount of USM applied.

Once set up the batch procedure is a breeze.

I use PSE as my catalogueing system.

[amoringello]

Used to love SilkyPix. It simply gave the best output with the least hassles.
The user interface appears to be something unlike anything else, but it really seems to make the workflow more natural and easy to use.
It does not have complete integration with PhotoShop, but I find its use easier to handle than with LightRoom. Hard to qualify why, but it just seemed nicer to use.

Sadly, I have to switch from Windows to Mac earlier this year and the company does not offer any sort of license conversion between OS'es. You a merely required to pay full price for another license.

So, being in need of a DAM solution I moved to LightRoom. Not as good in some aspects as SilkyPix, but it has so many development features that make the workflow so much faster, SilkyPix has fallen too far behind in this area - in my opinion.

I still think SilkyPix does a slightly better job than Lightroom, especially as far as their noise reduction is concerned. If a client can see that difference without having a side-by-side comparison, then it is worth the effort. But I don't know anyone that can point to a final print out of the blue and say, "hey this could have been better with SilkyPix".

So in the end, it was more worthwhile for me to have a long term benefit of a quick efficient workflow than a nearly imperceptible increase in certain quality aspects of the final image.

If do not have much interest in Lightroom or you have your own DAM solution, I could not suggest Lightroom over SilkyPix. Either will do a great job.
With v4, SilkyPix should be a bit faster, especially on multi-processor machines -- which most are nowadays.

[pa79]

Just a note, but Samsung provides a branded version of Silkypix for free (they call it Samsung Raw Converter 2.0). I don't know whether it only works with Samsung cameras, or if it is less up-to-date than the current version of SP available. You can download it from here:

Samsung Digital Camera

From Samsung:
"This application can be downloaded from the "Download Center", this is found by clicking the "Support & Download" link at the top of the homepage. Any of the applications can be found under the "Utility" link.

The applications are not compatible with Windows Vista 64 bit versions."

They ask you for the serial number of your camera, but I heard that it doesn't make any difference what you type in there.

I'd be interested to hear if Pentax users can use this as well.

*Edit*

I just had a look on the Samsung website and they have updated their version to 2.1. No idea what changes the update includes, but it looks like they keep it current.

I've been using this for a while, and I quite like it (for my GX20). I'm having a play with the LR3 beta release now, and I'm not sure which I prefer. Silkypix has a very nice-to-use cropping tool, and I also really like the tool to rotate images by drawing a line along something which is supposed to be vertical/horizontal - very easy!

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Last edited by pa79; 11-09-2009 at 12:18 PM.

[dosdan]

I photograph U7 Soccer. It's processing 100-200 shots per game that got me interested in SilkyPix. I was using Pentax Photo Lab v3 which I think uses the SP2 engine in a dumbed-down interface. I liked the the colours & quality of PPL's output, but I wanted more flexibility & less effort.

When I tried the SP Pro (V4) trial, it was so much easier. I could use Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V to copy and paste processing parameters to all selected images. I could start a batch conversion on the defaults then, as the processed photos come out the other end I could start working, with good responsiveness on a Core Duo 2 machine, on shots that needed more work and then add them back into the batch queue.

There are also 4 "cloakrooms" where you can temporarily store 4 sets of settings. And if you think the parameters will be useful again (say geometric or CA correction of a zoom lens) then you can add it as a new taste.

The Dodge setting did a lot of the work I that I was previously performing through the tone curve when I was compensating for semi-backlighting.

I also tried the standard version, but since I'd tried the Pro version first, I really missed the responsiveness of Pro's batching & the dodging. So I bought the Pro version when it was released and I haven't regretted it since.

Dan

[jlaubza]

The key limitation of Slikypix, imho, is the raw conversion algorithm - it is poor quality compared to ACR and Raw Therapee - fine details are not resolved cleanly resulting in false colour and lack of detail resolution. The fact that a shareware converter like RT has a really better demosaicing algorithm than the expensive SP is an indictment of lack of understanding on the part of SP developers as to the importance of demosaicing.

Also, I must add the lack of shadow detail recovery function and highlight recovery function to the list of limitations. Further, consider that the CA correction function works only in lateral and not vertical mode as well - end result is that SP is not for serious users.

[dosdan]

The key limitation of Slikypix, imho, is the raw conversion algorithm - it is poor quality compared to ACR and Raw Therapee - fine details are not resolved cleanly resulting in false colour and lack of detail resolution. The fact that a shareware converter like RT has a really better demosaicing algorithm than the expensive SP is an indictment of lack of understanding on the part of SP developers as to the importance of demosaicing.

Also, I must add the lack of shadow detail recovery function and highlight recovery function to the list of limitations. Further, consider that the CA correction function works only in lateral and not vertical mode as well - end result is that SP is not for serious users.

Why not post these criticisms at Shortcut Software Forums - Powered by vBulletin

You're more likely to get an authoritative response there. There are trade-offs made when de-mosaicing and the SP designer(s) picked that algorithm for a particular reason. You may be able to find out why they chose it.

There is a Highlight Controller in SP which is doing highlight recovery & you can alter the trade-offs made there. Dodging in SP Pro & Pentax DCU reduces DR & brings up the shadows. What Sikypix lacks is local contrast enhancement (RT has that), but you can do that in 3rd-party software afterwards.

Personally, I find RT too flaky and slow. (I can't warm to the LightRoom v3 betas either - I don't want a cataloguing & uploading program - I've got the free Picasa for that.) I'm now processing 150-300 photos each week after Saturday morning soccer. I like SP's concept of preset & user-created tastes; I like the way in a drop-down list of tastes that I can see the effect on the image in real time or near real-time (depending on the operation) as I go down the list of tastes (not having to make a selection - see the effect - then choose another selection to compare) and I use tagging & Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V a lot to replicate the development parameters within sets of similar images in a session. (You can also selectively paste development parameters e.g. everything, except say rotation.) It may be different with just a few images where you can spend a lot of time working with each image. I never found RT that easy to use on a large number of files and it never got very far before faulting. I've seen that the developer of RT has opened its development up because he can't replicate the stability problems others have had with the program. I believe that, and the lack of utilisation of multiple cores, are particular weaknesses of a multi-platform program.

Dan.

[amoringello]

Really? Until the latest preview of ACR 6, I find ACR no where near SilkyPix... with one caveat...

SilkyPix in some cases really does require that you follow their guidelines for making a clear image.
They have specific steps that when followed make a large difference when processing your image.
Yes, it can be argued that the software should be smart enough to know what operations to handle first. (which is why I'm making the statement... it is not obvious and their documentation is/was not clear on this point)

I'm pretty upset at how SilkyPix handled their customers and have no more special love for their software, but I would still have to say that if you are not getting good results from SilkyPix that it is not due to their lack of understanding how to process RAW, but rather the end user's lack of understanding how to use SilkyPix.

Sorry, I hope that didn't come across too harshly. I am intending no insult. I'm just not sure how to soften the wording and still get my point across.
SilkyPix has an odd interface and takes some practice to get used to. I don't know how much you used SilkyPix, but if it was a few minutes on one or two photos, I would simply say that was not enough to learn how well the application can affect your images.

ACR certainly does well enough for me in 80% of the cases but there are times that SilkyPix's detail, noise handling and color rendering simply cold not be matched by ACR.

Next version of LR3 and CS5... totally a different story. I think a lot of competing companies (especially noise reduction) that have been sitting on their laurels for the past few years will be out of jobs if they cannot step up and significantly improve their products to meet new technologies.