Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4

Øyvind Kjellsen · 02-11-2015, 07:56 AM

I have bought a used Pentax Kx. However I did not get the cd with the utility program on, only the manual.
I downoaded the utility update 4.3, but when installing the program , it askes for an old version which I not have.
I have windows 7 , where do I find this peogram fitting windows 7?

Not a Number · 02-11-2015, 08:06 AM

See this thread:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/55-photography-articles/36984-how-install...installed.html

Basically you need to change the volume label of any removable media (CD, DVD, memory stick/card) to what ever version the installer looks for - S-SW-90 or something like that. Read through the thread for the exact label name. As I recall the installer tells you what it is looking for when it complains.

Connect a memory card or stick, locate it in My Computer, right click and rename to S-SW-90 (or whatever). Then run the install. You probably have to run the install as an Admin.

Øyvind Kjellsen · 02-11-2015, 09:21 AM

Originally posted by Not a Number

See this thread:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/55-photography-articles/36984-how-install...installed.html

Basically you need to change the volume label of any removable media (CD, DVD, memory stick/card) to what ever version the installer looks for - S-SW-90 or something like that. Read through the thread for the exact label name. As I recall the installer tells you what it is looking for when it complains.

Connect a memory card or stick, locate it in My Computer, right click and rename to S-SW-90 (or whatever). Then run the install. You probably have to run the install as an Admin.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! A cd with the name S-SW90 worked verry well, did not log inn as ADMIN either.

Aksel · 02-11-2015, 11:21 AM

Originally posted by Øyvind Kjellsen

...
I downoaded the utility update 4.3...

Latest utility version is 4.40 (for Windows).

Software Downloads : Support & Service | RICOH IMAGING

zzeitg · 02-11-2015, 11:25 AM

Is this utility any good? Any special reason why to use it?

Not a Number · 02-11-2015, 02:27 PM

It's OK. You can process RAW files with it and it is free. I think you need version 5 if you have the K-3 / 645Z / Q-S1 / K-S1.

Stone G. · 02-11-2015, 02:28 PM

Originally posted by zzeitg

Is this utility any good? Any special reason why to use it?

It's free - - - and it actually does quite an OK job in respect of raw files development. Lightroom and other software may of course be better, but PDCU3 and -4 has served me well for many years.

In fact, when I bought my beloved K200D used, I was in exacly the same situation as the OP and - thanks to PentaxForums - found the same trick as described here.

arkav · 02-11-2015, 05:30 PM

Originally posted by Stone G.

It's free - - - and it actually does quite an OK job in respect of raw files development. Lightroom and other software may of course be better, but PDCU3 and -4 has served me well for many years.

Most people are not fans of the PDCU interface, but if you really like the rendering of your Camera JPGs, and you want to mimic that on your computer, PDCU does a good job.

With my K200D, PDCU 3.0 did the best job of mimicking the camera's rendering, but the interface is awful. To be honest, I wish I had the equivalent program for my K30. The Silkypix 3.0 they bundle with the camera has a better interface than PDCU,
but it cannot match the camera's JPG rendering. At least, I could not get it to do so.

**RKKS08** · 02-13-2015, 12:16 PM

@arkav
PDCU 4 has a much improved (not to say, totally different) user interface than PDCU 3 (and, on my computers, runs by far more stable). As both are special versions of Silkypics, it may be based on Silkypics 3.
In the past, PDCU was replaced or updated when PEF and/or the usage of DNG was expanded, or lens corrections for new lenses included. But older versions of cameras and lenses are still supported.

If Silkypics really renders different from PDCU, their Pentax profile must be different from the one PDCU uses.
If you can manage to install PDCU 4, you may get the best of both worlds.

**savoche** · 02-13-2015, 12:36 PM

~~The same trick doesn't seem to work for PDCU 5, though~~ It works with the label S-SW140 for PDCU 5. I bought my K-3 second-hand and didn't get the CD.

I do have PDCU 4 without really using it, so it's not a big deal. Just tried out of curiosity.

arkav · 02-13-2015, 01:15 PM

Originally posted by RKKS08

PDCU 4 has a much improved (not to say, totally different) user interface than PDCU 3 (and, on my computers, runs by far more stable).

I tried PDCU 4 a long time ago. There were a couple of things I didn't like about it - the main one being that you more or less had to use its browser. I'm very happy using FastStone as my browser, and I like being able to launch editors and/or RAW converters from it. IIRC, the problem was that if I launched PDCU 4 from FastStone, it would have to generate thumbnails for the entire folder, instead of just opening the image I was interested in working on ( and this would bog down my old machine horribly ). I'm going on memory and I can't verify that because I never bothered to install PDCU 4 on this machine. I know that PDCU 3 just opens the one file, and now that I've got it set up the way I like it, I don't mind using it when I want to work on an old file from my K200D. It has always behaved itself, both on my old XP desktop as well as on Windows 8.1. That said, now that I've tried DxO on my K30 files, I'm looking forward to trying it out on some of my old K200D files to see whether it can squeeze better IQ out of them.

Originally posted by RKKS08

As both are special versions of Silkypics, it may be based on Silkypics 3.

While the underlying software is probably some version of the Silkypix engine, I think PDCU is more closely related to the actual software that's in the cameras. This would account for the ability of PDCU to use the camera's custom settings ( which Silkypix can't ), and its ability to closely mimic the camera JPG. If you think about it, what other explanation is there for the PDCU interface? Why not just use the Silkypix UI and gray out the features you don't want to give away for free? PDCU looks more like they took the camera's software - which would be Silkypix optimized for the Pentax camera's RAW output - and bolted on a quick and dirty UI.

Why they opted to bundle a version of Silkypix with certain cameras ( K-01, K-30, K-50, ?? ) rather than create a version of PDCU for them is a bit of a mystery. Is there some hardware feature common to all those cameras that's different from all the cameras that use some version of PDCU ? Or perhaps there were some other considerations which made them decide to bundle Silkypix instead of updating PDCU ( time/expense? ).

If there was a version of PDCU that would handle files from both my K200D and my K30, it would be nice. Maybe I should have got a K5ii instead of the K30.

**savoche** · 02-15-2015, 01:12 PM

Correction: This trick does work with PDCU5 as well. You just have to label the card/USB stick/CD S-SW140, and it installs without problems.

Not a Number · 02-15-2015, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by arkav

If there was a version of PDCU that would handle files from both my K200D and my K30, it would be nice.

Try version 5. See the above post.

arkav · 02-15-2015, 05:00 PM

Originally posted by Not a Number

Try version 5. See the above post.

I hadn't heard that version 5 would convert files from the K30 ( or other cameras that came with Silkypix 3 ). Worth a try I guess.

arkav · 02-16-2015, 03:15 PM

Originally posted by arkav

I hadn't heard that version 5 would convert files from the K30 ( or other cameras that came with Silkypix 3 ). Worth a try I guess.

Well, it appears to work ( ie. PDCU will convert RAW files created with the K30 ). It makes you wonder why they didn't bundle it with the camera.

02-11-2015, 07:56 AM	#1
Øyvind Kjellsen New Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 2	Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4 I have bought a used Pentax Kx. However I did not get the cd with the utility program on, only the manual. I downoaded the utility update 4.3, but when installing the program , it askes for an old version which I not have. I have windows 7 , where do I find this peogram fitting windows 7?

02-13-2015, 12:36 PM	#10
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	~~The same trick doesn't seem to work for PDCU 5, though~~ It works with the label S-SW140 for PDCU 5. I bought my K-3 second-hand and didn't get the CD. I do have PDCU 4 without really using it, so it's not a big deal. Just tried out of curiosity. Last edited by savoche; 02-15-2015 at 01:13 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4	hjoseph7	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	5	08-25-2014 05:59 AM
Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4 with K-7	Mjason	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	2	07-17-2014 01:41 AM
Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4. Problem	Andrzej Makuch	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	4	03-29-2014 03:01 AM
Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4 problems	slr_neophyte	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	8	05-08-2013 01:55 AM
Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4	tom_kkh	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	24	11-25-2012 02:28 PM

02-11-2015, 08:06 AM	#2
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	See this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/55-photography-articles/36984-how-install...installed.html Basically you need to change the volume label of any removable media (CD, DVD, memory stick/card) to what ever version the installer looks for - S-SW-90 or something like that. Read through the thread for the exact label name. As I recall the installer tells you what it is looking for when it complains. Connect a memory card or stick, locate it in My Computer, right click and rename to S-SW-90 (or whatever). Then run the install. You probably have to run the install as an Admin.

02-11-2015, 09:21 AM	#3
Øyvind Kjellsen New Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 2 Original Poster	Originally posted by Not a Number See this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/55-photography-articles/36984-how-install...installed.html Basically you need to change the volume label of any removable media (CD, DVD, memory stick/card) to what ever version the installer looks for - S-SW-90 or something like that. Read through the thread for the exact label name. As I recall the installer tells you what it is looking for when it complains. Connect a memory card or stick, locate it in My Computer, right click and rename to S-SW-90 (or whatever). Then run the install. You probably have to run the install as an Admin. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! A cd with the name S-SW90 worked verry well, did not log inn as ADMIN either.

02-11-2015, 11:21 AM	#4
Aksel Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 224	Originally posted by Øyvind Kjellsen ... I downoaded the utility update 4.3... Latest utility version is 4.40 (for Windows). Software Downloads : Support & Service \| RICOH IMAGING

02-11-2015, 11:25 AM	#5
zzeitg Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: South Bohemia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,017	Is this utility any good? Any special reason why to use it?

02-11-2015, 02:27 PM	#6
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	It's OK. You can process RAW files with it and it is free. I think you need version 5 if you have the K-3 / 645Z / Q-S1 / K-S1.

02-11-2015, 02:28 PM	#7
Stone G. Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: North Zealand, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,516	Originally posted by zzeitg Is this utility any good? Any special reason why to use it? It's free - - - and it actually does quite an OK job in respect of raw files development. Lightroom and other software may of course be better, but PDCU3 and -4 has served me well for many years. In fact, when I bought my beloved K200D used, I was in exacly the same situation as the OP and - thanks to PentaxForums - found the same trick as described here.

02-11-2015, 05:30 PM	#8
arkav Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 366	Originally posted by Stone G. It's free - - - and it actually does quite an OK job in respect of raw files development. Lightroom and other software may of course be better, but PDCU3 and -4 has served me well for many years. Most people are not fans of the PDCU interface, but if you really like the rendering of your Camera JPGs, and you want to mimic that on your computer, PDCU does a good job. With my K200D, PDCU 3.0 did the best job of mimicking the camera's rendering, but the interface is awful. To be honest, I wish I had the equivalent program for my K30. The Silkypix 3.0 they bundle with the camera has a better interface than PDCU, but it cannot match the camera's JPG rendering. At least, I could not get it to do so.

02-13-2015, 12:16 PM	#9
RKKS08 Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Frankfurt am Main Posts: 1,241	@arkav PDCU 4 has a much improved (not to say, totally different) user interface than PDCU 3 (and, on my computers, runs by far more stable). As both are special versions of Silkypics, it may be based on Silkypics 3. In the past, PDCU was replaced or updated when PEF and/or the usage of DNG was expanded, or lens corrections for new lenses included. But older versions of cameras and lenses are still supported. If Silkypics really renders different from PDCU, their Pentax profile must be different from the one PDCU uses. If you can manage to install PDCU 4, you may get the best of both worlds.

02-13-2015, 01:15 PM	#11
arkav Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 366	Originally posted by RKKS08 PDCU 4 has a much improved (not to say, totally different) user interface than PDCU 3 (and, on my computers, runs by far more stable). I tried PDCU 4 a long time ago. There were a couple of things I didn't like about it - the main one being that you more or less had to use its browser. I'm very happy using FastStone as my browser, and I like being able to launch editors and/or RAW converters from it. IIRC, the problem was that if I launched PDCU 4 from FastStone, it would have to generate thumbnails for the entire folder, instead of just opening the image I was interested in working on ( and this would bog down my old machine horribly ). I'm going on memory and I can't verify that because I never bothered to install PDCU 4 on this machine. I know that PDCU 3 just opens the one file, and now that I've got it set up the way I like it, I don't mind using it when I want to work on an old file from my K200D. It has always behaved itself, both on my old XP desktop as well as on Windows 8.1. That said, now that I've tried DxO on my K30 files, I'm looking forward to trying it out on some of my old K200D files to see whether it can squeeze better IQ out of them. Originally posted by RKKS08 As both are special versions of Silkypics, it may be based on Silkypics 3. While the underlying software is probably some version of the Silkypix engine, I think PDCU is more closely related to the actual software that's in the cameras. This would account for the ability of PDCU to use the camera's custom settings ( which Silkypix can't ), and its ability to closely mimic the camera JPG. If you think about it, what other explanation is there for the PDCU interface? Why not just use the Silkypix UI and gray out the features you don't want to give away for free? PDCU looks more like they took the camera's software - which would be Silkypix optimized for the Pentax camera's RAW output - and bolted on a quick and dirty UI. Why they opted to bundle a version of Silkypix with certain cameras ( K-01, K-30, K-50, ?? ) rather than create a version of PDCU for them is a bit of a mystery. Is there some hardware feature common to all those cameras that's different from all the cameras that use some version of PDCU ? Or perhaps there were some other considerations which made them decide to bundle Silkypix instead of updating PDCU ( time/expense? ). If there was a version of PDCU that would handle files from both my K200D and my K30, it would be nice. Maybe I should have got a K5ii instead of the K30.

02-15-2015, 01:12 PM	#12
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	Correction: This trick does work with PDCU5 as well. You just have to label the card/USB stick/CD S-SW140, and it installs without problems.

02-15-2015, 02:35 PM	#13
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Originally posted by arkav If there was a version of PDCU that would handle files from both my K200D and my K30, it would be nice. Try version 5. See the above post.

02-15-2015, 05:00 PM	#14
arkav Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 366	Originally posted by Not a Number Try version 5. See the above post. I hadn't heard that version 5 would convert files from the K30 ( or other cameras that came with Silkypix 3 ). Worth a try I guess.

02-16-2015, 03:15 PM	#15
arkav Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Ottawa, Canada Posts: 366	Originally posted by arkav I hadn't heard that version 5 would convert files from the K30 ( or other cameras that came with Silkypix 3 ). Worth a try I guess. Well, it appears to work ( ie. PDCU will convert RAW files created with the K30 ). It makes you wonder why they didn't bundle it with the camera.