[kypfer]

On the PentaxOfficial.com website (translated here Google Translate ) there is reference to using the Digital Camera Utility to "re-develop" old Pentax DSLR images (even jpg's!) to enable the application of some of the modern in-camera 'enhancements' that weren't available in cameras like the *istD
This works fine for some pictures, usually those taken with a recognised a/f lens, but for some others, usually taken with an old manual lens, the images can only be viewed, but not re-edited.
Does anyone happen to know which EXIF tags are interrogated to decide whether or not to allow an image to be edited?
I can "frig" the system by manually copying the EXIF data from an editable image into one that won't edit, then I can play to my hearts content, but if there were just one or two tags that needed to be changed it might save a bit of fiddling about.


On a side note, much emphasis is made on how backward compatible DCU5 is with the older images, but there's no reference to how one can acquire and use DCU5 if one doesn't have an up-to-date camera with which it would have been supplied! Yes, I know this can be frigged as well, but it'd be nice if the software was made generally available, without having to go around the houses to install it

[ramseybuckeye]

On a side note, much emphasis is made on how backward compatible DCU5 is with the older images, but there's no reference to how one can acquire and use DCU5 if one doesn't have an up-to-date camera with which it would have been supplied! Yes, I know this can be frigged as well, but it'd be nice if the software was made generally available, without having to go around the houses to install it

If you have the KP and K-70 as your signature suggests, you should have it, but they only pack a CD, I use a Mac without a CD drive, fortunately I also have a PC with a drive. So I copied the file from the CD to a thumb drive and installed it on the Mac.

[stevebrot]

On a side note, much emphasis is made on how backward compatible DCU5 is with the older images, but there's no reference to how one can acquire and use DCU5 if one doesn't have an up-to-date camera with which it would have been supplied!

It should have been on the CD that was in the box with your K-70. Updates may then be downloaded from:

Software Downloads : Support & Service | RICOH IMAGING


Steve

[hcc]

PDCU (Pentax Digital Camera Utility) software can be also downloaded from the Rico/Pentax website. During the installation [only], make sure that you have a USB device (eg memory stick) called "S-SW140" connected to your computer. That is all and it will work afterwards without any USB device.

Hope that the comment will help.

[ramseybuckeye]

PDCU (Pentax Digital Camera Utility) software can be also downloaded from the Rico/Pentax website. During the installation [only], make sure that you have a USB device (eg memory stick) called "S-SW140" connected to your computer. That is all and it will work afterwards without any USB device.

Hope that the comment will help.

I can only find the DCU 5 update software (Japan site), which Ricoh site is it on without checking all of them?

[kypfer]

I can only find the DCU 5 update software (Japan site), which Ricoh site is it on without checking all of them?

That's the file you need ... just make sure it's on a suitably-named RAM-stick (or CD) when you try to install it and it'll go just fine.


This is what I meant in my original post about "frigging" the installation. The web-page author, who seems to work for Pentax, enthuses about the backward compatibility of the software, but doesn't account for the fact that unless you own a modern camera you don't have an "official" means of installing it


This factor was very much a "side note", as mentioned in my original post, and I do indeed have the software on the CD's that came with my cameras. I was much more interested to find out if anyone knew how I could use the software to edit images I'd taken with my *ist DS using old "non-A" lenses without having to fiddle about copying EXIF data backwards and forwards.

[stevebrot]

This factor was very much a "side note", as mentioned in my original post, and I do indeed have the software on the CD's that came with my cameras. I was much more interested to find out if anyone knew how I could use the software to edit images I'd taken with my *ist DS using old "non-A" lenses without having to fiddle about copying EXIF data backwards and forwards.

????

PDCU should be backwards compatible to your *ist DS + non-A lens the same as with a recent model with non-A lens. That said, I can add that while my recent copy of PDCU can handle both DNG and in-camera JPEG from my K-3 with Pentax-K 55/1.8 mounted, a previously edited JPEG from same is not editable. The same is true with a KAF2 lens.

I was not aware that PDCU could not be used as a general purpose JPEG editor, but apparently not, despite having intact EXIF.

I will have to see what it does with an old PEF from the K10D. (Did not ship with PDCU.)


Steve

[kypfer]

????

PDCU should be backwards compatible to your *ist DS + non-A lens the same as with a recent model with non-A lens. That said, I can add that while my recent copy of PDCU can handle both DNG and in-camera JPEG from my K-3 with Pentax-K 55/1.8 mounted, a previously edited JPEG from same is not editable. The same is true with a KAF2 lens.

I was not aware that PDCU could not be used as a general purpose JPEG editor, but apparently not, despite having intact EXIF.

I will have to see what it does with an old PEF from the K10D. (Did not ship with PDCU.)


Steve

Thanks for spending some time. The quoted web-site is certainly very enthusiastic about the backward compatibility of DCU5, and shows some examples of images taken in 2006 with a *ist D that have been improved. I can certainly open and re-edit JPGs from my *ist DS (Firmware v1.02) from 2005 that were taken with the FAJ 28-80mm from my film *ist, but in those days I was still heavily reliant on earlier manual lenses and many exposures show no lens info at all, neither can they be edited in DCU5


I can understand Pentax not wanting their software being used as a "general purpose editor", and putting in provision to prevent this, but the images I'm having problems with are the originals and have never been edited.
Maybe one day I'll sit down with two sets of EXIF data and swap them about one tag at a time until the fault goes away ... I was rather hoping someone may have already done the leg-work

[Not a Number]

With version 5 "PENTAX" was dropped and it is simply "Digital Camera Utility v5.x". Probably because it ships with the GRII.

The K10D shipped with Photo Browser and Photo Lab but the PEF have been supported in all versions of PDCU and DCU except for v5.6.1 which didn't support developing for the K-7 and earlier:

Changes to V5.6.2
[07. September 2016] Digital Camera Utility 5 (Version 5.6.2) Windows Updater
[Corrections from previous Versions]

• Corrected - RAW image of K-7 and other previous products cannot develop (include photo print and preview of Laboratory mode) on version 5.6.1.
• Corrected - When pressing area expanding button on cropping of Laboratory mode, cropping coordinate is out of position.

[kypfer]

Thanks to all for the responses ... it would seem I may have sent you on a search for a "red herring"!

I managed to find some early backups of some of the files I'm having problems with ... they are editable in DCU with no problem!
I've since spent some time comparing the EXIF to both files.
It would seem that, a few years ago, one or other software package that was being trialled "indexed" some of my images and re-wrote part of the EXIF therein, adding a uuid, some binary 'padding' and altering the thumbnail slightly!

So, I can recover from backup and continue for most of the images, those that weren't backed up prior to corruption can be "frigged" if necessary

All in all, a reminder (to this ex IT engineer!) that regular backups are important

[kypfer]

One final update, just in case anyone else needs it in the future


The troublesome EXIF tag in my files was called 'padding' (no quotes) and can be removed using ExifTool by Phil Harvey from the command line with the following :-

exiftool -padding= filename.jpg

where filename is the name of the file that needs modifying.
EXIFtool makes a copy of the original by default, so, other than being very comprehensive and somewhat cryptic, is also fairly fool-proof