RAW-in-DNG-Out produces out of focus and dull image

[woodyns]

I am trying the RAW-in-DNG-Out codec but the stacked image comes out of focus and dull. If I use Nikon Codec (as I use nikon camera) the result image comes out in focus and with a nice brilliance. What's the reason?

Note: I use the latest CameraRaw 9.1 if that makes a difference.

[Stas Yatsenko]

Please upload your stack to our server (as described at http://www.heliconsoft.com/ftp-server/) and we will see what is happening.
If you are user of GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive or other cloud service, you can upload your files there and send us a link.

[woodyns]

Please find below the link to dropbox where you will find:

1- The stacks of photos
2- The in focus image stacked using Nikon codec plugin in Helicon focus.

If you stack them using RAW-in-DNG-Out codec and compare to the stacked photo here, you will see it is out of focus and dull. thanks

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q1ou3uq68cvb ... pEk6a?dl=0

[Stas Yatsenko]

Strange, we have very similar result using RAW-in-DNG-out mode:

http://www.heliconsoft.com/support/mms/79684289.html

Can you also send your result in RAW-in-DNG-out mode?

[woodyns]

Hi

Your resulted image is exactly what I got in RAW-in-DNG-out mode. If you see my focused image is much sharper and brighter....pls compare.

Note: Monday I will upload my RAW-in-DNG-out photo

[woodyns]

Hi

Any feedback on this issue?

[Stas Yatsenko]

Sorry, we cannot find the image which you promised to send on Monday. Please send it again or upload to our server (as described at http://www.heliconsoft.com/ftp-server/). If you are user of GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive or other cloud service, you can upload your files there and send us a link.

[woodyns]

Hi

As you can see from my post above, I said the image result I got is exactly like the one you got after processing. If you compare your image to my stacked image using Nikon codes which is in dropbox , you will see that mine is sharper. Why?

[woodyns]

Hi

Any feedback on this issue?

[Stas Yatsenko]

Actually we do not see much difference. Your version seems to have more overall contrast. Most probably it depends on how RAW image is developed. As our result is DNG file, it depends on you how to develop it. You may choose to trim blacks and whites and get more contrast. Or not to trim and preserve more details. That is the reason we implemented RAW-in-DNG-out workflow: you can develop RAW after focus stacking.

[woodyns]

The difference is very apparent. Having said what you said, it means if I use Nikon Codec, Helicon will stack the image and adjust contrast/brightness etc and if I use the DNG codec, images won't be adjusted in the similar manner?

[Stas Yatsenko]

When you are processing images in RAW-in-DNG-out mode, the result is still RAW/DNG image.

It means, its final rendering depends on RAW engine: in Helicon Focus it may look soft and low contrast, in Lightroom it may look oversaturated and oversharpened and in other RAW program it may have wrong WB. It all depends on RAW development settings in specific RAW engine.