PhotoDirector 4 Ultra, FREE until Jan31st courtesy of PP Magazine & Cyberlink

[Paul]

Must be downloaded by January 14th 2014 off the following link using the instructions there.


>  LINKY THING  <


Activation code for all users is:

HESNH-UCUYW-2K9SV-FQY92-WCJUB-K2WHE


Paul.

[ChrisLumix]

Must be downloaded by January 14th 2014 off the following link using the instructions there.

>  LINKY THING  <

Activation code for all users is:

HESNH-UCUYW-2K9SV-FQY92-WCJUB-K2WHE

Paul.

 

Well, that was a very interesting half hour I just spent with it on my Mac!

 

Initial thoughts :

 

Pluses

- the way you can create an intelligent selection, and the software automatically remembers your selection and assigns a colour label to your selection mask

- a great selection of default presets to play with, including a few HDR settings (tone mapping HDR)

- the usual set of sliders to make manual adjustments with, from rotating /  cropping, to colour temperature, contrast, brightness, exposure, histogram, etc

- fairly intuitive and easy to use

 

Minuses

- saved selection masks disconcertingly have changed their label colour when you return to them, though happily the selection is unchanged 

- no way I can yet see, to select the whole picture with a single command, to apply an adjustment (I had to drag the selection tool across the whole image - repeated clicks)

  (my mistake - you click Global Adjustment Tools, which were somewhat hidden near the bottom!)

- no sharpness adjustment I can see

  (again, my mistake - it's part of the Global Tools, if you scroll right down)

 

All in all, from what I've seen so far, it looks a powerful and capable piece of software - not bad for free!! But I'd be interested to know from all you Lightroom users - how does it compare?

Anyway, thank you Paul. Xmas has come early   

[Korky]

A great share, Paul - thank you.

 

Up and running on my MacBook in no time - I shall explore over the next few days.

 

Korky

[Paul]

Might be worthy make this a sticky until the sign-up date expires?

 

It's likely to make a great alternative especially for those who don't want to, or can't afford to pay for the expensive alternatives.

 

Paul.

[ChrisLumix]

(Above post deleted - better demonstration of the software below...)

Edited November 26, 2013 by ChrisLumix

[David]

Now you're all too embarrassed to comment, you think these pictures are so crap. But please, bear in mind I only posted them to demonstrate how I found PhotoDirector4. These are technically the worst pictures I've ever posted here, possibly the worst you've seen? I am a little bit ashamed of the horrible quality, but I deliberately grabbed a bad scan to see if this free software would help to rescue it. 

 

I apologise for posting such dire stuff, but I hope I did demonstrate what this software can do. (Not a great deal in this case perhaps, but maybe someone has a better use of it?)

 

 

Its good to really put the editor through it's paces and you have certainly chosen an image to really test it. It doesn't make me want to rush to download it on that evidence though! lol

[colinb]

Now you're all too embarrassed to comment, 

 

I would suggest that a simple raw editor would improve the colour cast in picture 1 and may even bring back some detail in the window?

[Guest]

great link thanks for sharing, always nice to have another option from time to time

[Paul]

Hopefully it will be useful, though even though I linked it, I wont use it, as I will stick with Lightroom.

It could be a viable alternative to Elements I reckon.

Paul.

[ChrisLumix]

I would suggest that a simple raw editor would improve the colour cast in picture 1 and may even bring back some detail in the window?

 

Unfortunately not! It's a scan of an original print from a 35mm negative. It has never been anywhere near being a RAW image in its life! (I've had to make the best job I could). However, I've done a fairer test using recent digital shots - see next post.

[ChrisLumix]

I've done hopefully a fairer test of the software, using a digital picture I took very recently (not one of my best, but the conditions weren't ideal).

 

Picture 1: from camera, ISO 400, f3.4, 1/6 second, EV -2/3. Unfortunately I left 'Intelligent Exposure' on, which was set to High, so the end result was this very flat shot (I'd hoped to pick out the way the setting sun highlighted a small section of the driveway).

 

 

Picture 2: processed in iPhoto, contrast lifted, shadows darkened, highlights lifted, temperature warmed.

 

 

Picture 3: processed in PD4 - levels adjusted, a Preset employed, colours tweaked

 

 

As you can see, there's not a vast difference between the iPhoto and PD4 versions. The iPhoto is too red (in the soil areas) but you can't process colours individually, only Hue and Temperature.

 

I also discovered a bug in PD4 - if you adjust Hue towards Green, all is well, but if you move the slider towards Magenta, the image gradually desaturates instead. However, the software is interesting enough to play with, and I shall keep it to use the Presets when I feel they will add something.

 

 

[NannyFerret]

I think these last three shots show better how much it can do to salvage shots that you didn't think you would keep.

[ChrisLumix]

I think these last three shots show better how much it can do to salvage shots that you didn't think you would keep.

 

Yes, that's true Tina. However, you will see that iPhoto (which is no more of a photographic tool than Picasa, basically) made a fair fist of rescuing the shot, and I couldn't do much better in PhotoDirector 4. But as I say, it's worth having for playing with the Presets, some of which apply an 'instant HDR' to a shot, or other transforming effect.

[NannyFerret]

It is worth having a go, especially if it's a freebie.