Best image processing for Zerene Stacker?

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shaypivac
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:44 pm
Location: Australia

Best image processing for Zerene Stacker?

Post by shaypivac »

Hi,

I have been using Helicon, and loving the auto conversion from Lightroom to Helicon, I'm just curious as to what the best system for using Zerene Stacker is??

Import into LR>Convert to .TIFF>Import into Zerene>Photoshop?

I Just don't have a tonne of space on my PC to import 100+ images and then Exporting 100+ .TIFF images, then importing into photoshop the stacked image and doubling my harddrive space needed?

Any recommendations? :)

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

For starters, I suggest to take a look at Helicon's cache folder while it's working. The last time I checked, Helicon's path from Lightroom involved making TIFF copies of all the source files anyway. It just happened in a background task so it was easy to overlook. If that's still the case, then you can use the process that you describe without any actual penalty except for being aware of what happens.

If that's not the case, then I would be interested to know exactly how you're doing the export to Helicon, including what file formats are involved and what version of Helicon. I'm the fellow behind Zerene Stacker, so I have a continuing interest in what Helicon actually does and how people perceive it.

--Rik

shaypivac
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:44 pm
Location: Australia

Post by shaypivac »

rjlittlefield turns out you're completely correct!

Is there at all a Lightroom export plug-in type thing rather than having to export 100+ files again to import into zerene?

Just an easier flow? Or is it really, upload to LR>Adjust>Export .TIFF>Zerene etc ?

Not complaining, just trying to work it out. New to this software :D

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

There is a Lightroom plugin for Zerene Stacker. It's just not installed by default because it's one of the features that requires a Pro-type license to use beyond trial.

See if the documentation at https://zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/d ... hlightroom helps.

--Rik

TheDocAUS
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Location: Sydney

Post by TheDocAUS »

Are you aware Helicon has a feature called RAW in DNG out?

In LR you use the plug in and the RAW files are taken from LR, imported into Helicon, stacked and a DNG returned to LR. Once I am happy with the stack I can delete the original RAW files and then post process the DNG in LR or PS: https://www.heliconsoft.com/raw-in-dng-out/

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

TheDocAUS wrote:Are you aware Helicon has a feature called RAW in DNG out?

In LR you use the plug in and the RAW files are taken from LR, imported into Helicon, stacked and a DNG returned to LR. Once I am happy with the stack I can delete the original RAW files and then post process the DNG in LR or PS: https://www.heliconsoft.com/raw-in-dng-out/
Again, check your cache folders. Last time I looked, RAW in DNG out was producing 16-bit TIFF images in cache also. Under the covers, it looks like what they're doing is to convert the RAWs to TIFF, stack the TIFFs, then package the output image into a DNG wrapper so that it looks RAW despite having been fully demosaiced at that point.

One very nice feature of RAW in DNG out is that it seems to preserve the original camera color space, so you can make large changes in color balance, exposure, etc, just as if you were working with raw.

The current version of https://www.heliconsoft.com/raw-in-dng-out/ seems pretty clear about these issues. Earlier versions glossed over most of them.

--Rik

shaypivac
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Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 5:44 pm
Location: Australia

Post by shaypivac »

Thanks for that, I have installed the PlugIn, thanks!

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