PictureCode PhotoNinja

From the makers of NoiseNinja have unveiled a pre-release version of PhotoNinja 1.02 a trial version can be downloaded here

I have downloaded and used PhotoNinja for a couple of days now. Initially when you download and install the program

it will not allow you to render any of your raw files out of the program, a quick email to PictureCode requesting a trial key

received a swift reply with a key code for a two weeks trial.

I had occasion to email PictureCode regarding one or two small problems I had

and received quick and detailed replies to my questions.

I really have not used the program long enough yet to come to an absolute conclusion as to  whether this program

is the best raw convertor or indeed the value of it in monetary terms. The cost of PhotoNinja is $129.00 or in Sterling around £79.50.

I can say though that I am enjoying testing the program and hope to have my own review of the program in the next couple of weeks.

PictureCode are also working on a Photoshop plugin for better integration so that an intermediate image does not have to be used

to finish the image in Photoshop itself.

All in all so far I have found the program to have an excellent raw engine which gets very good detail both in the shadow areas and indeed the highlights.

I have found though that the highlight recovery can create a false color, which though can be easily corrected using the tools provided for raw conversion.

PhotoNinja also has NoiseNinja 3 built in which is a very handy noise reduction algorithm for high iso noise in

your images.

More information can be found at PictureCode.com

The Tutorials page can be found here

Update

Ok so I have been using PhotoNinja with the trial keycode for two weeks and here are a few observations.

The program is very resource intensive. If you work on an image, finish your adjustments and then move on to another image without closing the previous image you worked on, the program will bring your computer to its knees.

Another  thing is the lack of batch processing each image has to be rendered individually.

I can not find any kind of history state in the program which means once an adjustment is made there is no simple way to go back. There is the camera image preview which will show the original and let you compare

the edited version against the original.

The lack of a simple clone tool is also a bit of a bind. a simple dust removal (Spot Healing Tool) would be a welcome addition.

There is a tool for wide angle lens correction, but I found it difficult if not impossible in some images to get lines parallel on architectural type shots.

I am sure that some of these shortcomings will be addressed in future updates, but for the time being these shortcomings do slow down the workflow somewhat.

My trial key runs out tomorrow so I can only adjust images in PhotoNinja and not actually render them.

All these small nitpicks aside the program does an excellent job of getting the best from raw files and I personally prefer them to Phase One’s Capture One Pro renderings, which is a far more expensive, although more comprehensive raw convertor.

PhotoNinja has been updated to Ver 1.02 and can be found here