I need to make a change to my software to accommodate a new camera (Sony RX100) which can use RAW format. Have not done that before and would like to try RAW, although I'm not sure I will stick with it (don't want to invest much until I know more). So, I'm looking for input from experienced users on options. I am not a real enthusiast, and do photography as an off and on hobby (for more than 50 years).

Current State - I am on my third version of Photoshop Elements (1, 4, 9). I like the import process for new images from a card. I set it up once and after that I let it do it's thing. I hate the organizer after that, and find it confuses things more than it helps. Windows Explorer is fine for me, or anything that simulates it well. I do a small amount of editing in PSE, but really only use a small portion of the suite of tools. Mainly:

Crop Tool - like it to get aspect ratio right and preserve all resolution

Clone Stamp Tool - My main fix it up approach. Red eye correction I can never make it work.

Enhance Menu - My prime approach is to use the auto tools and if it improves I work from there, and if not I try something else, and then refine the auto result with more detailed adjust Lighting, Adjust Color, etc.

I seldom use Layers or Filters

Batch Mode - Use it to produce low resolution images for e-mailing and on line use.

My practice is to fix it and save a copy. This has the down side of having multiple copies of the same photo in different sizes, resolutions, and aspect ratios, and increases the number of files to manage and find.

Printing - Really disliked early versions of PSE and bought Qimage Pro. Have used it for quite a few years and while it is somewhat different to use, I like the way it manages printing and the results it produces for resolution. I almost never sharpen in PSE and just let Qimage do it when I print.

Current Problem - PSE 9 does not support RX100 RAW files, so to stay with PSE I have to upgrade to PSE 11. Sony provides a RAW converter for the RX100 and I have downloaded it and took a peek. Another interface to master -- Yuk!

Going Forward - Can't see spending the money and investing in the learning curve of PS or LR, so I think it comes down to upgrading PSE or what I have been thinking of late, going to Qimage Ultimate for everything, except perhaps the occasional edit it cannot handle, and I would use PSE 9 for that.

Thoughts? I've never tried learning to use the editing tools in Qimage. I've just printed with it. Is it likely to meet my limited needs for editing? converting and editing RAW images? Or am I going to be disappointed and always going back to PSE?

The card unload tool looks similar to PSE and in principle I like it if it works. I like the concept that they always keep the original untouched (including RAW) and just attach a modification file to achieve the various versions of the original. I also like the sound of their batch mode resizing and e-mail feature. Although I am not sure it will work with the Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail app that I use.

I appreciate that my workflow is quite simple compared to what some use. However, if possible I would like to make it more simple, and not go the other way.

Hi Terry,

This thread is old but I hope you don't mind replying.

I am a noob and was wondering if you could help me by specifying a really good starting workflow for Qimage.  I own Pro but will probably buy ultimate soon since I have a D7100 recently.

If you could also make any comments about what the best (or a good) folder structure is on the hard disk.

I would really appreciate your comments.  My folder structure stinks with bad habits that I need to convert from.....

Thank you in advance.

Mike W.

Hi Mike,
I am not butting in.... Terry asked me to add my method to the mix.

Terry is an engineer, very methodical and precise.
I am a simple slob who still wants a way to find his images when needed.

1) The new Qimage Ultimate Data base will solve it all for you but you still should have system of sorts.
2) Your best friend is Flash Card Copy Move  (FCCM)
This is where it starts.

My card goes into the reader and FCCM sees it and is waiting for me to say how, where, and when.
I use COPY  for HOW. Where is next along the row, and When is the GO button.
See snap 134
I have COPY   PHOTOS    (Where)  The center box is the base location, and the right hand box will be your created folder for these images.

Let's stop here and revisit what I am doing and why.
I use Copy because I am "chicken" to wipe the card clean until I know I have the shots.  Mike tells me that FCCM double checks each image as it writes to the Hard disk so not to worry.   But I worry! He uses MOVE instead of Copy and he saves having to wipe the card later.

The center box ot the ROW is called the TO folder.   Windows would like you to store your pictures in C:\User\fred\documents\my documents\photos\ with Libraries thrown in for good measure.
This drives me nuts!
So I created a folder called PICS on the C: drive  That is what I "KEEP" in the TO folder.    ( I said KEEP, because I only have to browse and find that PICS folder once)
FCCM remembers it.
In the right side box of that row, is where I name the actual folder.  See snap 135

I type in the event and the date.  As you can see, I typed in TEST and 09-09=2013.   I right click and am offered to copy what I typed into all other rows...

** Now see snap  133

Snap 133 is the settings screen. Notice I have it all unchecked... (EDIT, SETTINGS) I do not rename my images... and for the moment, I don't need any extra sophistication.
By making the settings like this, FCCM allows me to set my own folder names (as in the right side box). Otherwise a lot of dates are added and override happens to me.
Remember, I told you I was a simple slob.

OK now back to Snap 136.  Look carefully at the bottom part where I typed in a descriptor for the folder...   I Typed "TEST"  This will be a tag name for that folder and I can call it up easily.
But in your case, you might want to type in, "Visiting London 2013".
A year from now, you need to find that folder. "Hmmm we went to London, what year was that?"   No worries!   With the new data base in Ultimate, you would just type "London" into the searcher.... Shazam!  There's your London visit folder.

Also if you check mark the boxes at the bottom area of the FCCM screen, after the transfer, the new images will appear on your screen automatically.
Then hit GO and you are done.

As Terry said, many approaches... most depend on what you shoot and how, and what are your needs...
Need a DVD of 1024 x 768 images to give to a customer as proofs? Then set that up in Settings, and Qimage will make a special folder, and 1024 x 768 images in the folder... all on the fly!

Last hint!
Do as you did today,,, ask, discuss, exchange ideas.... and have fun!

Fred

Oh, I'll also have to compare how lens correction works.  I hope it works on a bunch of my Nikon lenses--I have about 7.  Wonder I have to process raw to do lens correction......I would assume so.

Just touching on a few points you made...  not the slightest of which is RAW mode, I 'grew" the same way you did, and I'll bet many others out there, from "My Jpgs are great, to "Why didn't I shoot raw sooner".
Raw gives you so many advantages to recover blown highlights and muddy shadows....   

You have this one backwards.
Lightroom has taken a back seat to Q-Ultimate in that it has a data base and search routine that really works. Plus (check Mike's web site) (see the comparison shots), Ultimate's rendering of raw images surpasses LR by leaps and bounds.
One other RAW point, please, Mike.  Q-Ultimate is designed so that a user does NOT have to put hours into developing his RAW images. It does it for you, yet leaving you all the controls you will ever need should you want to manually improve the results.

As you pointed out, the megapixels grew, and the filesize grew, and therefore we have to meet that demand.
Faster PC and Ultimate.
Ultimate handles the larger raw files as rapidly as possible due to Mike Chaney's 'Green light' cache system...

But the best, Mike, is DFS and TTS.... Deep focus sharpening, (Beats USM, and no haloes) and TTS, Tone targeted sharpening, where you can choose to sharpen by tome / color selection in RGB mode or tone mode; sharpen all except, or sharpen what I target... tons of combinations.

I get carried away. Forgive me.

See Snaps... DFS vs USM

Thanks for listening,
Fred

Fred

Your extensive FCCM instructions came at a opportune moment.

I am in process of updating my MO and that includes using FCCM for most file management.

I have previously never worked out how to move/backup the side car files with FCCM but using your extensive instructions I think the penny has at last dropped.

I Presume it is a two stage process - one line for the photos and another line for other.  Am I correct? it appears to work.  Screen shot below.

Like you the Windows file structure with Libraries and Favourites drives me nuts.

Jeff   
 

Thanks Fred

I will check that out later on Win7 machine, looks like I have missed a trick.

Jeff

Like most requests related to features for QU, it's already there 
To re-name images, select and right click on a thumb and select "Rename", all stuff related to filters and raw refine files is taken care of when you do that. If you want to rename a batch of images, select "Auto Rename Images". There are numerous ways of doing that available.
Well it is; from what you say "and other", indicates the wrong method was used - it's a little different from copying from a flash card.
Fred explained the correct procedure with screen shots in a previous post #11 on this thread here:
http://ddisoftware.com/tech/qimage-ultimate/qimage-ultimate-for-complete-workflow/msg14725/#msg14725
Note carefully his last sentence in that post. All you need do is click "Source" to select the source folder,  and then File - Update to choose the destination, either to an existing folder or a new one.
And do you know what, you can use FCCM Update for any type of file, music, video, documents etc.   
Hope that helps, come back if more information needed.
Terry