PhotoKit Sharpener, Input Sharpening, M8 Files

[FDewannieux]

I am using Photokit Sharpener with CS3 on a Windows (Vista) box. I am slightly puzzled   by the Input Sharpening settings with M8 files. I understand that the computer monitor is not a perfect device to evaluate sharpening but it seems to me that I get better results (cleaner and sharper files) by using the Scanning Back (!) setting rather than one of the "standard" settings designed for Bayer-pattern cameras. The following file was captured with a Leica M8 at ISO 160. It is not as sharp as it should be to begin with but illustrates the point. The DNG file was processed in Lightroom 1.1 with no output sharpening applied.

Here is the unsharpened file (100% crop)


Here is the same file sharpened with the Digital High Res Sharpen/Medium Edges setting (100% crop)


Digital High Res Sharpen/Narrow Edges (100% crop)


Scanning Back setting (100% crop)


Either my evaluation criteria are wrong in terms or input sharpening or either this is weird. The "Digital High Res Sharpen" settings seems to somewhat increase the noise level without really increasing the edge contrast significantly. Are you using the "Digital High Res Sharpen" settings with your M8 files ?

franck

[digitaldog]

You've got to test this theory all the way to output (print) unless you size the files down for web viewing and use the web output sharpener. IOW, you can't view the image on screen after just capture sharpening. You need to go the full Monty and apply output sharpening and yes, using a display isn't a very effective output device in this respect.

[FDewannieux]

Thanks a lot for your answer Andrew. I have taken the same files, resized them to a 1024 pixels width (the greater possible setting for the PKS output sharpening for the web) and applied the PKS output sharpening (1024 pixels, medium edge). These are 100% crop from these files:

-Input sharpening : PKS, High Res, Medium Edge ; Output sharpening : PKS, 1024, Medium Edge


-Input sharpening : PKS, Scanning Back; Output sharpening : PKS, 1024, Medium Edge



The first file looks more natural (very slightly under-sharpened ?),  the second one certainly over or incorrectly sharpened. I will run the same test with actual prints.

franck

[Post edited because of inverted files]