re: Qimage (gone)
Last night I deleted all vestiges of Qimage (Studio Edition) from my computer. Over the years Qimage has become cult software. You either love it, or find that the UI has “evolved” to an increasingly impenetrable and unnecessary mess. Mike Chaney is clearly a smart guy. And apparently with very good eyes. I know that he knows that folks who use his software run their monitors at high resolutions (1600x1200). So why not use a BIG LEDGIBLE FONT for old folks like me. Boggles. In any event, Qimage is gone. The older I get, less is more.
Since the recent fix in CS3, I print from Photoshop. (I use an Epson 4000. It’s a little long in the tooth, I know. Waiting for the new 78xx series with no ink cart change needed. Or maybe even a Canon or HP.) Someday I hope to use Lightroom for printing.
Lightroom is a tectonic shift in post processing for photographers with a very bright future. It’s become a must have. Waiting for the print module to mature. I use it mostly for cropping (the best), color, and tonal adjustments. Don’t need the database feature, but I’m sure it works for pros.
I do RAW convert and capture sharpening in DPP. I don't know if any third party RAW converter will every best the OEM for image quality (resolution detail, tonal response, and color fidelity). DPP interface is dated (clunky) with nowhere near the magic controls in Lightroom, but you start with a very solid image.
my $0.02
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