Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

Version: Lobster 2.0 (2008)
Works with: Adobe Photoshop 7 to CS3 (Note: Lobster is a stand-alone application, but requires
Photoshop)
OS: Windows XP with SP2; Mac OS X 10.3.9 and up
RAM: At least 1GB
Supported file formats: 24-bit/48-bit Photoshop RGB (flat files only)
Price level: Approx. $100
Address: FreeGamma Pty Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
www.freegamma.com
Optipix
Vendor: Reindeer Graphics
Purpose: Suite of plug-ins for enhancing digital photographs, with Refocus and JPEG Cleaner
Description
Optipix is a suite of plug-ins for solving common photographic problems. The key features
of the software are as follows:
■ Auto Contrast: With zone system integration and control over midtones
■ Blend Exposures: For blending two or more images to improve contrast
■ Detail Sharpener: To improve textures and fine detail
■ Interactive Interpolation: “Up-rezzing” tool for rescaling images
Chapter 8 ■ Image Processors 93
■ Refocus: Removes blurriness and softness without sharpening artifacts
■ JPEG Cleaner: Removes JPEG blockies (compression artifacts) for a cleaner image
The software comes with a 60+ page Optipix Guide and has a wealth of other features.
It is intended for 16-bits per channel workflow from capture to print.
Comments
Optipix can be used by relative beginners, but experienced photographers will love
features like Power Median, which lets you remove noise that has a specific shape or
orientation. Another outstanding feature is Blend Exposures, which allows you to blend
bracketed images together to obtain perfectly exposed highlights, midtones, and shadows.
One of the best documented of all the packages described in this book, Optipix was
widely praised by reviewers, both at its introduction and at the launch of the major 3.0
upgrade. Seek, buy, enjoy...