Rangefinder Magazine
November 2004

Digital Photography by John Rettie
DNG—A New Buzzword?

Possibly one of the most important long-term announcements made at Photokina was not a new camera but a new format. No, it’s not another size of film but instead a new digital camera file format called Digital Negative (DNG). All pro digital cameras and many high-end consumer cameras can save images in a RAW file format that offers more post-capture processing options (like negative film?). The problem is that these RAW formats are unique to each camera manufacturer and can even change from one camera to another in a manufacturer’s lineup. Consequently photographers saving images in RAW format have to process the images before printing them or sending them to a client. Unlike JPEG files, RAW files are not standard and are proprietary to each manufacturer.

	Adobe has developed a new Digital Negative (DNG) raw file format, which it hopes will become a standard. Many current proprietary raw formats can be converted to DNG using this free program.

Adobe has managed to reverse-engineer many RAW formats so they can be read by Photoshop but even then the program cannot necessarily “process” the images as well as programs provided by the manufacturers.

In an attempt to improve the situation for everyone, Adobe has announced the DNG format, which it is making publicly available for any camera manufacturer or software publisher to use. Adobe hopes camera manufacturers will adopt the format so it can become a standard. A standard format could improve everyone’s workflow and increase the popularity of a RAW format.

In order to speed up adoption, Adobe has already produced a program that can be downloaded from its web site that converts RAW files to the new format. If DNG does become a standard, it could make the format as ubiquitous as the JPEG format in the years to come.

It’s certainly going to be interesting to see if DNG can make it as a standard. So often, standards happen without any planning on the part of a single company. Adobe might be able to pull it off as Photoshop is so widely used. Now it’s up to camera manufacturers to see if it’s in their interests to adopt an outside standard rather than rely on their own proprietary formats. Only time will tell.

Dell’s 20-inch LCD monitor is one of the best value LCD monitors of this size on the market.

Dell LCD monitor
During the past year I have tried out several LCD monitors, and without a doubt the best ones have come from Apple and Eizo. Generally speaking, the more money you pay, the better the image quality. Surprisingly the Apple Cinema Display monitors are not much more expensive and in some cases are less costly than equivalent ones from other makers. One example is the 23-inch Apple monitor, which costs $1999, about the same sticker price as an equivalent monitor from Sony. Really, these large monitors are still pretty rare, and there is less competition, so prices have not dropped as fast.

When you come down in size to 19-inch, there are more manufacturers competing and prices vary. However, if you check out the actual screen resolution on a 19-inch monitor you’ll find that the vast majority only display a 1280x1024 image, which is the same as found on a less expensive 17-inch monitor. Reality is, you’re paying more for the same real estate and just getting bigger pixels, not more of them!

The magic spot for LCD monitors is the 20-inch model. Most monitors of this size deliver a decent 1600x1200 display. Prices are somewhat higher than 19-inch monitors but less than 23-inch or bigger. Apple’s 20-inch Cinema Display monitor is different from most as it has a different aspect ratio with a 1680x1050 image size. It costs $1299, which is not much more costly than those from other makers. However, other manufacturer’s prices are dropping and are often discounted—something that rarely, if ever, happens with an Apple product.

After reading several rave reviews on Dell’s 20-inch Active Matrix TFT LCD monitor, I decided I had to try it. Normally, nobody would ever think of Dell, which is well known for mail-order computers, as being a vendor of good monitors. Yet I found its UltraSharp 2001FP Flat Panel Monitor to be an excellent monitor with good ergonomics and realistic colors, especially after I had calibrated it with a Monaco Optix colorimeter. It also has good viewing angles with virtually no color shifting as one moves off center. It includes analog and digital (DVI) connections and has four USB ports for connecting peripherals. As an added bonus, it can be hooked up for use as a TV monitor since it includes connectors for composite video cable and S-video. It does not have sound built-in, though, like some home entertainment systems. Apple Cinema Displays, despite their name lack ports for hooking up directly as a TV monitor.

Officially Dell sells the 2001FP for $899, but it seems to be discounted quite regularly, and some Mac stores sell it for as low as $799. At that price, it is an excellent buy. It is considerably less expensive than the Apple model and has slightly more screen real estate. Ultimately, it may not be quite as good as the Apple display, but it’s certainly better than most on the market at this price level and should satisfy all but the most fastidious photographers and graphic artists.

With Virtual PC it’s possible to run Windows programs on your Mac.

Virtual PC
Based on e-mails I have gotten over the years, I’ll bet most Rangefinder readers still use an Apple Macintosh computer for their digital imaging needs. Despite what anti-Mac zealots will say, the vast majority of work can be performed perfectly adequately on a Mac. Indeed all the major programs, such as Photoshop, Microsoft Word and Excel, are dual platform.

Until last year I always ran a PC alongside my Mac. Internet Explorer was so slow on the Mac that it was easier to use a PC for surfing the web and the Mac for other programs. Since the introduction of the Safari web browser on the Mac last year, surfing on a Mac is now more pleasant than on a PC. When I came to do my taxes (late) this year, I discovered I had not turned my PC on since April 13 last year. I had no clue it had been over a year.

Rather than do my taxes on the PC, I decided it was time to try out Virtual PC on my Mac. I realize Intuit publishes a Mac version of its TurboTax software but for one reason and another (mainly because it’s cheaper), I’ve been using the Windows version for the past few years.

Virtual PC, now published by Microsoft, is a program that emulates the operation of a PC computer in a window on the desktop of a Mac. It’s done entirely in software so there is no need for any hardware components as the PC utilizes the hard drives, keyboard, mouse and any attached peripherals.

Understandably it operates slower than a real PC, but it feels similar to using an average PC. Virtual PC comes in different versions; the basic version ($129) does not include the Windows operating system, so it can be installed by anyone who already has a copy of Windows. Other versions include different flavors of Windows and prices range up to $249 for Virtual PC with Windows XP Professional included.

Virtual PC can be launched just like any other Mac program by clicking on a file or an icon in the dock. It tends to take a long time to open while it recreates the desktop, loads the Windows OS and then the program itself connected with the file you clicked on. While doing my taxes I found that TurboTax ran just as smoothly as it did on my PC the year before. Of course TurboTax is not a heavy-duty program.

The other use I have found for Virtual PC is to use the PC version of Internet Explorer to access a bank’s web site that rudely will not give access through the Internet to Mac users. Fortunately, most banks and sites that depend on secure links don’t block Mac users, though some have features that work incorrectly on a Mac. But there are still some that will only accept users utilizing Internet Explorer on a PC.

At present these are the only two areas where I have needed a PC, so it’s really convenient to save desk space with just one computer that can double up as a two when needed.

	Actions are a valuable Photoshop Tool. Learn how to use them as well as create your own with Al Ward’s Photoshop Productivity Toolkit book.

Quick Book Review
Photoshop Productivity Toolkit
Anyone who spends a lot of time with Photoshop will know how one often spends a goodly length of time getting an image just right. Often it’s then necessary to repeat the process on other images. Do it more than a handful of times and it becomes boring repetitive work. The secret is to let Photoshop do the work automatically.

Experts use Actions to record steps in a process that can then be played back with one mouse click on another image. Like magic, Photoshop goes through each recorded step automatically following the script.

Additionally, there are literally thousands of actions available from web sites and in books on Photoshop. Many of these will provide the result one is looking for without having to record a new one. They can also be very informative for beginners who want to learn how Photoshop produces results.

Al Ward is an experienced Photoshop author who has hundreds of actions on his web site, actionfx.com. He’s the official Actions guru for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and has authored several books. Now he has written a book called Al Ward’s Photoshop Productivity Toolkit (published by Sybex, 145 pages, $34.99) that explains exactly how to work with and create Actions.

The book includes a CD-ROM, which has over 600 actions, which will give the reader a strong head start in becoming an Actions expert. It’s a very focused book, but if you rely on Photoshop day in and day out, it can save you a lot of time in the long run by making you more productive. By using Actions extensively, you are effectively customizing Photoshop to automate your repetitive work.

John Rettie is a photojournalist who resides in Santa Barbara, CA. He has been using a camera as a professional for 34 years, a computer for 24 years, and has combined his knowledge of both for the past 11 years. Readers can contact him by email at john@johnrettie.com or by snail-mail c/o Rangefinder.