John_Nevill
New member
Some of us may have heard of Ichikawa Soft Laboratory Co (ISLC), others may have not.
I've been a advocate of Silkypix 2 for about 8 months and more so since the demise of Pixmantec's RSP.
Silkypix 2 was received with mixed opinions, some like its colours and rendering (for portrait work), while others see it as a tad "plastic".
I personally like its flexibility, rich feature set and controllability, however the user interface is, well a little strange to say the least!
Last week I received an email from ISLC (in Japanese) outlining beta 3. A few clicks using Babelfish and a host of new Silkypix features jumped off the page together with a redesigned user interface.
The new user interface seems to be more akin to the C1/RSP style with a thumbnail filmstrip, main screen and editing tools.
If you are an existing user of Silkypix 2, you will know its feature set, for the uninitiated it includes pretty much everything that C1 or RSP has to offer (except RSP’s highlight / shadow / vibrancy) with the added functionality of CA removal, lens correction and some serious parameter tweakability!
Silkypix’s NR, highlight and colour adjustments are very controllable indeed (you may well need a degree in physics to understand some of them).
The earlier user interface provided floating menus and was great for spreading across two monitors. I believe this also continues in v3.
So what does Silkypix 3 have in store, well a quick peak at the revised (and translated) feature list identifies:
a) New User Interface
b) Faster rendering engine
c) Updated Noise reduction system with noise cancellation
d) SilkyTaste (pretty much translates to Picture Styles)
e) A magnification CA removal tool with colour mode and presets
f) Updated model sharpness with detail and contour emphasis
g) Updated Lens correction
h) Independent user defined presets for most functions
i) Improved batch processing
j) ICC profiles - I need to validate the extent of this!
k) ICC printing to include contact sheets
l) Jpeg, TIFF and RAW viewing / editing ability
m) Support for a myriad of RAW files and additional functionality for Fuji S3 cameras.
n) Mac and PC platform
I've since emailed their support team and asked for a release date for the English version. It’s definitely on the cards but I was met with a cautious "when it’s ready" reply. Dare I speculate this as being early 2007?
So do we have another major RAW contender?
Well, it may not be Lightroom in the context of DAM, but I believe it could be a welcome RSP replacement.
I must say that the speed at which new camera support arrives is pretty impressive; I do wonder whether ISLC have better business collaborative arrangements than others.
The Japanese only retail price is quoted at 16000 yen (£72 or $138), while the upgrade price is quoted at 8000 yen (£36 or $69).
For the record, I am in no way connected to Ichikawa Soft Laboratory Co, I just wanted to pass on my findings and initial perceptions.
I also believe that it’s great to see some independent competition building again, especially with the imminent and welcome release of DX0 4.
I've been a advocate of Silkypix 2 for about 8 months and more so since the demise of Pixmantec's RSP.
Silkypix 2 was received with mixed opinions, some like its colours and rendering (for portrait work), while others see it as a tad "plastic".
I personally like its flexibility, rich feature set and controllability, however the user interface is, well a little strange to say the least!
Last week I received an email from ISLC (in Japanese) outlining beta 3. A few clicks using Babelfish and a host of new Silkypix features jumped off the page together with a redesigned user interface.
The new user interface seems to be more akin to the C1/RSP style with a thumbnail filmstrip, main screen and editing tools.
If you are an existing user of Silkypix 2, you will know its feature set, for the uninitiated it includes pretty much everything that C1 or RSP has to offer (except RSP’s highlight / shadow / vibrancy) with the added functionality of CA removal, lens correction and some serious parameter tweakability!
Silkypix’s NR, highlight and colour adjustments are very controllable indeed (you may well need a degree in physics to understand some of them).
The earlier user interface provided floating menus and was great for spreading across two monitors. I believe this also continues in v3.
So what does Silkypix 3 have in store, well a quick peak at the revised (and translated) feature list identifies:
a) New User Interface
b) Faster rendering engine
c) Updated Noise reduction system with noise cancellation
d) SilkyTaste (pretty much translates to Picture Styles)
e) A magnification CA removal tool with colour mode and presets
f) Updated model sharpness with detail and contour emphasis
g) Updated Lens correction
h) Independent user defined presets for most functions
i) Improved batch processing
j) ICC profiles - I need to validate the extent of this!
k) ICC printing to include contact sheets
l) Jpeg, TIFF and RAW viewing / editing ability
m) Support for a myriad of RAW files and additional functionality for Fuji S3 cameras.
n) Mac and PC platform
I've since emailed their support team and asked for a release date for the English version. It’s definitely on the cards but I was met with a cautious "when it’s ready" reply. Dare I speculate this as being early 2007?
So do we have another major RAW contender?
Well, it may not be Lightroom in the context of DAM, but I believe it could be a welcome RSP replacement.
I must say that the speed at which new camera support arrives is pretty impressive; I do wonder whether ISLC have better business collaborative arrangements than others.
The Japanese only retail price is quoted at 16000 yen (£72 or $138), while the upgrade price is quoted at 8000 yen (£36 or $69).
For the record, I am in no way connected to Ichikawa Soft Laboratory Co, I just wanted to pass on my findings and initial perceptions.
I also believe that it’s great to see some independent competition building again, especially with the imminent and welcome release of DX0 4.