New Software: HDR Darkroom - DPChallenge Forums

08/24/2009 11:44:49 AM · #1

Here's an email that I received from the folks that have created the new "HDR Darkroom" software. They are offering a free beta, so download it while you can. Caveat: I am not endorsing this product--I am simply relaying the communication I received from them.

This particular beta program is for Windows only.

Here is the email I received:

"We would like to invite you to test our innovative HDR software â�� HDR Darkroom, which provides you surreal HDR results and photo-realistic/natural results for your HDR photography in one package.

After a few months of hard work our HDR Darkroom 1.0 Windows beta test version is finally available to the public. No matter if you are a professional photographer or you are a newcomer to HDR photography, please feel free to download our HDR Darkroom beta version and test our innovative technology.

HDR Darkroom packages two patented sophisticated Local Tone Mapping Engines for your preference no matter you like surreal HDR effect or photo-realistic/natural result. One is called Local Tone Balancer, which aims to provide more surreal HDR effect. The other is called Local Tone Enhancer, which is oriented to provide more photo-realistic/natural result.

The following is our forum where you can download HDR Darkroom Windows beta test version:

//www.hdrdarkroom.com/forum/index.php?topic=6.0

Please feel free to post any comments, suggestions, or opinions in this forum at:

//www.hdrdarkroom.com/forum/index.php

or send us emails directly at:

hdrdarkroom@gmail.com

Your feedback will help us make improvements for the final product. We plan to provide product discounts and other rewards to those who have helped us in the beta test stage.

The beta test version will expire on Sept 25th, after which we plan to announce the release of the standard version of HDR Darkroom 1.0.

During this testing stage we welcome you to send us your HDR photos that have been created using our HDR Darkroom software. We will select to publish several of the photos on our showcase page with your name (if you want this information published). In addition, if your work is published you will receive a free version of HDR Darkroom once the standard version is released.

Highlight features of our HDR Darkroom:

Double choices: HDR Darkroom can deliver both surreal HDR result and photo-realistic/natural HDR result for your HDR photography using two patented innovative Local Tone Mapping technologies. ABC is used for more surreal HDR looking while CDE is aimed to provide more photo-realistic/natural HDR looking. HDR Darkroom is the first all-in-one HDR Software to achieve this purpose.

Fast Tone Mapping Processing: Most HDR software is slow in local tone mapping stage. Our two Local Tone Mapping Engineers are significantly optimized and provide a considerably faster speed in the tone mapping stage comparing with all other HDR software in the market. If you are using multi-core CPU, the processing would be even much faster. This performance can make your workflow much more fluent.

HDR Darkroom preview result and full size results are almost consistent: It is a common to fine-tune a preview size image to perfection before processing the full size image in order to make the workflow more efficient. However, many HDR softwareâ��s tone mapping technologies suffer from a dilemma that the preview result and full size results are inconsistent, which causes a lot of problems among photographers, as they eventually do not got the image as what they want. HDR Darkroomâ��s innovative tone mapping technologies ensure to maintain a high level of consistency between preview results and full size results

Large Imaging Processing: Processing large photos is a must for serious and professional photography. HDR Darkroom gives you the freedom to process very large size images.

User-friendly designed workflow: HDR Darkroom is designed to minimize the work for producing good HDR photos after photo capture and make the HDR imaging workflow really easy. The default parameter we provide can almost make all of your photos excellent, while further minimal adjustment for individual photo can make your photos golden. HDR Darkroom is the best choice for professional photographers and HDR photography new comer.

Installation instructions for HDR Darkroom 1.0 Windows beta test version:

Unzipping the download file and then double clicking the Setup icon, HDR Darkroom will be automatically installed on your computer, assuming .net framework has been installed on your computer already. This process will take a few minutes as Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) will be installed automatically. Please be patient during this time.

If you have yet to install .net framework on your computer, our setup process will inform you to install .net framework first. You can obtain .net framework 2.0 or above at:

//www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0856EACB-4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5

to install .Net Framework 2.0 or above

After you have installed .net framework, double click the Setup icon to install HDR Darkroom.

For Mac users:

HDR Darkroom Mac beta test version has been completed and we are just in the final stage of internal testing. The HDR Darkroom Mac beta test version will be released on August 30th. Please come back to our forum to download the beta version at that time.

We hope all of you enjoy our product and that we can work together in the future to continually improve HDR Darkroom. Thank you!

HDR Darkroom Development Team"

Message edited by author 2009-08-24 12:34:42.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

08/24/2009 12:34:13 PM · #2

The mac beta version will be available on 30 August using the same links as above.

mosall

Nikon D80

08/24/2009 12:46:41 PM · #3

Thanks for sharing. I downloaded this and installed it but it immediately crashed in Vista 64.

Message edited by author 2009-08-24 12:48:12.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

08/24/2009 12:54:22 PM · #4

Originally posted by mosall:

Thanks for sharing. I downloaded this and installed it but it immediately crashed in Vista 64.

The author doesn't say what versions of Windows are required, but their forum says that they are tweaking it for x64 and that it should work "very soon".

Message edited by author 2009-08-24 12:56:12.

mosall

Nikon D80

08/24/2009 01:00:08 PM · #5

Originally posted by AperturePriority:

Originally posted by mosall:
Thanks for sharing. I downloaded this and installed it but it immediately crashed in Vista 64.

The author doesn't say what versions of Windows are required, but their forum says that they are tweaking it for x64 and that it should work "very soon".

Cool. I am interested in trying it out. DAMN VISTA!

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

08/24/2009 01:25:43 PM · #6

I installed it, works fine in XP. It's quick, and it's intuitive. It doesn't seem to be as tweakable as Photomatix, but I am getting some nice results. Just started playing with it. Seems to lack ability to save 16-bit files though.

R.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Nikon

08/24/2009 01:38:19 PM · #7

Originally posted by mosall:

Originally posted by AperturePriority:

Originally posted by mosall:
Thanks for sharing. I downloaded this and installed it but it immediately crashed in Vista 64.

The author doesn't say what versions of Windows are required, but their forum says that they are tweaking it for x64 and that it should work "very soon".

Cool. I am interested in trying it out. DAMN VISTA!

Hey, don't be so quick to blame Vista. It's a 64-bit issue. HDR Darkroom is having the same issues with Windows XP 64-bit, too.

mosall

Nikon D80

08/24/2009 01:39:34 PM · #8

Originally posted by AperturePriority:

Originally posted by mosall:

Originally posted by AperturePriority:

Originally posted by mosall:
Thanks for sharing. I downloaded this and installed it but it immediately crashed in Vista 64.

The author doesn't say what versions of Windows are required, but their forum says that they are tweaking it for x64 and that it should work "very soon".

Cool. I am interested in trying it out. DAMN VISTA!

Hey, don't be so quick to blame Vista. It's a 64-bit issue. HDR Darkroom is having the same issues with Windows XP 64-bit, too.

Which means I should probably blame myself. I HAD to have 6 gigs of Ram.

alpharich

Fujifilm X-S10

Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R IOS

08/24/2009 02:49:24 PM · #9

can't wait for the mac version!

ambaker

Google Glass Google Glass

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

08/24/2009 07:45:58 PM · #10

Be interested in the 64 bit version. Not much sense installing if it is just going to crash... sigh...

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

08/25/2009 05:09:07 PM · #11

Downloaded this software, used setup and installed it. Opened it a just displayed a photo, then closed it. When I tried to open it again it came up with an error.

Reinstalled and tried again, this time I used 3 shots and it came up with a pretty good HDR, considering it was the same photo with exposure altered in Lightroom alone. Saved the file and closed the programme, tried to reopen and it came up with the error again stating it was not responding.

Sent an e-mail to HDRDarkroom, they replied that they were aware of this with Vista and were working on it. It's a Beta version, this is what happens and it is interesting to watch the development to full version.

I hope I end up with a full version, as I think it is pretty good so far:)

JustinM

Fujifilm X-T30

Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS

08/25/2009 05:28:48 PM · #12

I just messed around with it for a while... but I guess I'm gonna stick to Photomatix Pro 3 and Essential HDR