16-bit curves tool in CyberLink PhotoDirector 3?

<p>Right now through Cnet you can get CyberLink PhotoDirector 3 for free. But looking the gift horse in the mouth / deciding whether I want it, the burning question on my mind is whether it has 16-bit-per-channel support, and if so, whether that extends to the curves tool. If so, that would be a great addition to my toolkit, because sometimes film scans need fairly radical curves adjustments (with DSLR files I make curves adjustments during raw conversion). Neither the review of the newer version on photo.net nor the publisher's website appears to tell me (although the latter says the newer version 4 has "robust" 16 bit support). So if you can offer any info, I'd greatly appreciate it.</p>

<p>I've used PhotoDirector 2011 <em>and</em> PhotoDirector 3, and have never been able to find an answer to that.</p>

<p>But (not directly answering, but perhaps related to, your question) neither will convert to 16 bit tiff: that, and lacklustre NR and highlight recovery (both being straight from Canon's DPP), were enough to make me lose faith with PhotoDirector after only a short while.</p>

<p>Still, it's pretty good for free!</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>because sometimes film scans need fairly radical curves adjustments</p>

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<p>Isn't your scanner driver providing this functionality (it should)? </p>

<p>Keith--thanks. But I'm not sure I understand you. If you can open / import a 16-bit TIFF, keep it as 16 bits, and apply curves at 16 bits (can you?), I'm not sure how much it matters whether you can re-save / export as a 16-bit TIFF (is that what you were getting at?), because your main opportunities for banding are behind you--no? Also, when you say "they've added", do you mean version 3 added, or some later version? Thanks!</p>

<p>Andrew--yes and no. In some cases I'm working from lab scans, delivered as 16-bit TIFF's, that are fairly flat. Where I'm making the scans, there are two issues. First, for 35mm, the Konica Minolta DiMage Scan software (for the Scan Dual IV) has a pretty good curves tool that operates on 16 bits, but sometimes it might make more sense to save the raw scan (which is an option) and then experiment with different curves later (avoiding the necessity of rescanning). Second, for medium or large format, I have to use an Epson 3200, and in addition to the value of saving a neutral scan and experimenting with curves later, the Epson Scan software seems less good for applying curves. So applying curves at the scan level is only a partial and imperfect solution.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Hi Dave, </p>

<p>I'm talking purely about converting Raws to 16 bit tiff - this wasn't possible earlier, but is now.</p>

<p>As I suggest, might be something, might be nothing.</p>