# Canon Utilities and CS6 with 5Dlll



## PikkieChick (May 2, 2014)

Hi everyone
Ive recently acquired a Canon 5Dlll and I have Photoshop CS6 Extended version. Can someone tell me if I also need to install the canon utilities disk that came with the camera. I didnt use this much with my 50D, but might be missing out on something - DPP for example. Or is everything I need in CS6 ?

As u can tel I am still learning ! Cheers


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## privatebydesign (May 2, 2014)

No, you don't need to.

Some people think you can get fractionally better/different RAW renderings from DPP, but I never found it worth the effort.

The only two things I like about EOS Utility is the Picture Style Editor, if you shoot jpeg it is a must for really dialing in your preferred look, and the actual EOS Utility/WFT Pairing App for remote control when I use a WFT device. 

If you don't shoot jpeg, and don't use remote control, I'd skip the bundled software completely.


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## adhocphotographer (May 2, 2014)

I installed the software but have never used it!  I think i might just remove it from my computer. You can download it again if you need it /want it!


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## SoullessPolack (May 2, 2014)

DPP is a quicker software than the others. However, it is very basic as far as its editing abilities compared to what's out there. I typically use DPP to do a quick scan through my photos to see which ones are worth developing further and what is not touched. The ones I do like are then opened up in Adobe Camera RAW, the most powerful RAW editor available, and then worked on in Photoshop. 

Of course, there are other people who are okay with other less responsive RAW editors for the whole process, as they don't have to switch between programs. It really just is a personal preference. I say try it out, if you like, then keep it. If it doesn't do anything for you, uninstall it. 

As for the other included programs, I don't use any of them. Not to say they're not useful, I just haven't personally found a use for them.


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## Menace (May 2, 2014)

As SoullessPolack said, try it to see if you like it. Personally i never use DPP - in fact it's not even installed on my computer.


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## neuroanatomist (May 2, 2014)

SoullessPolack said:


> DPP is a quicker software than the others.



Quicker? Opening images is slow as molasses compared to Aperture or CS6, at least for DPP on a Mac. Triaging images without a loupe is painful. As for DPP's user interface, it's archaic and poorly designed. Anyone remember Wordstar, where the Save command was Ctrl-K-K-Y? DPP is like that. 

There's only one reason to use DPP for anything, IMO, and that's when you've bought a camera immediately at launch, when DPP is the only RAW converter that can handle the files. I suffered through it for brief periods after getting my S100 and again with my 1D X, until better RAW converters became compatible.


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## PikkieChick (May 2, 2014)

Thankyou everyone for your feedback and I think I have my answer. Learning the ins and outs of CS6 is enough for me at the moment !


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## expatinasia (May 2, 2014)

Well I am going to defend DPP. I like it and use it with all my pictures - personal and work. It is easy to use and I have no issues with lag or any other negatives as described above. I only shoot in RAW and I like and appreciate what DPP offers me. Plus it does not take up much space, so you might as well download it and give it a whirl.


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## JonAustin (May 2, 2014)

Forget about DPP and postpone your PS CS6 training. Get a copy of Lightroom 5 (the full version is currently on sale for about $80), and then you'll be set!


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## mackguyver (May 2, 2014)

EOS Utility is worth installing - you can update firmware, sync your camera to your PC (really nice when you have multiple cameras, type in your owner & copyright text (easier than on the camera), set up your custom "My Menu" and of course shoot remotely among other things.


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## StudentOfLight (May 2, 2014)

JonAustin said:


> Forget about DPP and postpone your PS CS6 training. Get a copy of Lightroom 5 (the full version is currently on sale for about $80), and then you'll be set!



For the OP's benefit... 

Adobe Lightroom is great tool for cataloging and non-destructive batch processing of your files. So if you're shooting large batches of photos (in similar lighting conditions at a time) then this will save you lots of time. What it allows is for you to duplicating edits you've made to a specific image across an entire batch of selected files. If you're clear about what you want to do and shoot accordingly, then you can for example edit an entire wedding in a couple of hours. For detailed edits and special effects however, I find Lightroom a bit too limiting that is where CS6 really shines.

If you're shooting weddings or other types of events then Lightroom (or some alternative batch-processing/catalog program) is essential. If you're shooting fewer files which will require more special effects to create you final images then Photoshop (or some alternative image editing program) is preferable.

That being said Lightroom at $80 is a steal. Highly recommended!


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## Joe M (May 2, 2014)

[/quote]



There's only one reason to use DPP for anything, IMO, and that's when you've bought a camera immediately at launch, when DPP is the only RAW converter that can handle the files. I suffered through it for brief periods after getting my S100 and again with my 1D X, until better RAW converters became compatible.
[/quote]

That's the only reason I've ever installed DPP. It was painful to use but I got to play with my camera before ACR supported it. Once it did, poor old DPP sits there. The only Canon software I use regularly is the EOS utility.


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## mrsfotografie (May 2, 2014)

expatinasia said:


> Well I am going to defend DPP. I like it and use it with all my pictures - personal and work. It is easy to use and I have no issues with lag or any other negatives as described above. I only shoot in RAW and I like and appreciate what DPP offers me. Plus it does not take up much space, so you might as well download it and give it a whirl.



+1, and I like the fact that camera settings are stored to the images the same way as they're handled in camera, lens corrections etc etc. No nasty sidecar files or cumbersome databases needed because the edits are stored to the files themselves. I really prefer DPP for raw processing of my images (I prefer to shoot in a 'neutral' style). I do however use ACDSEE pro to browse and select my raws before editing (it's faster). 

I'm forced to use Lightroom for my Sony RAWS, because it's the best option available (Sony's raw processor is slow, slow, slow) but to me Lightroom is counterintuitive, and I manage to get the results from it that I like, but in truth I don't really like it at all and continue to use DPP for my Canon photo's.


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## mackguyver (May 2, 2014)

I tried to use DPP again recently - mainly to try out the ALO feature - and on my new fast PC, it worked very well, but the one big hangup I had with it was the inability to fine tune. If I remember, there are only 5 settings for sharpness, contrast, etc., making it impossible to get the look you want. I guess I could use curves to get around some of it, but I grew frustrated pretty quickly.

I bought PhotoMechanic last year to import, tag, & sort photos and it's amazing. I'm still learning the numerous features, but while pricey it is great. I prefer DxO for most photos, but will say that ACR in PS is the easiest to use and generally gives the best results in the least time. I have never liked LR. I think it's slow and buggy, an opinion shared by few others, but I'm sticking to it


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## JonAustin (May 2, 2014)

StudentOfLight said:


> JonAustin said:
> 
> 
> > Forget about DPP and postpone your PS CS6 training. Get a copy of Lightroom 5 (the full version is currently on sale for about $80), and then you'll be set!
> ...



While Lightroom _does_ provide a lot of batch processing capabilities, and they are highly useful for processing shoots where duplicating edits saves time, you don't _have_ to use these capabilities to appreciate the power of Lightroom.

I frequently do use Lightroom's batch edit capabilities, but I edit individual images, one at a time, just as often! To me, the most beneficial aspects of Lightroom are its cataloging and grid ("light table") image viewing tools. It's so easy and efficient to import a batch of photos from a memory card to the drive and folder of choice, applying keywords in the process. Then, the grid view makes it a breeze to compare multiple images at once; flagging, rating and culling them with ease. And while I greatly appreciate the non-destructive nature of Lightroom edits, it's the _history_ of edits that I really like, which I can always refer back to, even after I've closed and reopened the program.

Of course, Lightroom can't do it all, and I frequently export images to other tools (Photoshop Elements, Perfect Photo Suite and Perfectly Clear in my case). But I wasn't recommending Lightroom _over_ PS CS6, just recommending that the OP consider it as the first step in managing and then editing her images. It's the best piece of software for the digital photographer that I've ever used.



mackguyver said:


> I bought PhotoMechanic last year to import, tag, & sort photos and it's amazing. I'm still learning the numerous features, but while pricey it is great. ... I have never liked LR. I think it's slow and buggy, an opinion shared by few others, but I'm sticking to it



I've never used PhotoMechanic, so I can't comment on it. I didn't dive into LR myself until version 4. I tried each previous version using the Adobe 30-day full trial, but wasn't sold. V4 finally gave the performance that I wanted, and the price drop to $150 didn't hurt, either! 

I didn't find LR all that intuitive when I first staring using (trialing) it; it really is one of those programs where you just have to "come around" to its way of doing things. Once I did that, it became second nature to me pretty quickly.

I was also slow to upgrade from v4 to v5; didn't do so until I had a project in which I found a couple of its new features (radial filter & advanced healing brush) very useful.


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## dafrank (May 3, 2014)

I use DPP, Lightroom, Photoshop and Photoshop Camera Raw, Photo Ninja, Photomatix Pro, Oloneo PhotoEngine and DXO ViewPoint at various times, under various workflow circumstances, and have extensively used - although not lately - Capture One. I shoot with 5D3's only right now. Here's what I think about DPP. The Quick check tool (see tool menu) is as good as or better than any other converter for getting a good, edit level look (at 50% OR 100%) at your shoot, as long as the list of files you select for the tool does not exceed somewhere north of a 100 or 150 files at a time. Beyond that, DPP, because it is only an 8 bit program and is not very efficient at memory use, craps out with an out-of-memory issue. This sometimes also happens when you try to use the raw file HDR tool, if the 3 selected files hold a lot of very fine grained detail - memory error again. Other than the above problems, if you don't need an archiving image data base, DPP is still a valuable tool for easily getting better than Jpeg conversions, but with less refinement and not as fine-grained control as are available in other applications. My advice is, unless you have a tiny hard drive (no offence meant here) without much extra capacity, install and keep most of your Canon software disk contents. Good luck.

Regards,
David


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## East Wind Photography (May 3, 2014)

adhocphotographer said:


> I installed the software but have never used it!  I think i might just remove it from my computer. You can download it again if you need it /want it!



Software is useful for setting canon lens profiles to correct in camera jpgs when using canon lenses.

CS6 also has that built in for processing raw files.


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