Iridient Digital has released RAW Developer 1.5, a major update to our critically acclaimed RAW image conversion software for Mac OS X. Version 1.5 is a universal binary application with full native support for both Intel and PowerPC based Mac systems. This release also features further improvements to RAW Developer's already highly regarded RAW image demosaic algorithm which improve diagonal edge detail and reduce color noise along high contrast edges. Two new advanced sharpening methods have also been added along with many other new features. RAW Developer 1.5 is a FREE update for all currently registered users, new licenses are $99.95US. RAW Developer requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later, PowerPC G4, G5 or Intel processors are supported.

RAW Developer 1.5 includes the following new features:
- Support for Mac systems based on Intel processors. RAW Developer 1.5 is now a universal binary application and will run at native speed on both Intel and PowerPC systems.
- Richardson-Lucy Deconvolution based sharpening (available on Mac OS X 10.4 or later only) applied in 32 bits/channel floating point CIE LAB color space.
- Difference of Gaussian sharpening applied in 32 bits/channel floating point CIE LAB color space.
- Toolbar control for easy selection of cursor tools (arrow, hand, white balance dropper, crop and straighten).
- Toolbar control for toggling the display of highlight, shadow and saturation clipping warnings.
- XYZ and LAB pixel value display toolbar controls.
- Current cursor position image coordinates display.
- New option for luminance channel based digital exposure compensation adjustment.
- CIE LCH(ab) Chroma curves adjustment.
- Settings subset copy/paste support for input, working and output ICC profiles.
- Preferences for optionally specifying working space and output profile color management options on an application wide basis instead of on an image by image basis.
- Support added for automatically opening exported image files in external applications.
- User adjustable Y axis scaling in histogram display.
- New options for histogram view including CIE Lightness, CIE Luminance, CIE Chroma(ab) and a combined individual Red, Green, Blue plus composite RGB view.
- Support added for compressed RAW files from Leaf digital backs.
- Support added for the Leaf Aptus 65.
- Support added for the Mamiya ZD.

Improvements:
- Next generation RAW demosaic algorithm further improves RAW Developer's already exceptional image quality and reduces color noise along high contrast edges. Diagonal edge detail in many cases has been significantly improved.
- Cursor tools (white balance dropper, crop and straighten) are now automatically deselected when changing Settings adjustment panes.
- Up/down arrow keys can now be used in addition to left/right arrow keys for making image adjustments.
- Improved support for Phase One sensor meta-data which improves color rendering for some models and can significantly reduce appearance of color casts in some situations.

Bug Fixes:
- Potential memory leak with batch export of JPEG format files fixed.
- Various fixes for Olympus E-330 files and new E-330 default camera ICC profile.

RAW Developer system requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
- PowerPC G4 or G5 or Intel processor.
- QuickTime 6.4 or later.

RAW Developer 1.5 is a FREE update for all currently registered users. New licenses can be purchased for $99.95US directly through the application itself or from our web store.

RAW Developer is an advanced digital camera RAW image processing and conversion application which offers outstanding image quality. RAW Developer is designed and optimized specifically for Mac OS X and provides the ability to view, non-destructively edit and convert RAW image file formats from over 100 digital camera models. RAW Developer offers numerous processing adjustments, many of which are unavailable in any other RAW image converters, including:
- Very high quality RAW demosaicing algorithm for incredible image detail.
- Flexible white balance controls including white balance dropper tool, up to 8 custom presets, full 3 channel RGB color balance controls and Kelvin correlated color temperature adjustment.
- Fast, flexible batch processing.
- Fully multi-threaded and AltiVec/SSE optimized to take maximum advantage of the latest multi processor and multi core PowerPC and Intel based systems.
- 32 bit/channel floating point CIELab based advanced sharpening methods including: unsharp mask, hybrid sharpen, difference of gaussian and Richardson-Lucy deconvolution.
- Advanced CIE LAB based noise reduction.
- Curves, curves and more curves. 12 total custom tone curves available, including individual color channels, CIE LAB and CIE Chroma(ab), all simultaneously!
- Very high quality Lanczos5 based image resizing.
- Image rotation and straighten tools.
- Completely customizable color managed processing pipeline
- Unlimited undo/redo support.
- Multiple advanced monochrome ("black&white") conversion options including custom duotones and full channel mixer support.

Links:
General product information:
http://www.iridientdigital.com/products/rawdeveloper.html

Full version history:
http://www.iridientdigital.com/products/rawdeveloper_history.html

Demo download:
http://www.iridientdigital.com/products/rawdeveloper_download.html

RAW Developer 1.4 was recently awarded a "Highly Recommended" rating from Digital Outback Photo. The full review can be found here:
http://www.outbackphoto.com/artofraw/raw_21/essay.html

RAW Developer 1.4 was reviewed by photographer Alain Briot here:
http://www.beautiful-landscape.com/Thoughts34.html

RAW Developer 1.4 also received a very positive review from MacGuardians (in German only):
http://www.macguardians.de/fullstory.php?p=4040&c=1&bereich=2