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If it ain’t broke…….
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Well there I was plodding along nicely.
Canon EOS 20D, Dell Inspiron Laptop, XP Professional, Elements 4 and Epson Stylus Photo R240.
The camera captured some good images when I managed to point it at something interesting when
the light was good and I had set the thing properly.The computer downloaded them every time and on screen they sometimes looked remarkably similar
to what I had seen out in the field.Elements 4 was a very capable piece of software.
The printer printed prints that, astonishingly, were much like what was visible on my screen.
Happy days.
A month or so back my laptop started doing a chkdisk every time it started up.
10 – 15 minutes for it to get ready.
In fairness it has given 5 – 6 years of trouble free service.
I had also tried trial versions of newer software and it struggled to cope.
But I made do and went off to do other things while the old Dell checked it’s disk.Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to purchase a used Canon EOS 40D.
Apart from the fact that it has rained practically every day since that has been the least of my “issues”.
I took a few murky shots with my new toy and downloaded them to my Dell.
Elements 4 wouldn’t handle the 40D’s RAW files.
No Problem. Download whatever patch is required….
No can do says Adobe. Elements 4 will not handle 40D RAWs.
My computer won’t handle Elements 8 or CS4.
Apart from the lack of speed, not enough RAM and it’s age it only has XP SP1. :cry:So I researched what was available in a reasonably price laptop and read some good reviews of Windows 7.
I did the rounds of the local shops, explained my requirements to the various eager salespeople and settled
on a Sony VAIO with not too bad specs and Windows 7 Home Premium.When I powered it up the screen looked dreadful.
No problem.
I don’t have 3rd party calibration hardware but W7 has inbuilt colour management.After a day of reading the F****** manual, or what passes for a manual, I succeeded in getting an “acceptable”
looking screen.
After dancing round the kitchen in celebration I adjourned to the sitting room to read yesterdays papers and
have a rest.A few hours later I got the urge to check in on PI, the Wexford Camera Forum and how my Fantasy team was
doing.
Horror of Horrors.
The screen was back to this very harsh bright display with grey instead of black and my Fantasy time is heading for relegation.I spent hours trying every combination of setting in the color calibration program but every time the computer
resumes or is rebooted the horrible screen is back.I headed to the windows forum where a nice lady (I think it was a lady :? ) suggested a load of stuff that I had already tried and
gave me a link to the manufacturers site.
Being a nice kinda lad I tried it all again anyway.
It didn’t work and the people at the end of the link didn’t recognise my computers serial number.
I informed the nice lady of this.
She gave me the proper link and suggested that maybe my computer was faulty.The manufacturers link told me to do all the things that I had already done.
Being a nice kinda lad I tried it all again anyway.
It didn’t work.I rang the shop.
Tom had never heard of such a thing happening before.
Bring it in.I brought it in.
He tried all the things that I had already tried.
It didn’t work.He rang his contact in Sony or the distributor.
He talked Tom through all the things he and I had tried already.
It didn’t work.He gave me a Sony helpdesk number (not a lowcall or 1800 either) and said I should ring on
Monday and have my serial numbers handy.I rang today and entered all my details into the automated answering service and got talking to Alex.
He didn’t understand what washed out meant. :cry:
He suggested that this problem was caused by a build up of static. :?
He got me to switch off the computer and take out the battery.
He then got me to press the power button for 20s.
He then got me to power up without the battery and HEY PRESTO.
It didn’t work.He asked me to email him a screenshot taken of an image taken before calibration and one taken
after calibration.
I suggested that these 2 images would look the same as the calibration changed how the screen
displayed the image and didn’t alter the image itself.
He didn’t want to discuss what I thought.I’m a nice kinda lad so I emailed the requested images to him and also to my old Dell.
The 2 images look exactly the same on the Dell.He’s going to ring me back tomorrow with a solution. :roll:
I also discovered that some of my hardware wouldn’t work with Windows 7.
Alan (irishwonkafan) kindly emailed me a link to some software that allows W7 to run drivers for XP stuff.
Yippee.
It won’t work with W7 home premium. Needs professional. The salesperson didn’t know that.So now I have a brand new highly recommended laptop with the latest Microsoft operating system and the
latest version of Adobe Photoshop Elements.
I can’t use my film scanner.
The screen is so bright I gotta wear shades.
I have to try a calibrate every time I use the computer and even then the printer prints prints that look
nothing like what is on the screen.Anybody out there have any suggestions?
We’ll take the “Buy an Apple” solution as read shall we. :wink:Anybody got a headache reading this?
Anybody even read it?Just had to tell someone. :?
Thanks.
John.
You could convert the raw files from the 40D to digital negatives (DNG) using a free converter from Adobe. CS3 will read the DNG files.
As for the PC nightmare, have you thought of returning it?
BM wrote:
You could convert the raw files from the 40D to digital negatives (DNG) using a free converter from Adobe. CS3 will read the DNG files.
As for the PC nightmare, have you thought of returning it?
Hi Brian,
I really appreciate your reply.
My novel of a post only touched the surface of all the things I have tried since 15/11/2009.
Converting the files to DNG was the first thing I tried and it worked well.
I wanted to keep the RAW files as well and now every picture was 20MB.
My Elements 4 RAW converter was a bit limited and the old chkdsk thing was a bit worrying.
So I knew I would have to purchase at some stage so …….In hindsight ……..I should have waited.
Let there be no doubt that if this issue isn’t solved very shortly your second suggestion will be exercised. :)
I’m a nice kinda lad but…….
Thanks again.
John.
I still use my 4 year old Inspiron 6000, running XP Professional.
Earlier this year I changed the hard disk – I needed more capacity. It’s an easy enough job and would resolve your chkdsk issue.
To be fair, the Inspiron is fine for the general business tasks I need it for, and it copes well with CS3 and the large raw files I process on it. I’m not sure how it would handle big tasks like HDR and stitching, though.
Sometimes I’m tempted to upgrade, but it’s like an old pair of boots – it fits well and I know exactly what to expect from it!
From memory, the original raw file is embedded in the DNG, so there is no need to keep both (though I do, but I have a fairly substantial external disk set-up that allows me to do so).
Hi Brian,
My old pair of boots is running opn the table alongside my new pair of tight new shoes.
I enviously look over at it and remember fondly all the years of trouble free computing.
I have a few large external drives too.
What am I at? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :?
John.
Yep, all seemed to be going ok until
Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to purchase a used Canon EOS 40D.
:(
Buy an Apple ;)
To be honest sounds like a hell of an ordeal. Laptop screens for digital imaging can have a fairly poor rep, but I guess I’m not too picky as they always seemed ok to me. Surprised you’re having so much trouble with the VAIO, they’re generally well respected on the whole.
In any case, hope the light at the end of the tunnel is not too far away :)
Damien
Phew…that was an epic read John. If it were me at this stage I’d be winging my way back to the source and making a deposit with them. Then, get a good Toshiba with Windows 7 Pro and bobs your aunt. But seeing as it isn’t me then we’re with ya brother…we feel your pain!!
Alan
Well, this is no help other than as moral support – I just want to say that I feel your pain John.
This is one of the problems with computers – logic says that you’re buying a newer machine, it should just be better automatically, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. I’ll be getting myself a new laptop in the next 12 months at some stage. I hope I don’t go through what you have.
I recently installed Mozilla Firefox 3 and found that some of my add ons weren’t working. Also, it greedily ate up all my RAM, which was frustrating. I like my computers to think faster than me.
I uninstalled version 3 and went back to 2. In the feedback form to Mozilla asking why I uninstalled I said “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!”
Hi All,
Many thanks for all your kind replies.
The screen on the VAIO was getting good reviews.
I explained in detail to Tom in the shop what I wanted to do, what I was using and actually asked him should
I get a machine with professional.Alex in VAIO support now has me taking photographs of the screen.
I’m a believer in going through the channels but my mail with the photos
attached suggested that he sort it out or a refund would be requested.I’ll be nice and not claim for all the hassle and wasted time this machine has inflicted on me.
All that said when I look at some of the flood photos posted on this site and see the hardship
some people are putting up with at the moment a dodgy screen is not the end of the world.I’ll keep ye posted.
Thanks again.
John.
Hi John. Just a few quick questions that might or might not help. Can the RAM in the Dell be upgraded? Why don’t you use the Canon RAW software for the 40D? Did you try the Dell Diagnostics to see if that shows a problem that might be causing chkdsk to run? It could be set to run at startup within another program too. I know the reviews for VIAO computers are usually good, but I personally wouldn’t bother with any Sony stuff anymore. Had a load of problems with some of their stuff and customer support was useless plus all their stuff (fittings etc) are different and need Sony attatchments (I thought monopolies were ileagl :lol: ). I was very happy and still am with vista, never had a problem with it once I set it for my preferences, I don’t think W7 is going to improve Vista or XP as it’s just a mixed down version of both.
BM wrote:
From memory, the original raw file is embedded in the DNG, so there is no need to keep both (though I do, but I have a fairly substantial external disk set-up that allows me to do so).
You have the option in DNG converter to imbed the raw file or not. Imbedding makes the file much bigger. You can extract the embedded raw file later, if you wish.
miki g wrote:
I was very happy and still am with vista
So you’re the one? :lol:
I don’t think W7 will improve XP…they’re different platforms but to say it won’t improve Vista…there’s a whole world of people who would think differently about that one. Anyways, I think the problem John has is with progress. CS4 on a laptop that’s a few years old isn’t ideal, upgraded or not. The processor speed, bus speed, ram, etc will work but not to the standards that we would expect nowadays. I think John was correct to upgrade and is unfortunate with his startup.
We’ll all laugh about it in a short time, you’ll see…
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