BreezeBrowser Pro

Breeze Browser raw converter of Breeze Browser systems provides you with a program oriented on batch raw convertion and reducing the time you inevitably spend on basic manipulations with the digital photos to minimum.

Supported Cameras and destination formats

Breeze Browser is very selective with cameras and file formats it supports, though each new version has more supported cameras and raw file formats. But Breeze Browser Pro still has a few cameras on the list: Canon, Nicon, Olympus, Pentax, Fuji, Sony (embedded jpgs only), and Konica Minolta. Moreover, none of them has the whole product line supported. The most represented camera is Canon - 21 model.

As for resulted file formats, they are usual, wide-spread, and most essential ones: .jpeg, .tiff, .png, .jpeg 2000, and .psd.

Images are only saved as 16-bit TIFF, PNG, PSD or JPEG 2000 files if the source image contains 16-bit data (e.g. a 16-bit TIFF or a raw file from a Canon EOS 30D, Nikon D200 etc.). If the source data is 8-bit the final images will be saved as 8-bit files even if a 16-bit format has been selected.

For maximum quality all processing is carried out in 16-bit mode if the source image contains 16-bit data. The image is only converted back to 8-bits as the final operation when the output format is 8-bit.

Raw conversion workflow

{mosimage align=left}BreezeBrowser Pro is minimalist in raw conversion tools and leaves as much editing as possible to post processing either within the application or in an image editor.

You can also choose to combine both of them and convert the image twice to expose the highlights better.

The first thing you do is the choice of a conversion method – normal or linear. Normal conversion is preferable for well-exposed images. Linear is good for images with minimum postproduction; it only allows white balance to be set.

Further settings are different for different camera types. Most options are available for Canon Eos 10D (the settings in the image on the left), other Canon cameras also have more options available. For the rest only Smart Noise Reduction, White Balance, and Saturation are accessible.

White balance and saturation cannot be fine-tuned for most cameras – there is no sliders or numeric boxes, just a limited number of presets and a color picker for defining a white (or grey) spot in the image. When WB is set with a color picker, the Combo box will have ‘Custom’ written in it with the Temperature and Tone numbers shown in brackets. In Canon EOS 10D images though temperature can be set manually.

{mosimage cw=50 align=left}{mosimage cw=50 align=left}Smart Noise reduction is the forth and the last property that can be set in the main raw processing window. Smart noise reduction uses iso data from the image file. It can only be high, normal, or low, or set off completely (advisable when post processing is activated).

The four settings mentioned can be used for all images you are processing (if there’ are many) or for a single file only. These are the only settings applied to a raw file for non Canon files, where Saturation, Contras, Brightness, and also Exposure and Tone can be adjusted. All the modifications you’ll want to perform will be applied to a converted file either in BreeseBrowser itself (post processing should be enabled) or in an image editor like PhotoShop.

{mosimage  cw=150 align=left}One advantage of performing post processing in BreezeBrowser Pro is that it is applied to the 16-bit image data (except G1 and Pro90IS raw files) for the best possible quality even if the final image is saved as 8-bit jpeg.

The Postprocessing settings contain the Levels tool with an auto and manual options, lens distortion correction option, gamma setting, resize image and sharpen.
BreezeBrowser Pro does not have a universal algorithm to correct distortions arising from the use of some kinds of camera lenses. It uses the specific lens calibration files from PTLens developed by Thomas Niemann.

The lens correction uses the shooting data in the file to automatically select the lens correction parameters. Nevertheless, you had better enter the setup when you first use BreezeBrowser with a new camera.

Adjusting the gamma leaves the white and black points unchanged and adjusts the middle values in the histogram. The combination of the levels and the gamma adjustment can compensate to some extent for incorrect exposure (that is not adjusted in BreezeBrowser as such).

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Saturation, sharpness, contrast – best set low for after processing. They are disabled with linear conversion method.

False color filter removes false colors from areas of fine detail, It can be disabled or enabled.

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Several raw conversion settings are defined in preferences. You set here the default folder for converted images and image resolution. Also color profile policy should be defined here. What is worth noting is that BreezeBrowser lets set individual color profile preferences for each camera model (chosen out of the drop down list).
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Interface

{mosimage cw=400 align=left}I find BreezeBrowser interface well organized and laconic, set in traditional windows grey colors with black printing. All the settings are on the left panel, arranged in several groups: Conversion settings, Postprocessing and Crop checkboxes, Output settings, and three buttons for finishing the conversion process: Convert Selected, Convert, and Close.

{mosimage cw=150 align=right}Completely unavailable to non Canon cameras options are not shown at all when you work with corresponding images. If the option can be accessible at some condition (as Temperature with custom White Balance) it will be shown appropriately.

{mosimage align=left}Postprocessing settings can be adjusted in a

separate window where some options are also set in their own window. Thus, you only see the dialogue box when you need it.

{mosimage align=left}Crop also works only when it is activated.

After the checkbox is active, you get the frame and its size is conveniently shown in the tools panel.

The Output settings section allows the settling of file format and output directory (if you do not set the directory BreezeBrowser creates a ‘Converted’ directory in the source images folder and saves all the files in there).

Color profile can be chosen if you set the option in preferences. And you can decide whether you want the converted image opened in an image editor and continue with it there.

The rest space of the window is all given to the image preview. What is not very convenient in BreezeBrowser in this respect is that the preview is automatically fit to window and cannot be zoomed, the raw conversion window has a set size that you cannot change either. It is especially vexing when trying to find a white spot in the image.

By the way, the cursor always works as WB picker, even when crop is enabled (to adjust the crop frame you should press shift). So be sure not to press it accidentally or you’ll have to set the white balance anew.

The cursor X and Y coordinates are shown at the bottom of the panel together with RGB values of the current pixel.

Batch converting workflow

Batch converting is easy in BreezeBrowser. You just select a group of file in the browser mode and go to raw conversion dialogue. The group can then be converted with the chosen settings by pressing ‘Convert selected’ button. The inconvenience here is in the fact that you cannot adjust individual settings for each file and then convert the whole group but have to apply same settings for all the files in the group. The conversion process is not background, you cannot operate the program until the conversion is over.

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The batch conversion process status is shown in a separate window with a ‘cancel’ button allowing interrupting of it. As you see, the window shows the image preview and its succession number. The source and output folders are stated. After the first image is converted, the estimated time of conversion will be shown as well. The two bars show the progress of the current image conversion and of the whole group conversion.

Browser options

{mosimage cw=200 align=right}BreezeBrowser Pro is actually an image management tool and file browser that does RAW conversions. It is a very full featured image browser with quite a few file-handling extras, including several different batch operations. BreezeBrowser Pro will decode and thumbnail all of the most popular photo images file formats. Some people will find BreezeBrowser Pro’s ability to export and/or copy EXIF data useful. You can copy EXIF info from files in one folder to similarly named files in another folder. Alternatively, you can copy individual EXIF data from one file to another. Breezebrowser Pro can print full size images or user configurable contact sheets.

{mosimage cw=200 align=left}Breezebrowser Pro can generate user configurable html based ‘picture pages’ with ‘clickable’ thumbnails. This is a very cool feature with options that include making a Java Script driven html slide show.

BreezeBrowser allows comparing of up to 4 images on one page. You are given an option of scrolling, moving, and zooming the images either individually or all at once. Images are shown with tagging information and can be tagged or untagged right in the comparing screen.

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Installation

After uninstallation BreezeBrowser leaves behind a BreezeSys folder with a couple of subdirectories and a single .dat file in the Program Files directory. You’ll have to delete it manually.

Purchasing

The latest version of BreezeBrowser Pro is sold for a reasonable price of $69.95 at www.breezesys.com. The company follows a ‘try before you buy’ policy. You can download and install the latest version of the software. If you like the product, the payment may be done through RegSoft or Paypal. After the payment, you get an e-mail with a registration code and can unlock the program.

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