OM Workspace Professional Guide
File Management
Copying/Moving Files
Copying removes all edit settings and attributes not embedded in the RAW file.
Moving keeps all editing settings.
Shortcuts
Drag and drop functionality from File Explorer.
Collections
Creates virtual folders. File locations remain unchanged.
Selections A/B
Creates virtual folders. File locations remain unchanged. Selection is cleared when the program is closed.
Star Ratings
Embedded in the .ORF file.
Color Marks
Stored in Data Base. Not embedded.
Comment / Text
Free text. Embedded in the .ORF file.
Displaying & Evaluating Images
Histogram, Highlights and Shadow
Histogram Type (L, RGB, R, G, B) and Histogram Thresholds are linked with the Highlight and Shadow Display functions.
Professional RAW Workflow
A) RAW Processing in Workspace
1. White Balance
2. Exposure Adjustment
3. Color Grading
4. Adjustment of Tonal Values
Contrast
Colour
Tonal Response
5. Detail Adjustments
Image Noise
Sharpness
B) Exporting
Batch export.
8-bit JPEG for cropping and minor adjustments only.
16-bit TIFF for high-end post production.
C) Final Edits in Photo Editor (e.g. Affinity Photo)
Retouching. Local Adjustments. Cropping.
Final export.
Batch Editing & Presets
Settings always apply to all selected images. Only changes are applied. Individual adjustments made to the RAW files are left intact.
Settings can be stored, copied and pasted selectively.
Edit Settings 1 to 4: Four quick presets can be saved.
Batch Processing File: Presets and looks can be saved/loaded as a “Batch Processing File”.
Expert Knowledge
OM Workspace RAW Engine & Dynamic Range
OM Workspace accesses & utilizes the full RAW data of the selected .ORF file for all editing functions.
Note: When extreme adjustments are made, the histogram will temporarily depict gaps between the tonal values, until the data is fully loaded and rendered from the RAW file.
Extreme highlight values are discarded and cannot be retrieved in Workspace, regardless of edit settings.
Tools in Detail
White Balance
Preset White Balance values differ from the numbers displayed beside the respective preset symbols.
Custom White Balance Displays the actual white balance set during capture, as long as it is not modified in OM Workspace.
CWB-Picker shifts the Kelvin-setting and the Green-Magenta slider to achieve a neutral result based on the sampled part of the image.
Gray Point Specification shifts the R-G-B channels to matching values based on the sampled part of the image.
Recommendations:
Use the CWB-Picker for general purpose and when no white balance reference target was captured.
Use the Gray Point Specification when a white balance reference target was captured.
Zoom in for more precision when using the eyedroppers.
Exposure Compensation
Does not linearly shift the brightness, but adjusts image data to ensure a natural color response in the final image.
Note: The processing is comparable exposure adjustments in color darkroom printing.
Regardless of setting, [Exposure Compensation] will not push tonal information beyond the output range defined in the [Tone Curve] tool (0 and 255 by default).
Tone Curve
RAW tone curve tool. Allows adjustment of all tonal values stored in the RAW-file.
Input-Sliders clip tonal values. Can be used to set the black- and white points.
Output-Sliders do not clip loaded tonal values. The tonal values are compressed, when the output-range is reduced.
Highlight & Shadow
Adjustment of the luminance of shadows, highlights and midtones.
The ratio of R, G and B is maintained.
Note: As a rule of thumb, do not set parameters exceeding +/-7.
Gradation
Controls the distribution of tonal values by adjusting the brightness and shading, while maintaining the picture mode-specific tonal response
[Low Key] Predominantly lowers dark tones.
[High Key] Predominantly lifts bright tones.
[Normal] Standard.
[AUTO] Automatically adjusts the tonal values, focusing mostly on darker values.
Art Filters
Apply specific color and tonal adjustments. Some Art Filters add special effects.
No Special Effects: ART1, ART3, ART4, ART8, ART9, ART13I&III, ART14,ART15I, ART16.
With Special Effects: ART2, ART5, ART6, ART7, ART10, ART11, ART12, ART13II, ART15II.
Depending on the Art Filter, additional effects can be added on top of that.
Tasks
Batch White Balance with WB Target
1. Select all images captured under the same circumstances.
2. Display the White Balance Target.
3. Utilize the[CWB Picker] or [Gray Point Specification Picker].
4. Fine tune the result if needed.
Color Correction
1. Utilize [Color Creator] and/or [Color Filter] to neutralize the color cast.
2. Set a [Preset WB]. Try different options to find the best match.
3. If needed, utilize the [Tone Curve] to set a new black point and/or white point.
Recovering Shadows
1. Set [Gradation] to AUTO.
2. Adjust [Exposure Compensation] to brighten or darken the image, while paying close attention the shadow and highlight values.
3. Utilize the [Tone Curve] and/or [Highlight & Shadow] to fine tune the tonal values.
Recovering Highlights
1. With the [Tone Curve] tool, lower the extreme highlights with an asymmetric, two-point adjustment.
2. With the [Exposure Compensation] tool, gradually lower the EV setting, while observing the tonal separation in the extreme highlights. Set a value where the best separation is achieved.
3. Fine tune the [Tone Curve] if needed.
Maximizing Low ISO Details
1. Set [Noise Filter] to LOW or OFF.
2. [Sharpness] to +1.
Editing Single Files in External Editor
[Launch registered application] hands over a 16-bit TIFF in the color space selected for the image.
Note: Settings only carry over when they are fully processed and applied by Workspace. [View]-[Refresh] if needed.
Creating Contact Sheets
For client preview.
1. Select the desired images.
2. Select [Print] – [Contact Sheet].
USB RAW Editing with the OM System OM-1
Uses the OM-1’s processor to render previews and export images.
Recommended when using low performance computers.
Image Processing
All processing options except [AI Noise Reduction] is available in Workspace.
[USB RAW]-processed images exhibit slight differences compared to [PC RAW] processed images, observable at very high magnifications.
Technical Notes
For rendering previews/exporting images, Workspace transfers the image data over the USB connection to the OM-1, the camera then processes it and sends it back to the PC. RAW processing in the OM-1 is practically instantaneous. Any lags in rendering adjustments are due to the transfer times.
