It may be a technical requirement, or it may be a marketing decision. For the first time the FREE Canon Digital Photo Professional is not available for all DSLR users (and other Canon users) but only for those that have a full frame DSLR and can show it. This means that the first Canon DPP with video playback support is not for all owners of Canon cameras.

Whatever made Canon take this decision, the fact is that we are faced with a complete new posture, creating a divide between the two segments: Full Frame and APS-C. It's a rather strange change, because it means that owners of both formats will, from now on, have to use two different programs to edit their images. Unless Canon is preparing a surprise for Photokina, in September.

Digital Photo Professional (DPP) 4.0 is, using Canons's own words, ” the first sweeping overhaul of Canon’s RAW processing software since its launch. The latest version of DPP – available for download now – has been updated with a raft of key changes to satisfy the most demanding of digital photographers.” Does this means that only full frame users are the most demanding photographers? I ask this, because while this is a complete new “overhaul” of the software, it seems, again following Canon's words, that “for other models, an update of DPP 3.14 will be released”. So, there will be an update against a complete new engine. Correct me if I am wrong, but that is what it sounds like. Is Canon really creating a distinction between their cameras and users?

To fully understand what DPP 4.0 represents, and what the owners of APS-C models are losing, one just has to keep reading Canon's press-release about the launch of the software. They state that ” Canon software engineers – having the unique advantage of being able to directly harness the power of the Canon sensors, DIGIC processors and lenses – have made the all-new Digital Photo Professional 4.0 a much faster, more dynamic, linear and feature-packed image editing software solution, thanks to the ability to fully utilise 64-bit architecture.”

Furthermore, states the press-release, “The latest version of DPP has been designed and developed from the ground up, tailored to the workflows of professional and high-end amateurs to help them realise the key EOS System concepts of speed, ease of use and high image quality.”  Reading in between the lines, it sounds as if professionals and high-end amateurs only use four models from Canon, EOS-1D X, EOS-1D C, EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 6D. That's something new for the millions of users of models like the EOS 7D, EOS 70D and others.

New, improved Canon algorithms have been optimised to make the most of the wealth of information delivered by the camera sensors,  states the company, “while productivity has been increased thanks to improved speed of RAW image display and developing that makes real-time image adjustment a reality.”

The list of complete features of Digital Photo Professional:

•   Faster, real-time adjustments.
•   Improved RAW file workflow.
•   Better, more approachable user interfaces.
•   Compatible with 64-bit native environments.
•   Colour adjustments for specific colour gamuts.
•   Improved highlight recovery provides expanded tonality.
•   Improved shadow recovery function.
•   Support for movie playback.
•   Auto Lighting Optimizer can be applied to JPEG images.
•   Better integration with EOS Utility.

To have access to all this features, you just need to visit Canon's website, look for the download area, select DPP, and you'll be greeted with a window like the one above. Introduce the serial number of your full frame DSLR – one of the four mentioned – and you'll be able to download the free program.

So, this is the revolutionary program that Canon is offering for free, “a far more comprehensive set of tools and functionalities” to a group they call “the most discerning photographers”, for them “to get the most from their images.” If you've a full-frame DSLRs,  or to be more precise, the EOS-1D X, EOS-1D C, EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 6D, you are selected. Remember, also, but that is expected, that DPP 4.0 will be compatible only with 64-bit OS, such as Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, plus Mac OS X 10.8 and 10.9.