Q:

Can Sony's Image Data Converter do anything Lightroom can't do?

I use a Sony NEX-5R, with Lightroom 5, on a Mac.
Bundled with the camera came two pieces of OEM software: Sony's Image Data Converter and Canon's Digital Photo Professional.
I had a quick look at the former, and it doesn't seem to do much that Lightroom can't. Is that impression correct, or am I missing significant capabilities by ignoring these and sticking with Lightroom?
In particular, I can't imagine Canon's software doing something unique for a Sony camera.

A:

I can't image why Canon's Digital Photo Professional was included with a Sony NEX-5R. It won't open any of the RAW files from the Sony.
On the other hand, with RAW files from a Canon DSLR DPP does have some advantages over other third party software for use as a RAW conversion application:

The demosaicing algorithms are based on Canon's knowledge of the design and tested performance of their cameras. Canon designs and manufactures their image sensors themselves and no one knows more about them than Canon does.
The lens correction profiles are based on Canon's knowledge of the design and tested performance of their lenses. No one knows more about them than Canon does. With the addition of the Digital Lens Optimizer for many of Canon's most often used professional grade lenses correction for lens aberrations including diffraction can be applied to a RAW file and exported still in the RAW format.
Although Lightroom has closed the gap with the last couple of editions DPP still seems to do a better job of strong noise reduction with images taken at high ISO in low light while preserving a little more detail.
DPP preserves the 'maker notes' section of the EXIF information and includes it when exporting the image converted to JPEG. Canon includes some fairly significant information in the 'maker note' section and uses some of this information when doing RAW conversion. Adobe products strip the information from the maker note section of the EXIF information and ignore it when processing the image.
When a RAW image is first opened in DPP the image is displayed using the in camera settings selected at the time the image was created. The white balance, contrast, saturation, etc. in place when you shot each image are used by default. So if you got it right in camera, you don't have to rebuild that set of choices again to get the image to appear the way you told the camera. This is especially beneficial if you shot a large number of images under rapidly changing conditions and changed the in camera settings at the time you shot them.

