One for the Experts.

[John 2]

Fuji have just launched a new version of there X-Pro range, the X-Pro 2. Needless to say the .raf RAW files are different to any other Fuji camera and there is much discussion about how long it will be before PP software manufacturers catch up (I believe Adobe already have updated Photoshop CC camera RAW). Just out of interest however, I opened my rarely used copy of IRFANVIEW and discovered that it immediately managed to read a couple of RAW files that I downloaded from the internet. Why is it that the mainstream software Apps apparently have to upgrade to do this and something like IRFANVIEW doesn't seem to have a problem? Just interested.

BTW, I did check that the downloaded files were RAW files and not jpeg copies.

[DEAN01]

Hi, John,

This doesn't actually answer your question: when I switched to the X Pro 1, a few years back, I also switched to DNG format so I didn't have to worry about the lag between camera introduction and software catching up. So far works very well.

[Manfred M]

My suspicion is that the lag in introducing new profiles by the main commercial raw converter producers probably has more to do with the time it takes to do the quality control check on the output from their algorithms as this generally includes not only raw conversion but also lens profiling. In my experience Adobe, DxO Labs and Phase One are fairly conservative in their practices as they don't want to get this wrong. I suspect they actually pull data from actual camera output.

Unless the camera manufacturer makes some significant changes in the formating of the raw files (and that has happened from time to time) reading the data shouldn't take any code tweaks.

Irfan Skiljan can react more quickly as he doesn't have to do this

[dje]

In addition to what Manfred has mentioned, there is also the question of camera profiles. I don't know about DXO or Phase One, but Adobe always includes new profiles for each camera model. These are necessary to get optimum colour production for their very demanding clientele. The less mainstream products don't need to be so particular.

Dave

[xpatUSA]

Fuji have just launched a new version of there X-Pro range, the X-Pro 2. Needless to say the .raf RAW files are different to any other Fuji camera and there is much discussion about how long it will be before PP software manufacturers catch up (I believe Adobe already have updated Photoshop CC camera RAW). Just out of interest however, I opened my rarely used copy of IRFANVIEW and discovered that it immediately managed to read a couple of RAW files that I downloaded from the internet. Why is it that the mainstream software Apps apparently have to upgrade to do this and something like IRFANVIEW doesn't seem to have a problem? Just interested.

BTW, I did check that the downloaded files were RAW files and not jpeg copies.

You will be luckier than some folks

Adobe dumped Sigma after the SD14/DP1/DP2 models some six or seven years ago and, according to Adobe's Eric Chan (the ACR guy), have no plans to fully support any later models.

[Manfred M]

You will be luckier than some folks

Adobe dumped Sigma after the SD14/DP1/DP2 models some six or seven years ago and, according to Adobe's Eric Chan (the ACR guy), have no plans to fully support any later models.

Which is a nice way of saying not enough of their customers use Sigma cameras for them to put the time and effort (nicely said $$$) into that line of cameras.

[Black Pearl]

Is your IRFANVIEW actually reading the RAF file or has it simply pulled out the full resolution jpeg within it?

[John 2]

Good question Robin. Just had a look at the IRFANVIEW "Save" options and it only saves in jpeg. Since it can't save the file in its original format, it's likely that you have hit the nail on the head.

[Manfred M]

Good question Robin. Just had a look at the IRFANVIEW "Save" options and it only saves in jpeg. Since it can't save the file in its original format, it's likely that you have hit the nail on the head.

I can't think of any software that saves as a RAW file though.

[xpatUSA]

Good question Robin. Just had a look at the IRFANVIEW "Save" options and it only saves in jpeg. Since it can't save the file in its original format, it's likely that you have hit the nail on the head.

Maybe we're drifting off a little bit?

If I recall from some years back, it is necessary to set what raw files you would like to open in 'preferences'. Now IrfanView may or may not be able to open the latest .raf format - but my point here is that IrfanView's 'Save' options don't tell you that one way or the other.

Manfred is of course correct in that raw files that have been opened and edited can not be saved back to raw format when done.

OT but it is often said similarly that FastStone Viewer only opens embedded JPEGs but that is untrue. In the RAW settings tab, selecting 'open full size' will cause FastStone to decode any file that it's embedded DCraw code can handle - even Sigma X3F files (up to SD14 and DP1/2; later models do decode but come out looking like raw composite images).

[Saorsa]

Every Sensor and onboard processor combo will produce some different form of 'raw' file. That's just a necessity of technology since the sensor is a physical device as is the processor but the architecture will be slightly different.

Every one of these will need to be 'cod'ed to create the raw file and 'dec'oded to create a common format for processing. This results in the need for a 'codec' to decode the image to a common format for processing.

Once the manufacture decides how it will encode the raw data they produce an algorithm to decode it so that it can be reporduced on a variety of displays. For instance your EVF and your rear screen are not likely to be identical in number of pixels or almost any other metric for a display yet, the internal processor must present the image to both. Since it will be producing an embedded jpeg that's obviously the simplest to use for the other displays (which,of course, have their own demands for coding and decoding)