Re: [Gimp-developer] Adobe software issues

[Elle Stone <l elle stone gmail com>]

This isn't a direct reply to your question, as you are asking whether
Gimp itself can or will handle raw processing and I'm not sure
when/whether the Gimp developers intend to go that direction. But
there are two alternative approaches already being used by many people
who use Gimp:

First, at least two open source raw processors have plugins to allow
use with Gimp:

http://photivo.org/photivo/download_and_setup/gimp
http://ufraw.sourceforge.net/Install.html

Second, Raw Therapee (and no doubt most other open source raw
processors) allow the possibility of setting things up so that the
processed image is automatically sent to Gimp:

http://www.rawtherapee.com/

Almost all raw processors (proprietary and open source) use dcraw to
decode (but not to process) the raw images. So when dcraw adds support
for a new camera, the various raw processors also update their code,
usually very quickly in git/subversion/etc, more slowly in terms of an
actual new release.

If you need immediate support for a new camera that is not yet
supported by your chosen raw processor, dcraw (command line) can be
used to process the image (it's easier than you might think, even if
you don't usually use the command line).

Even if a new camera isn't yet supported officially by dcraw, usually
you can decode it using the "-o 0" option to output raw color, in
which case you would need to create and apply a custom camera input
profile. The list of currently supported cameras is here:

http://www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin/dcraw/

and if you read the faqs (same page), you'll find suggestions for
getting a new camera supported more quickly than might happen if you
just wait until the camera winds its way through the usual channels.

The default ACR settings result in an image that has been made
"prettier" by application of a default black point, added contrast, an
S-curve, and some saturation, sharpening, noise removal, etc. The open
source "gui" raw processors (UFRaw, Photivo, RawTherapee, etc) all
have their own default "prettier" settings, but you probably would
want to experiment to find the settings that are prettier to you.
dcraw is a pure raw processor, that is, it doesn't do any
"prettifying" post-interpolation image processing, so the results will
look flat until you add your own curves, saturation, etc.

Kind regards,
Elle Stone




On 5/8/13, Margaret Brown <mogbrown optusnet com au> wrote:
> Hi
>
> With Adobe withdrawing to the Cloud, there is a real need for GIMP to
> include a raw file developer that can act as a replacement for Adobe Camera
> Raw.
>
> If such an application could be produced and kept up-to-date when new
> cameras are released, we would be happy to support it and make it the
> default converter for our camera and lens tests. We would also be prepared
> to promote it through our magazine and website.
>
> With a growing number of photographers protesting against Adobe's
> announcements, the time is ripe for making GIMP the favoured image editor
> worldwide. But this can't happen until it gets good (and timely) raw file
> support.
>
> Kind regards
>
> Margaret Brown
>
> Technical Editor
>
> Photo Review Australia
>
> www.photoreview.com.au


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