[Digikam-users] Color Management and RAW/NEF files

[Gilles Caulier]

I have a lots of NEF files there to test and opening in editor with
RAW Import tool is suitable. I don't use CM and i work in 16 bits
color depth.

preview : http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4181154142_3c26153464_b.jpg
raw import : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/4181153432_194912f328_b.jpg
image editor : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/4181153828_6bc51f3d2d_b.jpg

Using wrong ICC color profile in CM will give wrong results...

I know that Ufraw use NEF curves adjustments from file metadata. I'm
not sure if libraw used by digiKam to play with RAW file do the same
automatically.

Anyway, RAW require manual adjustments. In others way use JPEG...

Other important point : preview is JPEG embedded from RAW file and
fully pre-processed by camera. It's not RAW image ! This is why you
cannot see the same result in RAW import...

Gilles Caulier

2009/12/13 Wilkins, Vern W <vwilkins at indiana.edu>:
> I agree, RAW conversion is terrible at least w/ 16 bits.  I've never been able to get good 16 bit RAW results with any version of digikam, including 1.0.0rc.  I gave up long ago, but I check every new release hoping something will change.  I've always just used ufraw to convert my raw images and save them to png.  Then I do anything I can't do in ufraw, like sharpening, in Digikam and save the jpg's.  It takes a little longer but ufraw does an incredible job (color management works too) with no hassle.
>
> Vern
>
> ________________________________________
> From: Mark Greenwood [fatgerman at ntlworld.com]
> Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 1:39 PM
> To: digikam-users at kde.org
> Subject: [Digikam-users] Color Management and RAW/NEF files
>
> Please will somebody explain to me what is going on when I try to import my NEF files into Digikam? I've read all the information I can, but I cannot understand how Digikam expects the workflow to occur and I seem to be getting random results.
>
> I'm using digiKam on Kubuntu 9.10. Digikam reports its version as rc..-rc, apt says I have version 2:1.0.0~rc
> My settings are as follows:
> Image Editor - 'Use Raw Import Tool to handle RAW Images' is disabled
> All settings under 'RAW Decoding' are set to the defaults
> Colour Management : Enabled
> Working colour space is set to SRGB
> When the profile of an image does not match the working colour space - 'Ask when opening the image'
> When an image has no colour profile information - 'Ask when opening the image'
> When loading a RAW file with uncalibrated colours - 'Convert it from the default input profile'
> Monitor Profile is set to sRGB
> I am using colour managed view for editor and for previews and thumbnails.
> Default input colour profile is a Nikon D60 profile I created using the Nikon software under Windows.
>
> I am currently testing using one RAW image I have run through the Nikon software and saved as JPEG so I have something to compare to. The icc profile I'm using is the one the Nikon software used when I loaded that image. The embedded preview when viewed in Digikam is clear, bright, and saturated. It looks exactly like the JPEG I have exported from the Nikon software. However when I open the RAW image in Digikam's Editor I get a dark and highly oversaturated image. Even stranger is if I close the editor and return to the image preview, the preview has changed from the bright saturated image I started with to a dark, unsaturated, washed-out image. I do not understand what is happening.
>
> What am I doing wrong? Please.. I really want to use Digikam but the sheer number of options is making my head spin. Also it seems that some changes to colour management settings don't do anything until I restart Digikam, so it is becoming impossible to tell what makes a difference and what doesn't. Don't make me go out and buy a Mac, please... :)
>
> Mark
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