[Digikam-users] Image file alterations

[Gilles Caulier]

2009/1/13 Gerhard Kulzer <gerhardkgmx at gmail.com>

> On Tuesday 13 January 2009 06:10:09 Chris Savery wrote:
> > Hello,
> > I'm new to digiKam. I am currently using Lightroom on WinXP under
> > VirtualBox. I would very much like to move to using digiKam so that I
> > can do my photo work under linux.
> >
> > First thing that comes to mind when trying this out:
> >
> > -> if I add my image file tree being used under Lightroom into digiKam
> > as albums is digiKam going to write back to the image metadata on those
> > images?
> digiKam cannot write into RAW files, but can write into DNG files and
> normal
> formats like jpg and png, tif. The latter depends on your settings: you can
> leave it at the default where metadata are kept in the database only, or
> tell
> digikam to write into the images (I prefer the latter for security
> reasons).
>
> > I'd rather that all my Canon CR2 images remained intact and unaltered. I
> > would also very much like if they can co-habitate in both Lightroom and
> > digiKam until I have decided that digiKam offers enough incentive to
> > drop Lightroom. I have looked through the manual but can't find a clear
> > answer on this.
> see above, CR2 will not be touched.
> But digikam can convert them into DNG files and add metadata. (If you read
> my
> article on Digital Asset Management http://www.gerhard.fr/DAM you'll find
> arguments against keeping propriatary formats in the long run)


Note : with Exiv2 0.18, a generic tiff writter have been implemented, and
Exiv2 start to tupport writting mode in some RAW file format based on
TIFF/EP, as DNG of course, but also, PEF, and NEF. I know that Andreas
Huggel (Exiv2 coordinator) work on CR2 support.

As Gerhard said previously, DNG can be a solution. This depand of your
workflow.

DNG is not perfect. I recommend to test my RAW to DNG converter tool for
Linux avaialble in digiKam as plugin:

http://www.digikam.org/drupal/node/373

Personally, i don't use yet DNG. My raw workflow is :

RAW (mrw-minolta) [Camera, backup]

PNG (16 bits) [Editing, cataloging, storage, backup, versioning]

JPEG [publishing and printing only - i never store in local JPEG image]

Gilles Caulier

Best

Gilles Caulier


>
>
> > Second thing that I'm not clear on is when adding images from my CF
> > cards using the auto-album mode to create date folders is what those 3
> > date options really mean. It isn't stated anywhere that I can find, but
> > maybe I'm not looking enough. I want to use the same format I do now -
> > eg. 2009/January/03 for the folder name. Is that "full text" or ISO. It
> > would really help if that selector box there gave examples of what the
> > options mean. I guess that should be added to some wish list.
> Use the context help: Shift+F1 (question mark appears), then click onto the
> Date format and a detailed example explanation will come up.
>
> > Lastly, in digiKam it looks like there is no similar concept to the
> > "catalog" of Lightroom. As far as I can tell when images are added to an
> > album it is simply a way of managing a file folder tree. So if that's
> > the case I'm not clear how one works with offline content stored on
> > removable media. If the albums are "out there" (not online) is the data
> > still stored in the database. So is there only ONE really big database
> > for everything ever touched in digiKam or is there some way to select a
> > current database, ie. catalog?
> Currently digiKam can not deal with offline content, but that feature is in
> the
> development pipeline.
> > I have many years background programming for Win32 GUI in C/C++. If I am
> > able to really use digiKam for my photography under Linux then I'd be
> > really happy to contribute through programming for digiKam too. There
> > would be a learning curve for me as I have not yet coded for Linux Gui
> > (just console apps so far).
> You are more than welcome to contribute to digikam. It's best to write or
> talk
> to Gilles Gaulier, our lead developer, directly. He is often on the
> freenode
> #digikam channel.
>
> Cheers
> Gerhard
> > Thanks for any input on my questions above.
>
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