[Digikam-users] re JPEG lossiness, PNG

[Andrew Goodbody]

On 18/01/12 23:28, Peter Mc Donough wrote:
>
>>> What if the manufacture stopps producing cameras (who
>>> remembers Minolta ??) and doesn't support its RAW program any
>>> more?
>>
>> It does not matter if the support is already in libraw or equivalent
>> open source code. Continued manufacturer support is irrelevant.
>
> True if you have an open source programm and someone willing to maintain
> it over the years.

Well, yes, but libraw is the same library that gives digikam support for 
DNG as well as the other RAW formats so if libraw stops being supported 
in the future you will equally have a problem with DNG.

>>> Possible solution: Move to a non camera specific RAW format.
>>>
>> If you have programs that can work with the original file format, and
>> we do, then you are always better off working with the original
>> files. Converting to DNG gains you absolutely nothing.
>
>
> You speak of DCRAW, I suppose.

Not exactly. Above I was talking about a common library used to decode 
RAW files, libraw, which is based on dcraw source. Here I was talking 
about the programs such as digikam, RawTherapee, Darktable, ufraw, that 
use libraw et al or have their own RAW decoder, in order to be able to 
work on those files.

> Well with DCRAW, my Olympus SP550uz is, my Olympus E-450 is (was) not
> listed as supported.
> With DNG-RAW no problem.

OK, not listed, but it may work anyway. Did you try it? If it did not 
work did you provide sample files to Dave Coffin for him to implement 
the support?

Andrew