[KPhotoAlbum] Importing Canon raw files

[Shawn Willden]

On Saturday 08 April 2006 10:43, Robert L Krawitz wrote:
> I just got a Canon EOS 20D.  This camera (along with the 30D, the 5D,
> and very likely the 1D II and 1Ds II) has an option to save both a
> JPEG file and a RAW file.
>
> Currently KPhotoAlbum finds both of these files.  I suggest (as an
> RFE) that it only find the RAW file if the JPEG file doesn't also exist.

I think we may need to spend a little time thinking about how KPA should 
handle RAW+JPEG and other scenarios.

Just using the RAW might not be the best approach, because unless KPA is going 
to generate a displayable image from the RAW image, the RAW may not contain 
an embedded image that KPA can display, or the image it contains may be of 
lower quality than the JPEG sitting next to it.

Like Robert's 20D, my Canon 350D also generates RAW+JPEG, and KPA would 
normally show both of them.  I noticed that the RAW image actually contains 
an embedded copy of the same JPEG produced by the camera, which increases the 
size of the RAW file by 2-3MB.  In order to save space on my laptop hard 
drive, I use exiftool to strip the embedded large JPEG from the RAW file.  
Presently, that means KPA finds but cannot display my RAW images.

Actually, my RAW files still contain an embedded JPEG, but it's a small 
thumbnail.  KPA can (and should) display this if it doesn't find the larger 
embedded JPEG, but it would be better to use the standalone JPG file.

There's another scenario as well.  When I shoot RAW only, to maximize the 
storage on my CF card, I immediately process the files with UFRaw to produce 
JPEGs as soon as I download the images from the camera (my download script 
runs UFRaw automatically).  In that case, the RAW image contains a mid-sized 
emedded JPEG as well as a thumbnail, but no large JPEG.  KPA would then have 
a choice of three JPEGs to use:  The UFRaw-generated JPEG or either of the 
two embedded JPEGs.

Ideally, I think if KPA has a choice of several versions of the same image, 
they should all be consolidated under one icon, and the highest-resolution of 
the available images should be used for the display.

	Shawn.