Whenever you arrange a brand new digital camera, and even go to take an image on some smartphones, you’re introduced with a key alternative: JPG or RAW?
JPGs are able to submit nearly anyplace, whereas RAWs yield an unfinished file crammed with further knowledge that enables for a lot richer post-processing. That choice for a RAW file (and even the generic title, RAW) has been standardized throughout the digital camera business — however regardless of that, the digital camera world has by no means really settled on one standardized RAW format.
Most cameras seize RAW information in proprietary codecs, like Canon’s CR3, Nikon’s NEF, and Sony’s ARW. The result’s a world of compatibility points. Photograph enhancing software program must particularly help not simply every producer’s file kind but in addition make modifications for every new digital camera that shoots it. That creates ache for app builders and early digital camera adopters who need to know that their most well-liked software program will simply work.
Adobe tried to resolve this downside years in the past with a common RAW format, DNG (Digital Destructive), which it open-sourced for anybody to make use of. A handful of digital camera producers have since adopted DNG as their RAW format. However the largest names within the area nonetheless use their very own proprietary information. And there’s no signal of that altering anytime quickly.
Why have some digital camera manufacturers adopted native DNG information?
Some smaller digital camera producers have been utilizing the DNG format for years, whereas others like Sigma have adopted it extra lately. The entire level of DNG is to supply flexibility, ease of use, and ideally, a bit extra futureproofing — because the format is open to make use of and royalty-free.
DNG was created in 2004 by Thomas Knoll, one of many co-creators of Photoshop, and was primarily based on the even older TIFF picture specification. DNG is able to holding extra digital camera metadata embedded inside it. Whereas different RAW codecs are normally coupled with an XMP sidecar file for storing metadata, DNG is barely streamlined because it’s only one file that enables nondestructive metadata edits inside it.
DNG is sort of sufficiently old to legally drink (within the US)
No matter which digital camera model you employ, a RAW processing workflow is generally the identical: you’re taking an image, import it to a pc, open and course of the file utilizing enhancing software program, after which export a “completed” file in a common format (like JPG) for sharing or printing. The place issues usually get the messiest is with software program compatibility.
You may’t use simply any software program or photograph app to edit a RAW file — you usually want specialised apps that help your particular format. Extensively used client apps like Apple’s Photographs and Google Photographs have some RAW help, but it surely’s frankly a bit janky. It’s finest to make use of software program like Adobe’s Creative Cloud, Capture One, Photo Mechanic, or Darktable.
Some digital camera producers supply their very own software program. However ask most photographers, and so they’ll doubtless steer you towards the third-party apps.
And there’s the massive benefit for DNG. As a result of it’s an open customary, there’s wider third-party app help. That makes it a extra turnkey answer for digital camera makers. It subsequently is sensible that smaller producers (Pentax, Ricoh, Leica, and so on.) or ones with nearer ties to Adobe (Apple) use it.
What are some great benefits of a proprietary RAW format versus an open one like DNG?
Bigger digital camera firms know that app builders will rush to help their newest options, letting them stick to their very own RAW codecs. A proprietary RAW format gives tighter management over the picture pipeline direct from a producer’s digital camera, from the purpose of seize to the information you’re enhancing in your laptop.
That’s the sentiment I bought from a number of digital camera firm reps who gave me suggestions after I requested them why they caught with their proprietary format. Listed here are a few of the solutions I bought when requested why they go along with proprietary choices:
Sony: Michael Bubolo and Ryoko Noguchi of Sony’s product groups inform The Verge that Sony Alpha cameras use a proprietary ARW format “to maximise efficiency primarily based on system traits such because the picture sensor and picture processing engine.”
Panasonic: “A proprietary format allows higher optimization and helps distinctive digital camera features,” mentioned Masanori Koyama of Panasonic’s Lumix division.
Sigma: “Including proprietary knowledge permits the digital camera info to be given extra precisely to the growing software program. Nevertheless, it’s much less versatile,” Sigma mentioned in a press release supplied by US PR rep Jack Howard. (A few of its cameras use DNG, whereas others use the proprietary X3F format.)
Canon: “Canon makes use of a propriety RAW format as a result of it permits our proprietary info to be added to RAW with out being restricted by the standardization, and knowledge might be dealt with freely, enabling optimum processing throughout picture growth,” mentioned Drew MacCallum, senior supervisor of product planning at Canon USA.
Pentax: “The benefit of proprietary codecs is that they’ll evolve on their very own; the drawback is that they is probably not supported by third-party functions,” mentioned Shigeru Wakashiro, Common Supervisor of Product Planning for Ricoh Imaging Firm (which owns Pentax). In fact, Pentax is the lone producer that provides customers a alternative between a proprietary PEF file and DNG. The Ricoh govt added, “The drawback of utilizing DNG is that if all producers use the DNG format, will probably be tough to handle the format individually for every producer.”
Nikon: Didn’t reply The Verge’s questions by time of publication.
Fujifilm: Didn’t reply The Verge’s questions by time of publication.
What are all these codecs?
Canon: CR3 (beforehand CR2 and CRW)
Pentax: PEF (choice for DNG)
Leica: DNG (RWL on some point-and-shoots)
Sigma: DNG (beforehand X3F)
Apple: DNG (Apple ProRAW)
Sony additionally says its format lets it supply distinctive options in its personal enhancing software program: “We are able to maximize its efficiency to realize even greater picture high quality and improve picture particulars via options resembling Composite RAW and Pixel Shift Multi.”
Sony’s software program for processing ARW RAW information is named Imaging Edge. Like most first-party software program from digital camera producers, it’s horrible and unintuitive to make use of — and must be saved for conditions like a high-resolution multishot mode the place it’s the solely technique to make use of a digital camera’s proprietary characteristic. The identical goes for different first-party apps like Canon Digital Photograph Skilled and Nikon NX Studio.
The one different time it might be obligatory to make use of these apps is when you purchase a digital camera as quickly because it’s launched and its RAW information aren’t but supported by Adobe or different software program makers. That second of friction is when a proprietary RAW format is most annoying, primarily affecting early adopters. It’s a restriction that severely impacts digital camera reviewers and YouTubers, who usually can’t check out RAW information in any preliminary hands-on testing.
Getting that software program help out to customers as quickly as doable takes a bunch of testing and work, and it’s not all the time accomplished as rapidly as new digital camera homeowners would love. “For brand new cameras, this implies ensuring that we add help for brand new or modified behaviors in RAW file codecs,” Eric Chan, a digital imaging fellow at Adobe, tells The Verge. “For instance, new compression modes, seize modes resembling Excessive Dynamic Vary and extra. As well as, measuring every new system sensor for traits resembling shade and noise.”
If all that isn’t carried out earlier than a brand new digital camera is launched and other people begin taking footage, the interim alternative turns into: shoot JPGs (an inferior format) or quickly use the digital camera maker’s software program (an inferior workflow).
Why is that this so messy and complicated?
Even when a number of manufacturers of cameras use the identical off-the-shelf sensor — Nikon, Pentax, Leica, and others use sensors manufactured by Sony — the picture processing pipeline and fine-tuning is all proprietary. It’s what provides manufacturers their signature fashion, like the colour science that Fujifilm is understood for. However that doesn’t imply it’s inconceivable to do all of that with an open format like DNG.
“I’ve but to listen to a very good purpose for utilizing proprietary RAW codecs. The underlying knowledge is identical. If a producer comes up with extra knowledge that isn’t included within the DNG customary, the format is extensible sufficient {that a} digital camera producer can throw it in there, anyway.” That’s what Ben Sandofsky, developer at Lux Optics, makers of Halide, informed me. So possibly some digital camera manufacturers are set of their methods and like having full management. In the end, we’re kind of at their mercy and whether or not they select to be extra guarded with a proprietary format or use an open one like DNG.
I want it weren’t like this, however in the end, it’s principally fantastic. A minimum of, for now. So long as the digital camera manufacturers proceed to work intently with firms like Adobe, we will doubtless trudge alongside simply fantastic with this establishment. As a lot as I’d personally want to see all cameras supply a standard format like DNG, so on the very least you by no means have to fret about incompatibilities, it’s unlikely mainstays like Canon CR3 and Nikon NEF information will ever go away.
Which means early adopters are caught hoping their software program is up to date on time — and anybody with outdated gear must hope their format doesn’t exit of fashion.