RAW conversion in Viewer

Ideas for improvements and requests for new features in XnView MP

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eet
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:30 am

RAW conversion in Viewer

Post by eet »

Great software and super fast - thanks!
Frequently use image viewers to make quick corrections and conversion of RAW files that do not warrant editing in a
more complete software -
But, I am unable to figure out how to disable the automatic image correction applied to the RAW files when I enter the viewer
to do editing.. I am opening an NEF file and it is automatically converted to RGB/8bit as well and the color balance and exposure are
being automatically 'enhanced' for me.
Don't want that.

Please let me know if there are some options available.

(Using Linux Mint 14 KDE, 64bit)
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m.Th.
XnThusiast
Posts: 1663
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:31 am
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Re: RAW conversion in Viewer

Post by m.Th. »

eet wrote:Great software and super fast - thanks!
Frequently use image viewers to make quick corrections and conversion of RAW files that do not warrant editing in a
more complete software -
But, I am unable to figure out how to disable the automatic image correction applied to the RAW files when I enter the viewer
to do editing.. I am opening an NEF file and it is automatically converted to RGB/8bit as well and the color balance and exposure are
being automatically 'enhanced' for me.
Don't want that.

Please let me know if there are some options available.

(Using Linux Mint 14 KDE, 64bit)

Do you know that the thumbnail of the RAW file (the one which you see in the XnView's thumbnails, previews etc.) is different from the actual RAW image?


This isn't a problem with the XnView and/or dcraw (the raw engine behind XnViewMP) but with the way in which .NEF thumbnails are built by your camera which isn't an accurate representation of the RAW data. See here:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4990383

...but if you want to work only with RAW embedded thumbnails (in fact, I do) go to Tools | Settings | View and choose for 'Camera RAW' setting the 'Embedded preview'

HTH
m. Th.

- Dark Themed XnViewMP 1.6 64bit on Win11 x64 -
eet
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:30 am

Re: RAW conversion in Viewer

Post by eet »

Excellent! That is exactly what I was looking for - without realizing it even, I have gotten used to beginning my edits
with the RAW (NEF) files pre-adjusted with the camera settings. But like you said, this is preferable to me as well -
I am accustomed to editing my pictures 'as shot', and now I can happily use XnView as my image browser and default
minimal editor/converter.

As a reference to other people who may read this thread - I have been playing with linux for over ten years off and on, and
finally making the switch over from windows. The software I used before was Fast Stone Image Viewer (very nice) -
XnView should be a good replacement - I don't have a need for the database features, but I do need the batch editing/renaming and
it is incredibly fast and responsive, includes color managed workflow, and nice GUI with enough tools for light editing.
For advanced RAW edits I was using Adobe Lightroom, and now flip-flop between DarkTable, RawTherapee, and GIMP w/ UFRaw.

I would hardly consider myself a novice, but -
Thanks again for helping learn something, not only about the XnView software but more about image processing as well.

Cheers.

(PS - thought I should mention some of the other software on linux I had tried but did not find suitable for various reasons:
FS Viewer 4.6 under WINE, gThumb, shotFoto, digiKam, Gwenview, ImageMagick and Shotwell. I think I forgot a couple too.)
KampfHamster
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 10:44 am

Re: RAW conversion in Viewer

Post by KampfHamster »

@ m.Th.

I registered because you seem to have some idea. I have a pentax and the pef RAWs include also a small JPEG file, which is based on the real JPEG the camera would make. I would like to update this thumbnail based on the real raw file, because it looks much different. Im ussing XNVieMP, but I could also switch to XNview.

And I would also like to save the RAW file, if I select auto brightness, I can only export into other format but not save into the RAW.

Perhaps you could help me.

THX
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m.Th.
XnThusiast
Posts: 1663
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Re: RAW conversion in Viewer

Post by m.Th. »

KampfHamster wrote:@ m.Th.

I registered because you seem to have some idea. I have a pentax and the pef RAWs include also a small JPEG file, which is based on the real JPEG the camera would make. I would like to update this thumbnail based on the real raw file, because it looks much different. Im ussing XNVieMP, but I could also switch to XNview.

And I would also like to save the RAW file, if I select auto brightness, I can only export into other format but not save into the RAW.

Perhaps you could help me.

THX
Do you want to update the embedded thumbnail from PEFs? You cannot. It is a chore. PEFs like almost any other RAW format is, in fact, a company-customized (Pentax in your case) TIFF format which is quite difficult to begin with. Certainly doable, however it isn't worth the effort.

If you want to generate your thumbs in XnView MP based on the actual raw data from PEFs, you can do it but it will be slower. (ok, you can leave the program overnight or similar - depending on how big your PEFs are). Go to Tools | Settings | View and at „Camera RAW, use” drop-box choose „Full Size”.
m. Th.

- Dark Themed XnViewMP 1.6 64bit on Win11 x64 -
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m.Th.
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Re: RAW conversion in Viewer

Post by m.Th. »

And I would also like to save the RAW file, if I select auto brightness, I can only export into other format but not save into the RAW.
You cannot - sorry - and this isn't XnView MP's fault. PEFs are Raw (= the Raw data from sensor) which means that they are a „complicated” 12-bit data of separate R,G and B channels. Due of the intrinsic nature of Bayer sensors any program which reads Raw needs a special operation (called „demosaicing”) to get this bunch of bits in a classical 8,8,8 RGB format. To do the reverse and to inject the data in the (compressed) proprietary raw format among the proprietary maker notes/tags is a very complicated task which, till now, nobody allocated resources for.

Try to save in normal TIFF or PNG (or any other loseless format of your choice). Anyway, the XnView MP processing pipeline is 8 bit (like many other programs) and you will lose the 4 bits which (I think) you want.

You can use for these things a full-blown non-destructive Raw editor (for ex. Photivo or RawTherapee which are free) but they come with their own set of problems.
m. Th.

- Dark Themed XnViewMP 1.6 64bit on Win11 x64 -
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