Steve'sDigicams

BillDrew · Sep 29, 2004, 8:06 AM

Seems unlikely that there can be a truly universal RAW format, i.e., one that is not an interpolation. There are at least four different kinds of sensors used in digicams (ignoring CCD/CMOS differences):
1) Retangular sensors grid.
2) Sensors in a hexagonal pattern.
3) Foveon
4) Two sensors/pixel - one low sensivity to capture information in the blown out areas to increase dynamic range.

JimC · Sep 29, 2004, 2:56 PM

David Coffin (the author of dcraw.c) sent me some comments. He said to feel free to quote him. For those of you that are not familiar with dcraw.c, you can read more about it at http://www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin/dcraw/

David Coffin Wrote:[quote]I think Adobe's DNG idea is well-intentioned, but suffers from two serious flaws:

First, why would camera makers want to change their raw formats? Compatibility leads to commoditization,and that leads to competition based on price alone. Great for consumers, terrible for producers.

Second, this format cannot anticipate innovations that haven't happened yet. When new sensors appear, the standard must be updated, along with the software that implements it.

There is only one way to guarantee that a digital archive will be readable in fifty years. For any non-text files, it must include decoding software as human-readable source code. If the decoder is written in a language other than C, it would be prudent to include an interpreter for that language, written in C.

Dcraw already fills this role. When the first DNG camera is available, dcraw.c will support it as one more raw format among many.

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Sep 29, 2004, 8:06 AM	#11
BillDrew Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hay River Township, WI Posts: 2,512	Seems unlikely that there can be a truly universal RAW format, i.e., one that is not an interpolation. There are at least four different kinds of sensors used in digicams (ignoring CCD/CMOS differences): 1) Retangular sensors grid. 2) Sensors in a hexagonal pattern. 3) Foveon 4) Two sensors/pixel - one low sensivity to capture information in the blown out areas to increase dynamic range.

Sep 29, 2004, 2:56 PM	#12
JimC Administrator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Savannah, GA (USA) Posts: 22,378	David Coffin (the author of dcraw.c) sent me some comments. He said to feel free to quote him. For those of you that are not familiar with dcraw.c, you can read more about it at http://www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin/dcraw/ David Coffin Wrote:[quote]I think Adobe's DNG idea is well-intentioned, but suffers from two serious flaws: First, why would camera makers want to change their raw formats? Compatibility leads to commoditization,and that leads to competition based on price alone. Great for consumers, terrible for producers. Second, this format cannot anticipate innovations that haven't happened yet. When new sensors appear, the standard must be updated, along with the software that implements it. There is only one way to guarantee that a digital archive will be readable in fifty years. For any non-text files, it must include decoding software as human-readable source code. If the decoder is written in a language other than C, it would be prudent to include an interpreter for that language, written in C. Dcraw already fills this role. When the first DNG camera is available, dcraw.c will support it as one more raw format among many.