We asked the cameras companies about the reason for their initial coordination

When you prepare a new camera, or even go to take a picture on some smartphones, you are presented to a major option: JPG or RAW?

JPGs is ready to publish almost anywhere, while Raws results in an incomplete file filled with additional data that allows the richer processing. This option was unified for the initial file (and even the public name, RAW) through the camera industry – but despite this, the world of the camera has not actually settled on a uniform coordination.

Most cameras pick up raw files in royal formats, such as Canon’s CR3, Nikon’s NeF and Sony’s Arw. The result is one of the issues of compatibility. Photo editing program needs support not only the type of each factory file but also changes for every new camera you launch. This creates pain for application developers and its early adoption by cameras who want to know that their favorite programs will only work.

Adobe has tried to solve this problem for years in international RAW coordination, DNG (negative), which is opened for sources for anyone to use. A few manufacturers of the DNG cameras have adopted since their raw coordination. But the biggest names in the space are still using their ownership files. There is no sign of change any time soon.

Why did some brands adopt the original DNG files?

Some manufacturers of smaller cameras use DNG for years, while others like Sigma have recently built it. The complete goal of DNG is to provide flexibility, ease of use, and perfectly, more insulation in the future-because coordination is open for use and free of royalties.

DNG was created in 2004 by Thomas Knoll, one of the creative creators of Photoshop, and was based on the specifications of the oldest TIFF image. DNG is able to keep the additional descriptive data of the included camera within it. While other initial formats are usually associated with the Sidecar XMP file to store descriptive data, DNG is slightly simplified as it is just a file that allows the editing of non -destructive descriptive data inside it.

Regardless of the brand of the camera you use, the course of raw processing is mostly the same: you can take a picture, import it to a computer, open and process the file using the editing program, then export “End” file in global format (such as JPG) to share or print. Things often become more chaotic with the program compatibility.

You can only use any program or application to edit the RAW file – you generally need specialized applications that support your specific format. Consumer applications are widely used such as Apple and Google photos some raw support, but they are somewhat small. It is better to use programs like Creative Adobe cloudand One of the arrest of oneand Photo mechanicOr Darktable.

Some manufacturers of cameras offers their own programs. But ask most photographers, and they are likely to direct you towards third -party applications.

There is a great advantage for DNG. Since it is an open standard, there is support for an application belonging to a wider external party. This makes it a more convection solution to the camera makers. Therefore, it makes sense to be used by smaller manufacturers (Pentax, Rico, Leica, etc.) or those with close relationships with Adobe (Apple).

What are the advantages of royal crude coordination for one open one like DNG?

The largest camera companies know that the application developers will hurry to support their latest features, allowing them to adhere to their raw coordination. RAW monopolistic format provides more strict control of the photo pipeline directly from the manufacturer’s camera, from the point of capture to the files you edit on your computer.

These are the feelings that I got from the representatives of a multiple camera company who gave me notes when I asked them why they held their own coordination. Below are some of the answers that I received when I was asked why they went with ownership options:

Sony: Michael Popolo and Ryoko Noguchi say from Sony Products Team freedom The Sony Alpha cameras use the Royal ARW format “to increase performance to the maximum based on the features of the device such as photo sensor and image processing engine”.

Panasonic: “Royal coordination allows better improvement and supports unique camera functions,” said Massanori Koyama of the Lumix section in Panasonic.

Sigma: “The addition of ownership data allows the provision of camera information more accurately to the developing program. However, it is less diverse,” Sigma said in a statement submitted by the public relations representative in public relations. (Some of its DNG cameras use, while others use your X3F format.)

Canon: “Canon uses a suitable initial format because it allows the addition of our ownership information to RAW without restricting the measurement, and data can be handled freely, allowing optimal processing while developing images,” said Drew McCalam, Senior Director of Product Planning in Canon, USA.

Pentax: “The feature of royal coordination is that they can develop on its own; the faults are that it may not be supported through third -party requests.” Of course, Pentax is the only manufacturer that gives users a choice between the PEF file and DNG. “The DNG’s use is that if all manufacturers use DNG format, it will be difficult to manage coordination separately for each factory.”

Nikon: He did not freedomQuestions by publishing time.

Fujifilm: He did not freedomQuestions by publishing time.

Sony also says her format allows her to provide unique features in her editing program: “We can increase her performance to the maximum level of image quality and improve image details through features like Raw and Pixel Shift Multi.”

Sony is called ARW Raw Edge. Like most of the first-party programs of the camera manufacturers, it is terrible and intuitive for use-and it must be saved for cases such as a multi-resolution mode where it is only A way to use the ownership feature of the camera. The same applies to the first -party applications such as Canon Digital Photo Progusiatal and Nikon NX Studio.

The only time that it may be necessary to use these applications is if you purchase a camera once they are released and their raw files are not supported after Adobe or other software makers. This moment of friction is when the rough property coordination is more disturbing, which mainly affects the first adoption. It strongly affects the camera recovers and YouTube men, who can not often try the initial files in any initial practical test.

Getting the program’s support for this as soon as possible takes a set of test and work, and is not always completed at the speed that new camera owners want. “For new cameras, this means making sure to add support for new or variable behaviors in raw file formats,” tells Eric Chan, Adobe digital photography colleague, freedom. “For example, new pressure modes, capture patterns such as high dynamic range and more. In addition, each sensor measuring a new device for features such as color and noise.”

If this is not done before the release of a new camera and people start taking pictures, the temporary option becomes: JPGS (lower shape) or the use of the camera maker program temporarily (poor workflow).

Why is this very messy and confusing?

Even if you use multiple brands of cameras with the same sensor outside the shelf-use Nikon, Bentax, Leica, and other Sony-made sensors-image processing pipeline and completely control. It gives brands its signing style, like the color science that Fujifilm is famous for. But this does not mean that impossible To do all of this in an open format like DNG.

“I have not yet heard a good reason for the use of royal royal formats. The basic data is the same. If the manufacturer comes with additional data that is not included in the DNG standard, the format can be expanded enough so that the camera manufacturer can throw it there, anyway.” This is what Ben Sandwsky, a developer in Lux Optics, told me Halide. Therefore, some brands of cameras may be set in their ways, such as full control. Ultimately, we are doing a kind of their mercy and whether they choose to be more guarded in a special format or use one open such as DNG.

I wish it wasn’t like this, but in the end, it’s mostly okay. At least, now. As long as the camera brands continue to work closely with companies like Adobe, we can likely move well with this current situation. As I personally prefer to see all the cameras providing common format like DNG, so at least you never need to worry about incompatibility, it is unlikely that Canon CR3 and Nikon NEF will disappear.

This means that the first adopters are stuck in the hope of updating their programs on time – and anyone with old equipment needs to be hoped to run out of elegance.