An Alternate way to support Leica RAW DNG Users?

[psibbald]

I understand from reading previous posts on the perils of trying to work with leica m8, m9, and m240 RAW DNG files in PM that the problem is that Leica is only embedding miniscule ~200x300px previews in their DNGs. This presents the long time PM user with a dilemma, go through a bunch of hoops in order to recreate  the files so one can use them in PM, or cease using PM, because frankly making critical editing decisions based upon 2xx x 3xx px thumbs do not make for good a professional outcome.

Now on one hand, given their cataloguing rather than raw conversion focus (elsewhere stated by Kirk or Dennis) I can understand the dilemma that this poses the good folks at Camerabits. However, what I don't understand is how I can simply hit the space-bar on my Mac on a high-lit Leica RAW DNG  and a big juicy fullish screen preview instantly pops up. This means that the capacity to read these files and generate decent workable previews is baked right into our Apples.

Now I have been previously given to understand that PM uses Quicktime to interpret video files as well as very large PSDs etc up to 8000px across (if memory serves). Why can't CameraBits similarly access the onboard resources of our Apple computers to generate decent previews from our Leica DNGs so we can carry on happily using the best photo-browser/sorting/editing/captioning/labeling programs ever invented?

[Kirk Baker]

Try pressing the 'Q' key while in the Preview window (make sure you have RAW rendering enabled in PM's RAW preferences.)  It should render the DNG file.

Otherwise, you can run your DNGs through Adobe's free DNG Converter application and cause it to render a high resolution preview when it updates the DNG file.

-Kirk

[psibbald]

Thanks Kirk,

I did not have the correct setting selected in the RAW Prefs. Needed the box ticked to enable RAW rendering by Apples Image IO which I had done, but also For RAW Only: Render RAW for Preview if possible (which I hadn't selected.) Doing this is a tad slower than reading the embedded jpg thumbs, but a whole lot more useful.

From my standpoint then, it looks like PM handles Leica RAW DNGs just fine. Hmmm, I wonder what all the fuss was about earlier.

Peter

[Kirk Baker]

Peter,

Thanks Kirk,

I did not have the correct setting selected in the RAW Prefs. Needed the box ticked to enable RAW rendering by Apples Image IO which I had done, but also For RAW Only: Render RAW for Preview if possible (which I hadn't selected.) Doing this is a tad slower than reading the embedded jpg thumbs, but a whole lot more useful.

From my standpoint then, it looks like PM handles Leica RAW DNGs just fine. Hmmm, I wonder what all the fuss was about earlier.

I think the fuss is regarding wanting a good preview but with all of the speed users are accustomed to when browsing RAW formats from other camera manufacturers.

-Kirk

[psibbald]

Right, yes, thanks Kirk, I see that now. It's rather sluggish this method, but at least it works faster than reprocessing the DNGs or sacrificing speed and card-write accuracy when double writing both to RAW and JPGs while shooting. However, it makes the M camera a less productive tool from a workflow standpoint, and I can see there is nothing more Camera Bits could do about this. It is unfortunate Leica continues to ignore this. On the other hand, compared to the time that it takes to process film and contact print it, do a preliminary edit and ultimately print work prints to final edit from, Leica is finally moving into the early 2000s. What crazy archaic tools. Why do we love them so much?!

One needs to remember to reset the preference when using one's Canons or Nikons to take advantage of the the speed of their larger inbuilt previews rather than forcing PM to rebuild each one using the Apple resources.

Peter