Re: recommendation for digital camera -=> Shameless Nikon plug
Micha Feigin <michf@post.tau.ac.il> writes:
> Looks like you missed it a bit here. What you would call a pixel in the
> raw file is not the same as a pixel in the tiff file.
Actually, it's close enough.
> In the raw file you have 4 ccd cells per image pixel (R, G, G, B)
That's not correct for any Bayer camera I know of. Specifically not
correct for the Nikon DSLRs or consumer cameras.
There's one CCD cell per image pixel, with the exception of the D1x,
which has a strange layout[1].
> corresponding to the Bayer mask, at 12 bits per cell, which should make
> that 48 bits per pixel, which in turn should make the file
> approximately twice the size of the standard tiff (I think NEF files
> are actually tiff files with some undocumented extensions IIRC).
Correct, NEF files use a TIFF container.
As for sizes, TIFFs from the camera really are about twice the size
of uncompressed RAW.[2] If you really want, I can provide pics taken
in each mode.
> The compression option probably lets you chose between lossy and
> lossless compression and not uncompressed versus compressed, but its just
> a wild guess.
The D1x allows a choice between uncompressed and compressed[2]. The
D70 does not.[3] Neither allow you to choose lossiness. The above
link explains the loss of detail.
(You're guessing. I've got the camera.)
> I will have to read the code or the specs for dcraw.c (hope I got the
> name right) to give you an exact answer to this.
See [3], where they did. There's also more info in the D1scussion
archive[4] which is unfortunately available only to members.
> IIRC most relevant filters are already there or available, and I don't
> like the magic filters of 'simple user' software anyway since it
> usually doesn't do what I need (don't know Nikon Capture so I may be
> way off the mark here).
Yep, you're way off.
For example, NC offers:
* Autoremoval of sensor dust from images, given a reference.
* Fisheye-to-rectilinear with some lenses.
* Vignette control, to increase or decrease vignetting. It knows the
properties of the lens you used. Very cool.
* Lets you adjust exposure by standard EV values
* Easy highlight/shadow adjustments. Really, really easy.[5]
Now, you _can_ do all of this with the gimp. But it's a more manual
work. NC lets you work on thumbnails, set image settings, then batch
convert. And you're limited in your plugin choice because you have to
use filmgimp to get 16-bit color, to take full advantage of the extra
range in the files. Or, use the RawPhoto plugin and fiddle with
settings before actually converting it into 8-bit per channel, but
then you're severely limited in your available modifications.[6]
Footnotes:
[1] http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond1x/
[2] http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond1x/page15.asp
[3] http://www.majid.info/mylos/weblog/2004/05/02-1.html
[4] http://www.juergenspecht.com/d1scussion/#13
[5] http://www.lonestardigital.com/digital_dee.htm
[6] http://ptj.rozeta.com.pl/Soft/RawPhoto
--
Alan Shutko <ats@acm.org> - I am the rocks.
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