dcraw updates

I just purchased a Panasonic FZ35 (USA version) which has raw file (.rw2)output capability. I am evaluating a trail version of PhotoPerfect and I like it very much. It looks like it can take a lot of the tediousness and repetition out of image processing, leaving the user to make final tweaks.

I know that dcraw v. 8.97 supports the FZ35 and it is already in RawTherapee. The trail version of PhotoPerfect loads the FZ35's rw2 files but must be using the FZ28's color chart as the colors are way off.

How often is the raw converter in PhotoPerfect updated and when can I expect an update to dcraw?

Can I load it myself from the dcraw web page?

I can use other software to create 16-bit tiffs so I have a workaround while I'm evaluating PhotoPerfect.

Thanks,
Werner

I did find the instructions in Help about getting dcraw.exe and putting it into the program folder. I substituted the new file, version 8.97, but PerfectPhoto wouldn't read FZ35 raw files and would even read DNG and other raw files that it read before, so I went back to the old dcraw. Is this because I am still on a trial version?

Hi Werner,

Unfortunately recently there are some parameter mismatches, so that just replacing the dcraw.exe does not work. Some recompiling works are required. Please try the following version of dcraw 8.96, which is our newest dated from 2009-Aug-27:

dcraw 8.96

Please just download and replace your current version of dcraw.exe in your PhotoPerfect installation folder.

Normally we update our software frequently - sometime within just a couple of days - to provide our users with the latest features. However as we are currently involved in a lot of development projects, this frequence has been reduced a bit.

Please let us know if this newer dcraw version works for you.

No, our trial version is full functioning.

Best regards

Hoang-Tran

Interesting. Is that possible/OK for you to provide us with a RAW sample of your camera, so that we can play with? A control JPEG with the typical Panasonic colors would also be great. Maybe you can upload those 2 files somewhere?

Many thanks in advance

Hoang-Tran

Thanks Hoang-Tran,

Unfortunately the FZ35 is a new camera (released 2 weeks ago) and Panasonic changed something in the format for this camera that alters the colors dramatically. 8.96 reads the file but creates a seriously off-color image in the PhotoPerfect raw converter. Dave updated 8.97 to incorporate this camera's color chart and added a few other cameras as well.

I'm OK at the moment; I can use RawTherapee to create 16-bit tif's or the DNG 5.5 converter to create dng files in batch mode.

I just spent a long weekend working with the trial version of PhotoPerfect and I am very impressed. The optimizers are all remarkably good. For most routine shots they are all I will ever need to process an image. For the "important" images, they get so close to final that a minor tweak or two are all that they may need. That they do all that in 16 bit mode is even more remarkable. Photoshop Elements 7 is still in the dark ages compared to PhotoPerfect.