Kandao, a maker of professional-grade 360° cameras has launched a new software product called Kandao Raw+. The tool was designed to boost image quality of the company’s own camera models Obsidian and QooCam, but also works with most DSLRs and other Raw-capable cameras that are supported by Adobe Camera Raw.
Kandao Raw+ uses computational photography techniques, similar to what we are seeing in many high-end smartphones, to create images with increased detail and dynamic range, as well as lower noise levels. To achieve that it combines a burst of Raw images into one single DNG file that can then be further edited with a Raw converter of your choice.
The software aligns shots automatically which means there is no need for shooting on a tripod. It is also capable of minimizing blur on any moving subjects in the scene. You can import up to 16 frames images of a burst into Kandao Raw+. You then pick one image as a reference for the auto-alignment.
The rest of the process is fully automated and will get you a DNG file with a 16-bit color depth and dynamic range that (theoretically) has been increased by almost 4EV, offering much more latitude in post-processing.
Best of all, Kandao Raw+ is free to download and use. You can find more information, technical detail and download links on the Kandao website.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)