Every serious photographer has experienced this. You have too many files and too little hard drive space. The result? No space for other data or laggy performance in Lightroom or on your computer as a whole. Thus begins the search for figuring out Lightroom’s deepest, darkest secrets. Thankfully, this article will tell you everything you need to know to clean Continue Reading
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Posts Tagged ‘Files’
You Can Delete These Lightroom Files to Clean Up and Make Room
20
Aug
JPEG XL image format promises smaller files, backwards compatibility and more
14
Jul
 |
JPEG, the lossy compression standard for images used on the Internet and digital cameras, might receive a much-needed upgrade by year’s end. The creators of JPEG XL claim their free open-source format offers up improvements that will result in a significant reduction in global bandwidth and storage costs.
The JPEG image format was first developed by researchers at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the 1980s. Over the years, due to its many advantages over other formats of the time, it became the go-to format for photos on digital cameras and the World Wide Web. At the time, it was revolutionary, cutting down on the time it took for images to load (think 5 seconds compared to minutes) and could store up to 50 images, rather than 1, on a memory card.
For almost 30 years, this standard, which uses data compression to keep files small, has remained largely unchanged and unchallenged, even after several unsuccessful attempts. That, however, could change. Several formats introduced in the past to replace JPEG, including JPEG 2000, JPEG XR, Google’s WebP, and even HEIC have fallen short of widespread adoption. JPEG XL is hoping to rewrite that script.
JPEG XL can take existing JPEG files and transcode them, losslessly, to reduce their size without compromising their quality. A single JPEG XL file can be stored on a server and serve both JPEG and JPEG XL clients. A JPEG XL file can also be restored to the initial JPEG through backwards compatibility without compromising the file.
The format will benefit photographers by including a wide color gamut, HDR (high dynamic range), and high bit depth images.
The format will benefit photographers by including a wide color gamut, HDR (high dynamic range), and high bit depth images. Support for printing, large panoramas, 360-degree imagery, and image bursts is also available. Optimized for responsive web environments, it’s also addressing current Internet user needs on a wide range of devices such as tablets and smartphones.
‘JPEG XL further includes features such as animation, alpha channels, layers, thumbnails, lossless and progressive coding to support a wide range of use cases including but not limited to photo galleries, e-commerce, social media, user interfaces and cloud storage,’ reads the official overview. What the creators promise is superior image quality, a codec ratio smaller than the typical 20:1 to 50:1, and encoding plus decoding without hardware acceleration on mobile devices.
The standard has four specifications which will be combined to make JPEG XL the standard, going forward, by the end of 2021, so long as the project doesn’t encounter any setbacks. Even if it gets set in stone before the end of the year, it may take time for it to be compatible on all the applications and platforms available. To find out if your browser supports JPEG XL, you can check here. Those interested in the coding system can check out the white paper.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Apple’s new ProRAW image format will capture 12-bit Raw DNG files
14
Nov
 |
Apple has released the iOS 14.3 developer beta which, amongst other improvements, includes the new ProRAW photo feature Apple showed off at its virtual iPhone event last month.
Until now, not much was known about the ProRAW workflow and what type of file the latest iPhone 12 Pro devices would output. We now know, thanks to the iOS 14.3 developer beta, that a ProRaw file will be a 12-bit Raw image captured as a linear digital negative (Linear DNG) file. The file will offer up to 14 stops of dynamic range, according to a report from PetaPixel, and offers the usual post-production adjustments we’ve come to expect from Raw files: white balance adjustment, better exposure refinement and more.
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Turning on ProRAW in iOS on the new iPhone 12 Pro devices is done by toggling it on in the Settings app. As with HDR and Live Photos, images captured as a ProRAW file will have a ‘RAW’ badge displayed alongside it to distinguish it from other images. It’s worth noting though that the image shown in the Photos app is simply a JPEG conversion of the Raw photo, akin to how Raw photos you view on your camera’s displays is actually a JPEG preview. You will only see the Raw image when it’s imported into a compatible post-production app for editing.
Scoop: Looks like the pulled iOS 14.3 beta has Apple ProRAW support. It’s a 12-bit Linear DNG with files coming in at about 25 MB. Thanks @MattF_NorCal! pic.twitter.com/hG6GHz9SVe
— Halide (@halidecamera) November 12, 2020
Speaking of editing, the DNG file should be compatible with any app that accepts DNG files, but it might take some time for all apps to integrate specific profiles for getting the most from the ProRAW format. The DNG files stored to the iOS Camera Roll can either be edited directly on your mobile device and exported as a JPEG from there or be saved and exported to your computer for editing in apps like Lightroom, Affinity Photo, Capture One and others.
ProRAW works on the wide (1x) and telephoto (2x) lenses. No API yet, but out of the box noise reduction is a bit aggressive. Note that @halidecamera RAWs have no noise reduction, so you can see that ProRAW loses some details in the leaf here.
Halide RAW/ProRAW, 1x and 2x. pic.twitter.com/I7QZfTssAe
— Sebastiaan de With (@sdw) November 13, 2020
Co-founder and designer for pro camera app Halide, Sebastiaan de With, points out that ProRAW works on the wide, telephoto and ultrawide camera modules and is also compatible with Night Mode shots (no luck with Portrait mode shots or Live Photos). He’s also discovered ProRAW images come in at roughly 24–28MB, which is quite large considering that’s the size of most DSLR and mirrorless Raw files.
No API is available at this time for ProRAW capture, so even if it does become available in the future, it might take some time to see ProRAW capture enabled in third-party apps.
Dreams do come true: ProRAW brings RAW to the ultra-wide lens, too. That includes ultra-wide Night Mode shots! They’re not very… RAW. Very processsed (clearly lens corrected and noise reduced).
ProRAW shots, unedited, and a quick edit: pic.twitter.com/Sh0dusibuK
— Sebastiaan de With (@sdw) November 13, 2020
Apple’s new ProRAW format is limited to its new iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max devices, so unless you’re planning on upgrading to the new flagship iOS devices, you won’t be seeing this new capture mode. For those of you who already have a compatible iPhone, there’s no information on when iOS 14.3 will be publicly available, so you’ll still need a little more patience.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Adobe Premiere Pro can now natively decode ProRes Raw video files
22
Oct
 |
Adobe has announced Premiere Pro (version 14.5) will now natively support ProRes Raw, finally opening up editing of Apple’s Raw video format to all Premiere Pro users.
Earlier this year, Adobe started selectively supporting ProRes Raw, but only for Windows users running Nvidia GPUs. With this new update, both macOS and Windows users will be able to edit ProRes Raw video regardless of what system or GPU your computer has packed inside.
The initial support is limited, in the sense you aren’t offered full control of ISO and White Balance settings as you are with Apple’s Final Cut Pro X, but it’s likely Adobe is working to get this functionality in place too. Adobe has also added ProRes Raw to LOG color space conversion.
As more cameras get ProRes Raw recording, most notably with the help of Atomos who’s already brought ProRes Raw support to more than 20 cameras via its Ninja V monitor/recorder, it’s nice to see Premiere Pro finally getting the ability to decode and work with the files.
Other improvements in the October 2020 release (version 14.5) of Premiere Pro include support for HDR workflows in Rec2100 PQ color space, improved hardware decoding when using AMD and Nvidia GPUS and faster audio pre-roll.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Disk Drill 4 makes it easier to recover Raw image, video files from damaged drives and memory cards
08
Oct
The macOS version of disk recovery software Disk Drill has received a major 4.0 update that adds, amongst other features, a dramatically improved ability to recover RAW image formats from drives and memory cards.
Disk Drill for macOS 4.0 is now ready for the latest versions of Apple’s desktop and mobile operating systems, macOS Big Sur and iOS 14. Using ‘state-of-the-art scanning methods and updated recovery algorithms,’ Disk Drill 4 can recover more than 400 different file types from drives with FAT32, NTFS, HFS+, and APFS file systems.
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CleverFiles, the team that develops Disk Drill, says it’s ‘invested a lot of resources into researching and implementing unique search and recovery algorithms aiming bring back many raw images.’ Specifically, CleverFiles says it’s dramatically improved the ability to recover Raw image and video formats, including 3FR (Hasselblad), ARW (Sony), CR2 and CR3 (Canon), DNG (multiple mobile devices and cameras), GPR (GoPRO), HEIC (Apple), RLE (QuickTime videos), CVID (Cinepak), H263 and H264, MP4V, BRAW (Blackmagic RAW), CinemaDNG, Canon CRM, multiple MOV-container-based formats and many others.
CleverFiles specifically notes the success rate of being able to reconstruct Raw photo and video files has increased to 99% and 96%, respectively, compared to the respective 68% and 51% success rates with Disk Drill 3.8.
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| A breakdown of the success rate for recovering Raw image and video files from disks and memory cards compared to its previous version and competing products. |
Other benefits of Disk Drill includes the ability to browse recovered files in real-time as they’re reconstructed, rather than having to wait for the entire disk to be scanned, and a secure ‘data shredder’ option for ensuring no data can be recovered from drives you’re looking to get rid of.
You can download Disk Drill 4 for free to try out basic functionality and to get familiarized with all the recovery methods, but if you actually need to recover files from a drive, you can pick up the ‘Pro’ version for $ 89. A single purchase is good for activation on up to three computers. Disk Drill has a great overview of all the new features on its website.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Product Advisory: Sony says some of its SD cards are corrupting video files, offers free replacements
16
Jun
 |
Sony has issued a product advisory for select SD cards in three of its SD card lineups, stating video captured with these cards could become corrupted without warning.
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The product advisory, posted last Friday, says cards in Sony’s SF-M series, Tough SF-M series and Tough SD-G series are affected by an issue wherein ‘data on [the affected cards] may be damaged or data may not be recorded correction when shooting video on a camera in the video speed class mode.’ No further information is provided on what exactly is causing the problem, but Sony says it’s offering replacement cards through March 31, 2022 for SD cards currently under warranty.
Sony provides the below illustrations to help you deduce whether or not your card is affected by the issue, but you can tell at a quick glance by looking for a little star on the back of left-hand corner of the card — if you have a star, your card isn’t affected.
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| Sony: ‘To check whether your [SF-M] card is affected, look for a star mark and an alphanumeric on the lower corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark and has an alphanumeric beginning with TV, your card is affected by this issue. (If your card has an alphanumeric beginning with TR, your card is not affected by this issue.) |
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| Sony: ‘To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.’ |
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Sony: ‘[Affected SF-M Tough] cards can be identified by the presence of V60, R:277MB/s, and W:150MB/s on the card frontside. To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.’ |
If your card is one of the affected units, Sony requests you call their support line (239–768–7669) or connect with a representative through its online chat support. Sony specifically requests you not contact the retailer you purchased your card from. Dan Carr of Shuttermuse says he’s been through the process and was required to provide the following information when you speak with a representative:
- SD card model number
- SD card serial number
- Date of purchase
- Place of purchase
- Shipping and contact information
You can read the full advisory on Sony’s support page.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Samsung files trademark for its ‘Nonacell’ technology destined for its 108MP sensor
09
Feb
Back in December, a rumor went around that Samsung’s Galaxy S11+ smartphone will use a new 108-megapixel sensor with ‘Nonacell’ technology. Not much is known about the sensor still, but it seems the rumor holds a little more clout now that Samsung has officially trademarked the ‘Nonacell’ nomenclature.
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As first discovered by Dutch technology site LetsGoDigital, Samsung has filed a trademark in the United Kingdom for the ‘Nonacell’ name. As addressed in our initial coverage, ‘nona’ is Latin for ‘nine.’ As such, it’s expected that Samsung’s ‘Nonacell’ technology will use a three-by-three color filter array to merge nine pixels into a single, larger one. If combined with the much-anticipated 108MP ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor, the ‘Nonacell’ technology would yield a 12MP still.
Plenty of details remain about the rumored S11+ smartphone from Samsung, but we shouldn’t have to wait much longer with the series expected to launch sometime this month.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
CAMERADACTYL creator launches Kickstarter campaign offering camera files for 3D printers
31
Dec
 |
Ethan Moses, creator of the Homonculus 69 camera introduced last summer, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for CAMERADACTYL Brancopan, a 3D-printed panoramic camera that supports Mamiya Press lenses and 35mm film. Specifically, Moses is seeking funds to cover the costs of releasing the STL files for the camera, enabling 3D printer owners to print and assemble their own cameras.
In his Kickstarter campaign, Moses explains that increased demand for his cameras has resulted in considerable time spent printing, assembling and shipping the units. This has taken up time that would otherwise be spent researching and developing additional cameras.
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According to Moses, if the Kickstarter campaign reaches its $ 12,000 initial goal, he will release the STL files for the Brancopan camera to Kickstarter backers first, then, later on, he will release them to the general public on May 1, 2020. As well, the files will be joined by videos that teach DIYers how to print the components, assemble the camera, calibrate it and then use it.
Moses explains on Kickstarter:
This Kickstarter is my shot in the dark, my test to see if people will pay for the R&D on an open-source project in a specific way. I am not sure that this will work, or how people will feel about it, but I do know that if the Kickstarter should fail, nobody gets charged anything and I can always go back to selling cameras through the mail, but if it does work it could change the way I work and the projects that I get to tackle, and the types of cameras and photographic tools available to the public now, and in the future.
The released files, assuming the campaign progresses to that point, will be licensed for personal use only. The estimated delivery date for Kickstarter backers is January 2020. Some Kickstarter pledge options include laser cut film counter dials, video chat troubleshooting and more.
Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
ACLU files First Amendment lawsuit against US government on behalf of 5 photojournalists
27
Nov
 |
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued the United States government on the behalf of five photojournalists who allege their rights were violated ‘on multiple separate occasions’ while reporting on conditions at the US-Mexico border. According to the ACLU, the Department of Homeland Security made a database of journalists and photojournalists who were reporting on US-Mexico border conditions and used this database to target, detain, and interrogate them.
The lawsuit was filed on the behalf of Bing Guan, Go Nakamura, Mark Abramson, Kitra Cahana and Ariana Drehsler, all of whom are professional photojournalists and U.S. citizens, according to the ACLU. The lawsuit alleges these individuals were among the journalists included in Homeland Security’s secret database.
The database allegedly contained the photojournalists’ names, birth dates, headshots, and information about whether they’d been interrogated. An ‘X’ was allegedly used to cross out the individuals who had already been interrogated, indicating that the ‘random’ secondary screenings and interrogations they were subjected to weren’t actually random.
Bing Guan said in a statement to the ACLU:
‘I was being targeted by my own government for reporting on conditions at the border.‘
The ACLU explains that photojournalists were detained when they attempted to reenter the United States, at which point they were allegedly interrogated about various matters ranging from their observations of the condition of the border and shelters to whether they could identify people from a series of headshots. Multiple photojournalists claim they were forced to reveal the images they had taken and that at least one officer had used a phone to snap images of the photos.
Forcing the photojournalists to disclose details about their sources and observations was a violation of the First Amendment, according to the ACLU, which calls the ‘disturbing actions’ a potential deterrent that may prevent other journalists from pursuing similar work.
The ACLU said in its announcement of the lawsuit:
‘That the government’s actions occurred at the border makes them no less unlawful … When the government tries to circumvent constitutional protections, we must hold it accountable. No journalist should have to fear government interference for having the persistence, courage, and commitment to expose the truth.’
The lawsuit can be read in full on the ACLU’s website. Plaintiffs seek an official declaration that their First Amendment rights were violated; they also want the records related to their interrogations to be expunged and more.
Via: ACLU
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
HEIF Files: Do They Mean the End of the JPEG Format?
07
Nov
The post HEIF Files: Do They Mean the End of the JPEG Format? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
During a recent meeting about the recently announced Canon 1D X Mark III with Digital Camera World, Canon product intelligence specialist David Parry dropped a bombshell:
“We’ve moved on to HEIF files,” Parry said.
While Canon later walked back the statement, claiming that they “have no plans to abandon JPEGs,” but instead wish to “give users a new image option” in the Canon 1D X Mark III, the comment got plenty of people talking. And the reason is clear: If Canon is adopting HEIF files alongside its JPEGs, might we soon see the company scrap JPEGs entirely? And what about Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Olympus?
In other words, does Canon’s move to HEIF files signal the end of JPEGs?
For photographers who have been using JPEGs for decades, this might come as a shock. While HEIF files have been in the media for the past couple of years, ever since Apple added them to their iOS devices and Macs, no major camera manufacturer has adopted HEIF files – until now.
And while some users may dismiss HEIF files as another overhyped “JPEG killer” which will disappear in a few years, there is reason to believe that HEIF files are here to stay.
To understand why, let’s take a closer look at HEIF files and what they offer over JPEGs.
HEIF files vs JPEGs
The biggest difference between HEIF files and JPEGs is their respective file sizes:
JPEGs are small, but HEIF files are tiny.
In fact, HEIF files are often billed as half the size of JPEGs, but with the same (or better) quality. This means that you can store far more HEIF files on a device than you can JPEGs, without a loss in quality.
How is this possible?
Simply put, compression has improved. JPEG files debuted way back in the 1990s, whereas HEIF is a relatively new image file format. So when it comes to compression, what a JPEG can do, a HEIF file can do better.
And this results in smaller files with limited quality loss.
Compression isn’t the only area where HEIF files shine. HEIF files can also store more color information than JPEGs, which means that your HEIF photos will look better, and can avoid the unpleasant color-banding effects that sometimes come with JPEGs.
And what about compatibility? Surely JPEGs are far more established than HEIF files, given their universal popularity?
Back in 2017, when Apple adopted HEIF files, this was a real discussion. Some applications couldn’t deal with HEIF files, and that was a problem.
But now, two years later…
HEIF files can be used by pretty much any program you’d need. The compatibility issues are gone, and we’re left with a file format that just seems all-around superior to JPEGs.
So while JPEGs are the file format of the present and the past, HEIF files are likely the format of the future.
Now I’d like to know your thoughts:
Do you think HEIF files will replace JPEGs? And how do you feel about this change? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And respond to our poll regarding whether you’re happy about the shift to HEIF files:
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
The post HEIF Files: Do They Mean the End of the JPEG Format? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
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