How to quickly view Leica DNG images

[stunsworth]

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The original DNG is unchanged. The reason someone may not want to do the conversion is because they don't need to - Lightroom for example creates its own full sized previews.

[Jamie Roberts]

The original DNG is unchanged. The reason someone may not want to do the conversion is because they don't need to - Lightroom for example creates its own full sized previews.

 

As does C1 and other RAW converters (not viewers)... so the DNG converter is an extra step anyway.

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[cbretteville]

If you click on [Open] using ACR to get an M8 file into PS it changes the file, rewriting the metadata (and you then lose the maker notes). You need to use the "open as copy" function to avid this (hold down [Alt]/[Option])- very annoying. LR does not change the file, thankfully and neither does C1.

Carl

[mhoersch]

I just finished downloading and installing it. Everything worked fine, but I couldn't get the full-size preview.

 

I changed the preferences to "JPEG Preview: Full Size" and everything worked as I hoped it would.

 

THANKS!!!

 

(Does anyone know if the original DNG image from Leica is changed when the Adobe converter is run? Are there any potential reasons why someone might not want to do this?)

 

It's not that I hadn't mentioned it...

[nad]

Try the Image Viewer from www.faststone.org as Kully suggested. I've just downloaded it, and it's got some nice features.

 

niels

[MikeMyers]

Try the Image Viewer from www.faststone.org as Kully suggested. I've just downloaded it, and it's got some nice features.

 

niels

 

I'm now using that software, and it works perfectly for what I was after. The same company also makes an Image Resizer that is equally useful.

 

 

 

I was thinking about all this, and I wish Leica had emulated the other digital camera companies a bit more. If you buy Canon or Nikon, you get a software program that recognizes your camera when you attach it to the USB port, and does a wonderful job of getting all your new images into an appropriate folder on the computer.

 

Had Leica done this, they could have added an option to "convert all dng images to jpg" while downloading them. It might take a bit longer, but would be fully automated - and if it were something the user could select (or not), then one could leave it off if the download needed to be done in a hurry.

 

One of two things needs to happen; either Leica needs to improve its use of jpg images, or "the world" out there needs to be able to work with dng images.

 

(So, how do the rest of you get your images copied over now? Lately, I've been using Windows to do that for Leica images, and either the Canon or Nikon software for my other images.)

[ArtZ]

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I guess I'm a bit spoiled. I usually shoot in JPG format with a Nikon, and review the images in Windows Explorer.

 

Now I'm shooting with the Nikon and an M8, but I haven't found a quick way to view the Leica images. What I really want, is to find some utility that will work with Windows Explorer, and will let me review them just as I now do with the Nikon images, using Windows Explorer. Is there any way to do this? I'm using Vista, but upgrading to Windows 7, if that matters.

 

(I know I can use other programs that allow a person to review Leica images, but if at all possible, I'd like to use Windows Explorer to quickly review all my images.)

 

Mike, as simple as this: DNG Codec - Adobe Labs

 

It's an Adobe product, it's free and lets you see DNG images in Windows Explorer and Photo Gallery. I use it since 2007 and it's simply great.

 

Cheers mate

 

 

PS: Works also with Windws 7!

.

Edited March 29, 2010 by ArtZ

[Symeon]

Irfanview or Picasa will do it, but in my opinion trash Vista as soon as possible, get yourself a decent OS.

 

regards.

[carbon_dragon]

I understand you're not interested in Macs (and thus Aperture). However, my workflow with the M8 and my iMac and Aperture is very smooth and easy. I come home from a shoot, bring the memory card to my computer and slot it into my cardreader. Aperture pops up with a preview of all the images on the card. I create a project and click on the import icon which is now pointed at my new project. Seconds later (or a couple of minutes for a lot of images) the pictures are in aperture, fully examinable in DNG. I can adjust the settings, exposure, color temperature, etc. in Aperture. I can select all the images and click slideshow and I get a great slideshow of all the DNG images.

 

One thing Apple does well is integration. Aperture is a combination of Lightroom and iPhoto -- raw developer plus image organization tool. I'm sure you can put all this together on the PC, but it's delightfully easy on the Mac.

[cidereye]

Try the Image Viewer from www.faststone.org as Kully suggested. I've just downloaded it, and it's got some nice features.

 

niels

Hmm, I use this viewer but DNG's just come up as small pics in it so I must have some setting wrong in it. Any ideas which box needs to be tick/unchecked?

 

Using Windows 7 btw.

Edited March 29, 2010 by cidereye
O/S info added

[wparsonsgisnet]

... (So, how do the rest of you get your images copied over now? Lately, I've been using Windows to do that for Leica images, and either the Canon or Nikon software for my other images.)

 

Mike, I use a card reader and copy the dng's directly into a directory named for the shoot occasion. Then, I mirror it a couple of times before reformating the card.

 

Then, I use C1 to view them. I'm gonna try the program mentioned just above.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Mike, as simple as this: DNG Codec - Adobe Labs

 

It's an Adobe product, it's free and lets you see DNG images in Windows Explorer and Photo Gallery. I use it since 2007 and it's simply great.

 

Cheers mate

 

 

PS: Works also with Windws 7!

.

 

Art, I am looking at Adobe's site for a version that works with windoze-xp. Any suggestions?

[cidereye]

Mike, as simple as this: DNG Codec - Adobe Labs

 

It's an Adobe product, it's free and lets you see DNG images in Windows Explorer and Photo Gallery. I use it since 2007 and it's simply great.

 

Cheers mate

 

 

PS: Works also with Windws 7!

.

Only works with "32 bit" versions of Windows though and not 64 bit sadly.

[MikeMyers]

Irfanview or Picasa will do it, but in my opinion trash Vista as soon as possible, get yourself a decent OS.

 

For my desktop, I did - am now using Windows 7. My laptop will be updated sometime soon as well.

 

With the desktop, I can plug in the camera using the USB connection, and a small window opens up asking me what I want to do with the USB connection. I usually select the first option, "Import pictures and videos using Windows". There are settings that allow me to select where the images will be saved. Each time I attach the camera, the utility asks me if I want to "tag" the pictures with a name I can type in. Then, while it's copying over the images, it asks if I want to delete the old images from the camera. I rarely do this, as I don't like deleting anything until I know it's all safely uploaded to my computer (and maybe a backup storage device as well).

 

I wish Leica had a program such as "Nikon Transfer" to copy over the photos, but that's unlikely to happen. I'd be almost as happy if it had a program similar to the one Canon uses.

 

Using Windows isn't all bad - I can select where the software will save the images, the folder name that they can be put inside of, and a "tag" to be used as part of the file name. The software can automatically rotate photos as they're imported, if that option is selected. When the import is finished, it will automatically open Windows Explorer (which used to be useless to me, until you guys showed me how to get the images to show up).

 

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Right now, I'm either shooting 'dng+jpg' or more likely just 'dng'. All I really want to end up with usually is 'jpg' images, but I like having the 'dng' images around in case I need to use some of them to correct mistakes. What I guess I still need, is a simple, automatic way to tell the computer to convert all the dng images into jpg images, at the default setting.

[Jamie Roberts]

{snipped}

One of two things needs to happen; either Leica needs to improve its use of jpg images, or "the world" out there needs to be able to work with dng images.

 

(So, how do the rest of you get your images copied over now? Lately, I've been using Windows to do that for Leica images, and either the Canon or Nikon software for my other images.)

 

But "the world" does work with DNGs!

 

DNG is a RAW file. It's a specialized one and in Leica's implementation, as we've pointed out, it doesn't contain a large preview JPEG. You can add that preview JPEG yourself, or, if you like, you can shoot one in your camera along with your DNG files.

 

If you shoot RAW + JPEG (or create JPEGs for each DNG that have the same name), then programs on Windows like Breezebrowser Pro will treat those twin files as if they're one file.

 

OR you can just use DNG and open stuff up in C1. It's fast and works perfectly to check your RAWs too.

 

Finally, you don't want to connect your camera up by USB. Just buy a good card reader and literally copy and paste all the files to your hard drive. That will speed up the review of files too

 

Nikon's preview JPEGs, BTW, are as large as the RAW resolution itself I found this out when a card messed up the RAWs (C1 told me this right away) and I had to salvage the shot; BreezeBrowser let me get the preview JPEG right out of the corrupted NEF files. I'd love it if Leica could do that, but I suspect the M9 and M8 don't have the processing power..

[cidereye]

Hmm, I use this viewer but DNG's just come up as small pics in it so I must have some setting wrong in it. Any ideas which box needs to be tick/unchecked?

 

Using Windows 7 btw.

 

Found the answer myself, for anybody else that wants to view DNG files in full screen instead of the small preview change the following settings in FastStone Image Viewer:-

 

 

 

Click on "Settings" tab > Settings >RAW > View RAW Files > Make sure the Actual Size (Slow) setting is selected in the drop-down box.

 

 

It's a great viewer with loads of whistles and bells for anyone that's never tried it and an even handier way of quickly viewing DNG files than using C-1 which I normally use for this.

[MikeMyers]

...you don't want to connect your camera up by USB. Just buy a good card reader and literally copy and paste all the files to your hard drive. That will speed up the review of files too

 

Hmm, why do you think I don't want to do that?

 

Why should I use a card reader, when I can copy the files to my computer directly from my Nikon/Canon/Leica camera? Presumably when Leica put the USB connector on the side of the camera, they expected people to do this, yes?

 

 

As to 'dng' being so common, as I recall my computer didn't know what to do with 'dng' or 'nef' images until I added additional software. I've only just now figured out how to deal with them effectively. On the other hand, 'jpg' images are pretty universal. Take one to any photo shop in the world, and they'll make me a print. I wouldn't expect that from the other formats.

[ArtZ]

Art, I am looking at Adobe's site for a version that works with windoze-xp. Any suggestions?

 

Bill, I don't know about Windows XP but I don't think so.

 

I forgot about 32-bit OS only.

[Guest BigSplash]

I maybe missing something here, but surely the issue is all about workflow. I use a powerful PC and have Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CS4 installed. I drop my DNG images to a new folder each time and then use Lightroom to select and batch correct if needed. I then sometimes use Photoshop CS4 to colour correct if needed. Finally I export from Lightroom the files as JPEG.. This seems to work but if I am on the wrong track I am all ears.

 

I shall probably later this year move to CS5 (next month release date I am told) and that will be a 64bit architecture and seamless transition between the various Adobe products including Premier Pro (for making a presentation with sound, moving / zooming stills, and Hi Def video with its sound track). I shall also build a new PC with the new Intel CPU chips, plus motherboards that are now about to ship.......I shall also add a Matrox Capture card which is about to be launched also to accommodate 64bit Adobe stuff. The final trick is to use Solid State HDD for the "C" drive that is large enough for the programme files and has overhead room during editing....prices of these things were £1000 a year ago ...now £100.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[etienne_werner]

Hi Mike,

 

I realize that everyone has their preferred software and such. For me this is ACDsee Pro 3. This is one program which can easily read and show thumnails from the DNG and without any changes to the file, convert them in real time in memory to display them in High-rez on screen. It is very fast. I have used many different programs but always go back to ACDsee. It works on both 32 and 64bit and downward compatible from windows 7. It also has an import module for cf/sd cards and the possibility to edit files and such, though I use PS for that.

Kind regards,

 

Etienne

Edited March 30, 2010 by etienne_werner