M8raw2dng - Tool to convert Leica M8 RAW files to DNG

[williamgm]

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Hi Erik,

 

this is not working unfortunately. You can try for yourself with earlier mentioned method. (renaming the BIA and converting)

 

@Geoff:

Sorry, man, I totally forgot to answer your question! I have no idea about the digilux models. If you get them to show a service menu and if they allow to write some kind of raw data, I can have a look at the files. But as it is more or less a Panasonic camera I am in doubt. Feel free though to contact me if you find something. Maybe start from here.

 

Greetings,

Arvid

Thanks Arvid, I'll see what I can find - I have used the info you linked to to get the shutter activation count etc., but the menus on the Digilux 2 are pretty limited so it may not be possible. The raw files are DNG on the Leica camera, if that helps (the Panasonic versions use their own raw format). Perhaps I should look for an M8 instead…….

 

Regards,

Geoff

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[AncientCityPhoto]

Leica M8 RAW - AncientCityPhoto

 

Here are some files, downloadable and viewable at 100%. Info is on the page, and shots correspond at 160 and 2500 ISO as DNG and raw conversion.

 

Major difference between the Leica software fixes and the RAW output!

 

Captions and data are under the photo preview. The download link is on the bottom right.

[Erik Gunst Lund]

Here two shots first is with the new RAW converter shadows lifted two stops in ACR CS6 ISO 160 Summicron 50mm latest at 5.6

 

 

second is DNG also lifted two stops

 

 

The RAW converter is a clear winner, and fine tuning has just begun!

 

Original size RAW DNG

 

Original size DNG

Edited November 18, 2013 by Erik Gunst Lund

[AncientCityPhoto]

Wow yours look so clean! Why am I getting such color issues?

[Erik Gunst Lund]

I guess its the new sensor and electronics...

Yes this is fully acceptable already.

[bla]

Hello,

 

the color issues are almost fixed. I think I found the source of the magenta shift and I'm working on the implementation of the fix. Very happy about that!

 

@ancientcityphoto

If you shoot a white wall or a sheet of paper only there will be problems with the blacklevel estimation. The scene only contains a very limited amount of brightness levels, so if the darkest are set as blacklevel color shifts, banding and such things are largely exaggerated. For now I recommend to process such shots without the blacklevel option.

In "real world" situations as in Eriks nice garden shot those issues do not play a role.

 

In your images on your page the blue line is perfectly visible. So when I finish the correction options you'll be the perfect test case!

 

@Erik:

 

where the heck did you get hold of a M8 with new sensor and electronics?

 

Greetings,

Arvid

[Erik Gunst Lund]

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I use LPS Leica Pro Service, I send the camera in for the free service, clean and check every year and the camera had hot pixels and mapping was not enough to fix it

[AncientCityPhoto]

I can't wait to try! I'll make sure my sensor is cleaner too!

[NJH]

The RAW converter is a clear winner, and fine tuning has just begun!

 

Original size RAW DNG

 

Original size DNG

 

That difference is pretty stunning and its not quite what I expected, its like a poor quality filter or something has been taken off the lens.

[bla]

Hello @all,

 

new version 1.1 is up and waiting to be tested...

 

You can read the details on my page, but shortly: Magenta color cast is gone (yay!) and you can put your lenses in a database file to have realistic aperture values and custom lens name in the exif. That way you can code any lens you want with a sharpie pen and get correct exif! (caveat: not sure which OS and raw converters display those exifs correctly though - Lightroom 5 works well)

 

Have fun and please report your findings and show your results (especially if they are nice!)

 

Greetings,

Arvid

[Erik Gunst Lund]

The new MAC version works fine at ISO 160.

 

Also all Lens info is recorded correct in ACR CS6, well done

 

But my shots at ISO 640 are unusable since the two half of the sensor stand out differently as soon as I start to adjust the DNG.

This is OK for me since I like to push myself to shoot the M8 at ISO 160.... until I get the new Nikon Df... then it will be pushed into low light shooting.

[bjornthun]

I tried version 1.1 with the same files again:

 

The magenta cast is gone. Exif shows up correctly in LR 5. Adjustment works ok.

 

Images at 1250 ISO are usable since the colour noise is virtually gone. Now we need only concern ourselves with luminance noise, so for noise it's a big step forward. It goes to show what can be done when the data from the sensor is better preserved and presented to modern software.

 

Again, thanks!

[AncientCityPhoto]

The magenta is gone! I have made some shots as well.

 

So far I am not taking any kind of measurements...but going based on the look and critically examining based on my experience..this is what I see:

 

1. Low ISOs do not seem too different. ISO160 DNG and RAW seem virtually identical. There is a slight difference in color tone...very slight. RAWs are slightly cooler, more greenish. Negligible difference in real use. Easily adjustable in normal processing.

 

2. ISO 2500 has much less color noise, and overall tighter, smaller looking grain pattern. It seems a bit less as well. Definitely usable.

 

Then again, ISO 2500 has always been usable, and looked fine on the M8...if conditions and exposure were correct. So far so good, but nothing revolutionary. I don't want anyone thinking they are turning their M8 into a D800 in terms of dynamic range and high ISO gains.

 

3. Dead pixel line is still present in RAW, but non-existant in the standard DNG.

[spylaw4]

I intend to try this process, downloaded the files.

 

FWIW I do prefer GUI programmes - always get lost and confused otherwise! Can't make head nor tail of command line stuff!

[sebben]

I like the rendering of noise with the RAW option, a visible improvement over the standard files at hi isos.

 

However, I am having one issue. I am getting a line right down the middle of the picture, and I guess this is because the sensor calibration is being by passed. As one side is brighter than the other. Is there a work around for this possible?

[chyer123]

I have been using it, totally love it!! Better recovery from the blacks, before it was alot if color noise, i hope leica will make it a permanent option.

 

Many thanks for the convertor!!

[Michele Belloni]

Are there any news on new releases? This software is a must have!

[dlbr]

Awesome stuff, many thanks. Good to know you can hack your own Leica . Got mine just a couple of weeks ago, and tried the RAW shooting straight away. I am pleased with the results, especially when shooting in low light conditions . There are some caveats, though. Magenta only goes away, when I use -b switch. This introduces another problem - if the majority of the scene is very dark the image is clearly split, usually left part being darker than the right one, no easy fix for that. Omitting the -b switch does indeed eliminate the problem, but then the magenta is back in all its ugliness . Luckily, I can always revert to the JPG, which is still fairly usable (I am not going over ISO 1250). Is it possible to fix it somehow?

 

Also, a cygwin version would be nice (or a source to compile).

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[bla]

I am currently developing the next version. With a bunch of new features. I have already a working fix for the separate sensor halves (see attached images, they're pushed very, very extreme though)

There will be other improvements, too... I'll see what I manage to do and hope to release it soon.

 

Greetings,

Arvid

 

PS: I am not that familiar with cygwin. What do you need it for and which sources would I need to compile for it? The windows or the linux ones?

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Edited January 30, 2014 by bla

[dlbr]

Jolly good, it seems promissing! As for the source, definitely linux one for cygwin (it is but linux shell emulation running on windows). The main reason for me would be the ability to wrap it around in a bash script.