Martin B Posted August 31, 2020 Share #1 Posted August 31, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am moving away from Adobe and found Darktable a very suitable and good freeware program to read and process DNG files taken with my M-E 240 camera. Is somebody else using this program with Leica DNG files and maybe even with files from a M 240 based camera? Any advice here which kind of settings or presets are most useful? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 31, 2020 Posted August 31, 2020 Hi Martin B, Take a look here Darktable and Leica Presets?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
zeitz Posted August 31, 2020 Share #2 Posted August 31, 2020 I have tried to find Darktable users on this subforum previously with no luck. I am very anxious to hear your experiences. I only tried Darktable briefly because there are things I am used to in Adobe Camera Raw which I can't find. Have you also tried GIMP? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted August 31, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted August 31, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, zeitz said: I have tried to find Darktable users on this subforum previously with no luck. I am very anxious to hear your experiences. I only tried Darktable briefly because there are things I am used to in Adobe Camera Raw which I can't find. Have you also tried GIMP? I have tried Gimp more than 10 years ago in a much earlier version and wasn't a fan of it. I never tried one of the newer versions. I am currently getting used to Darktable and found it has some benefits over LR (I am using still an older pre-CC version). The latest Darktable version has become quite powerful. I find it sits somewhat in the middle between LR and basic PS CS6 options. It does not offer a catalog function with keywords like LR does - but I honestly never used it there with keywords either. Edited August 31, 2020 by Martin B 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitz Posted August 31, 2020 Share #4 Posted August 31, 2020 I still prefer working Folders and Files in Bridge rather than Libraries, Catalogs, Collections, Albums, etc. in other programs. The Libraries and Collections terms have worked their way into Bridge. Keywords do have a use for me. You might want to download a trial version of the current Lightroom Classic and have a look. Camera Raw is rapidly evolving into the same user interface as the current Lightroom's Develop module. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom R Posted September 1, 2020 Share #5 Posted September 1, 2020 Being a Linux guy, I tried Darktable last year. It was a little clunky (on a Mac, but much better on a native Linux box), but I'm not sure how the current version performs. I'd be curious to hear about the current version. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boojum Posted December 14, 2020 Share #6 Posted December 14, 2020 I have just read about darktable on the internet and installed it on the Linux side of the house. It imported all the images I have from my M8.2 effortlessly. But that is as far as I have gotten. I will have at it in the morning. It is no accident that it looks like Lightroom, no doubt. I am quite interested in finding a good image editor for Linux where I spend most of my time, in Mint. I am in release 3.0 of darktable. I have a few other editors and GIMP and must settle on one of them. It will help to up[load images as instructed on the darktable home page for the coders to create camera profiles for our cameras. I have uploaded pictures as directed for M8.2 and M240. The more pictures they get the better the profiles will be for us. Hint, hint. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01maciel Posted December 17, 2020 Share #7 Posted December 17, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Am 1.9.2020 um 02:53 schrieb Tom R: Being a Linux guy So do I. Shooting solely DNGs means GIMP is no option since GIMP is not able to process raw images. Long time ago I compared Darktable and Rawtherapee (RT) and came to the conclusion that RT fits perfectly to my needs. The verdict RTFM is meant to be literally. Once you bite the bullet in reading the manual and watch some youtube videos you are getting used to it. Recently a guy branched the code of RT and got rid of some unnecessary stuff, added some bells and whistles ... and here you go: ART (that's the name of the programme) is really fast, extremely responsive with masks/layers etc and it still looks like RT. The processed images do not need any further processing in GIMP or elsewhere. Reading the manual and watch some videos are mandatory. At the end you will get some nice photos. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Posted December 18, 2020 Share #8 Posted December 18, 2020 I never heard about Darktable until now. So I can't help you, sorry. But I did switched to Capture One coming from Adobe LR ... And it was definitely an awesome decision. They just released version 21 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boojum Posted December 21, 2020 Share #9 Posted December 21, 2020 On 12/17/2020 at 10:50 AM, 01maciel said: So do I. Shooting solely DNGs means GIMP is no option since GIMP is not able to process raw images. Long time ago I compared Darktable and Rawtherapee (RT) and came to the conclusion that RT fits perfectly to my needs. The verdict RTFM is meant to be literally. Once you bite the bullet in reading the manual and watch some youtube videos you are getting used to it. Recently a guy branched the code of RT and got rid of some unnecessary stuff, added some bells and whistles ... and here you go: ART (that's the name of the programme) is really fast, extremely responsive with masks/layers etc and it still looks like RT. The processed images do not need any further processing in GIMP or elsewhere. Reading the manual and watch some videos are mandatory. At the end you will get some nice photos. Interesting. Can you supply a link, please? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitz Posted December 21, 2020 Share #10 Posted December 21, 2020 There is a whole community writing free open source software for photographers. The site is https://pixls.us. You can download the source code in addition to the object. So if you are inclined and have the skill, you can modify the program for your own needs. The software is a little harder to get used to because of software developer terms are used instead of more common terms. When I open a raw file in GIMP, the file actually opens in the Darkroom (Develop) module of Darktable. You then Export into a format that GIMP uses. Remember that Develop in Lighroom and Camera Raw in Photoshop are the same software too, just interfaced differently. I have always assumed Darkroom in Darktable is Rawtherapee, but I have never verified that, so I could be way wrong in this regard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01maciel Posted December 21, 2020 Share #11 Posted December 21, 2020 vor 9 Stunden schrieb boojum: Can you supply a link, please? https://bitbucket.org/agriggio/art/wiki/Home Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boojum Posted December 21, 2020 Share #12 Posted December 21, 2020 31 minutes ago, 01maciel said: https://bitbucket.org/agriggio/art/wiki/Home Thanks. Having ISP problems right now. We are in a pretty big storm and service is marginal. I'll get it done when the storm subsides. Thanks so much. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leica28 Posted December 28, 2020 Share #13 Posted December 28, 2020 On 12/17/2020 at 9:20 PM, Dennis said: I never heard about Darktable until now. So I can't help you, sorry. But I did switched to Capture One coming from Adobe LR ... And it was definitely an awesome decision. They just released version 21 Which version did you purchase? On their website they list many different versions - one is a straight buy out, one is paid monthly, another one has some extras included. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Posted December 28, 2020 Share #14 Posted December 28, 2020 10 hours ago, Leica28 said: Which version did you purchase? On their website they list many different versions - one is a straight buy out, one is paid monthly, another one has some extras included. I bought Capture One 20... the perpetual license. A month ago they released V21... Which has not major important features over the 20, except for the tethering with Leica which I don't care. I guess it's the second one here: https://www.captureone.com/en/products-plans/single-user/capture-one-pro the one it doesn't include styles and presets. The pure software. It work like a charm with my M10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leica28 Posted December 28, 2020 Share #15 Posted December 28, 2020 Thank you so much. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted November 29, 2021 Share #16 Posted November 29, 2021 On 12/14/2020 at 5:11 AM, boojum said: I am in release 3.0 of darktable. I have a few other editors and GIMP and must settle on one of them. It will help to up[load images as instructed on the darktable home page for the coders to create camera profiles for our cameras. I have uploaded pictures as directed for M8.2 and M240. The more pictures they get the better the profiles will be for us. Hint, hint. I opened DarkTable, got to view my folders, and selected a folder with eight image taken with my M8.2 and the new 7Artisans 35mm f/2 lens. One of them is now open in my DarkTable screen. Do I need to open an existing profile for images from my camera and my lens, or do I need to create a profile from them as I think you are suggesting up above? I guess I now need to find a video on how to use DarkTable, as I've forgotten what I knew about it a year ago - lack of use. Curious - I like to add my own "watermark" on images - can DarkTable do that, or when I'm finished with editing, what is the best way to send my edited image to PhotoLab? (I installed the latest version of DarkTable a few days ago, but I can't find a tool within DarkTable to tell me which version I'm now using). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
01maciel Posted November 30, 2021 Share #17 Posted November 30, 2021 Am 21.12.2020 um 22:22 schrieb boojum: Thanks. Having ISP problems right now. We are in a pretty big storm and service is marginal. I'll get it done when the storm subsides. Thanks so much. My last post was last year. In the meantime I tried darktable (dt) once and while and moved finally to this dark horse of postprocessing tools for raw files. There are no quick wins with new apps if you really want to use it instead of simply applying presets. So I went the exhausting way to learn it by youtube and manual (RTFM). Very basic stuff in the beginning and after a while few other specific videos to get used to masks, layers and LUTs etc. The rest is trial and error. It took me about 2-3 weeks to get the same results as with RT. I am truly convinced that dt is everything I ever need in pp. dt is in many ways a technically advanced app compared to RT or ART. Pixel peeper prefer probably RT because the sharpness algorithm is much better in RT and ART. But who cares about sharpness ("it doesn't matter" according to Ken Rockwell). I totally agree but 'your mileage may vary'. At the end of the day it is a personal preference. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted November 30, 2021 Share #18 Posted November 30, 2021 I've decided that for my M8.2 camera, everything will be done in DarkTable. By this time ten years from now, I'll have learned it. I do have a question - are there "Presets" for Leica cameras and lenses? If so, how do I configure them in DarkTable? All the images I have processed (all one of them!) came out fine. My preference is PhotoLab, but it won't work with Leica M8 cameras. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitz Posted December 1, 2021 Share #19 Posted December 1, 2021 4 hours ago, MikeMyers said: I've decided that for my M8.2 camera, everything will be done in DarkTable. Mike and Maciel, you are now the L Camera Forum experts on DarkTable. I look forward to your updates on the use of DarkTable. You are paving the way for other potential users. 7 hours ago, 01maciel said: according to Ken Rockwell I want to like Ken. He seems like a really nice guy. But he says a lot of stupid stuff. I bought a lens based on his recommendations once; I got one that seemed to have never been used. It turned out to be one of the worst lenses I have ever tried, explaining why it seemed never to have been used by the previous owner either. And Ken always turns the saturation slider to maximum in his post-processing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted December 1, 2021 Share #20 Posted December 1, 2021 Me, an "expert"???? Gack!!!! I'll be glad to post what I learn, as I learn it. To catch up to what I've been involved in, please go to this thread: https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/318456-convert-1-or-more-files-from-m82-dng-to-tiff/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-4323121 ....and especially post #35. Save that link. For me, that's a "starting point". (I won't be adding much more to that thread though, as it was started as way to get images from my M8.2 into DxO PhotoLab, including taking my 10 meg image from my M8.2 and converting it into a 80-meg TIFF file. Geesh.... DarkTable now seems like an infinitely better way to do this. Also, I was going through all that work just to get the image into DxO PhotoLab, but I no longer see much point in doing so. I think I can do everything I need for my M8.2 dng images by editing in DarkTable. I'm going to be watching the above video as I edit today's images from my M8.2 camera. Eventually I'm sure it will become intuitive. (I used DarkTable before, but I've forgotten how to do things.) Again, if someone has created a Preset for a Leica M8.2, please post a link to it here. No hurry - first I need to learn the commands, before I worry about presets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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