Leica M-D 262 * Raw processing software compatibility?

[Lonescapes]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Picked up an M-D 262 a couple years ago, and just now tried to batch import the last couple years of files into a full-featured software for the first time.

In my case, I'm a DxO Photolab user. I'm running the latest/highest version (7 Elite) and was shocked to discover that even though the M240 is supported, the M-D 262 is not. From Google searches, I see I'm not the first person to encounter this issue.

I don't particularly care for the Lightroom/Adobe workflow, and I definitely don't care for subscription-based software.

Is anyone able to tell me what raw processing software they've successfully used with the M-D 262? I can't seem to unearth a list of compatible software anywhere.

Thanks in advance.

[250swb]

If it's a RAW file it's a RAW file, it shouldn't be camera specific so check your settings or make sure you aren't trying too hard to solve a problem that isn't there.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Lonescapes]

2 minutes ago, 250swb said:

If it's a RAW file it's a RAW file, it shouldn't be camera specific so check your settings or make sure you aren't trying too hard to solve a problem that isn't there.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by this. Settings on the camera or in my software? Which settings (or category of settings)?

Obviously raw files differ based on sensors and cameras. For instance, you wouldn't expect a a Fuji/X-Trans file to be the same as a Leica DNG. I assume this is also the reason why, when a new camera comes out, there's often a short delay before all the major raw processing software supports the files, even if the sensor is very similar to a sensor in a previous camera from the same manufacturer.

Is there something I'm not understanding in what you're trying to tell me?

Other people have had the same issue, and the prompt within Photolab is pretty explicit: "This image cannot be processed since it was taken with a camera that is not supported by this version of DxO Photolab."

[Datsch]

I don't know about DxO Photolab but I would think there must be a way it can handle M-D files. They are quite vanilla .DNG and seem to be readily processed by the various software I've tried.

I now use Raw Therapee 5.8 for basic batch processing from .DNG to .jpg (while I have dinner -- there's a lot; perhaps like you I don't process very often 🙃) and then I browse the jpgs (much quicker on my old PC) to find the good ones, tweaking those in detail afterwards.

However, I'm not sure what these camera-specific processing options do on other software, I guess thing like lens correction and so on? Not something I've tried.

You may be able to manually force your software to use M-240 or M-262 profiles and that should be pretty good start for you?

Good luck and enjoy your M-D ....

[Lonescapes]

3 minutes ago, Datsch said:

I don't know about DxO Photolab but I would think there must be a way it can handle M-D files. They are quite vanilla .DNG and seem to be readily processed by the various software I've tried.

The M240 is supported, but DNG support for older (and less popular) Leica cameras is not very good in DxO. There's lots online about this.

Allegedly there are a few tools out there that will allow to "trick" DxO into thinking your file is from an M10 (etc) by changing EXIF data, but the one I've tried kept failing and I just don't feel like using a clunky workaround every time I want to process a file. Would rather just get the cheapest option among reputable/mainstream raw processors and work in that suite for these files, with occasional export to TIFF if I really want to get back into DxO for more detailed processing.

But there just isn't info readily available about per-camera DNG support for Leica files.

[Datsch]

5 minutes ago, Lonescapes said:

the cheapest option among reputable/mainstream raw processors

Raw Therapee is free ....

[pippy]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

To deal with my MD RAW files I use a version of Adobe's Photoshop 'Elements' (which is a fairly low-cost one-off purchase price download and which, within reason, never needs to be updated) and batch-process everything to give a working 'thumbnail' JPEG image. Looking through these thumbnails I decide whether any are at-all worthwhile and, if so, tweak the DNG file in Ps once more with post-process changes made (as neccessary) before processing-out for further final tweaks in Photoshop normally in TIFF format if best IQ is the target.

Sounds long-winded, I know, but it really doesn't take long and the amount of fine-tuning available is rather comprehensive.

FWIW I do have the full version of Photoshop for those 0.09% of tweaks not supported within Elements' tools but the reality is that even this tiny percentage is only because 'I Can' rather than 'I Need To' and that's because 'Elements' can do pretty much anything I require.

Philip.

[plaidshirts]

On 1/6/2024 at 2:35 PM, Lonescapes said:

Picked up an M-D 262 a couple years ago, and just now tried to batch import the last couple years of files into a full-featured software for the first time.

In my case, I'm a DxO Photolab user. I'm running the latest/highest version (7 Elite) and was shocked to discover that even though the M240 is supported, the M-D 262 is not. From Google searches, I see I'm not the first person to encounter this issue.

I don't particularly care for the Lightroom/Adobe workflow, and I definitely don't care for subscription-based software.

Is anyone able to tell me what raw processing software they've successfully used with the M-D 262? I can't seem to unearth a list of compatible software anywhere.

Thanks in advance.

I’ve been using Capture One version 20, which is a few years old, that seems to handle my md’s files well. 

[jaapv]

On 1/7/2024 at 12:07 AM, Lonescapes said:

The M240 is supported, but DNG support for older (and less popular) Leica cameras is not very good in DxO. There's lots online about this.

Allegedly there are a few tools out there that will allow to "trick" DxO into thinking your file is from an M10 (etc) by changing EXIF data, but the one I've tried kept failing and I just don't feel like using a clunky workaround every time I want to process a file. Would rather just get the cheapest option among reputable/mainstream raw processors and work in that suite for these files, with occasional export to TIFF if I really want to get back into DxO for more detailed processing.

But there just isn't info readily available about per-camera DNG support for Leica files.

Have you tried neutralizing your DNGs with Adobe's DNG converter?

[UCB]

I encountered the same problems in DXo with my 262 but Luminar Neo works and it is a one time payment only

[jaapv]

Until you have to pay for the updates.,.

[roydonian]

On 1/6/2024 at 11:01 PM, Datsch said:

I now use Raw Therapee 5.8 for basic batch processing from .DNG to .jpg🙃

I didn't know that RawTherapee could do that!  I'll need to investigate this...