Re: [Openexr-devel] RAW images in OpenEXR?

[Florian Kainz]

Hi Greg,

as I noted in my original mail, I wrote this proposal in
response to people asking me whether it would be feasible
to store RAW images in OpenEXR files.

Properly implemented, an "EXR RAW" format has the potential
to integrate nicely into existing OpenEXR-based work flows.
The RAW format could be combined with existing features,
such as the Weta multi-view format.

A RAW format with an open-source implementation would be
easier to support in new and existing application software
than one for which a file I/O library must be written from
scratch according to a lengthy specification.

I do realize that CFA-to-RGB demosaicing is not trivial, but
the task is no easier or harder with EXR RAW than with any
other format.  If you want to work with RAW files, then you
must have a way to convert to RGB.  You'll have to write or
license a converter.

Florian



Greg Ward wrote:
> Hi Florian,
>
> You seem to have put a lot of thought into this.  Can you give a  little 
> background motivation for why incorporating RAW data into  OpenEXR is 
> desirable?  What are the advantages/disadvantages relative  to Adobe's 
> DNG format <http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/>?  There is  a fair 
> amount of work involved in doing a good job converting from  CFA to RGB, 
> much of it having to do with noise reduction, white  balancing, and 
> saturation detection.  From what I understand, it is a  subtle art, and 
> not one to undertake lightly.
>
> Best,
> -Greg
>
> > From: Florian Kainz <address@hidden>
> > Date: May 6, 2008 1:19:44 PM PDT
> >
> > Recently several people have asked whether OpenEXR would be suitable
> > for storing RAW images from cameras with color filter array sensors.
> > The proposal below describes a method to do that.  I would be  interested
> > in feedback from OpenEXR users.
> >
> > Florian
> >
> >
> > OpenEXR RAW Images
> > ------------------
> > ...