Digital BW, The Print

Paul D. DeRocco wrote:
>  > From: Craig Snyder
>  >
>  > I have not been reading the postings here on these cameras that closely
>  > because they don't interest me right now but something just
>  > popped into my
>  > head -- and maybe no one has mentioned it.
>  >
>  > I recall reading several months ago that Nikon has moved into a
>  > propreitary
>  > RAW format. Generally being out of the news I don't know if
>  > that's changed or
>  > what has happened since. But this item seems to throw a spanner into the
>  > works of a universal standard for the RAW format. How many pieces of
>  > software do we need on our computers afterall? Though I generally detest
>  > "one size fits all" sometimes it is a blessing and the ideal.
> 
> As I understand it, what they did was encrypt the white balance information.
> Other software can still decode the image, but not the information put into
> it about the white balance, so presumably their software can do a better job
> of tweaking the color.
> 
> On the other hand, I don't know what information the camera has concerning
> the white balance that didn't come from the sensor in the first place. It's
> not as though the camera has a separate sensor to read the ambient light.
> 
> --
> 
> Ciao,               Paul D. DeRocco
> Paul                mailto:pderocco@...
> 

Nikon does it's white balance from the Colour Matrix Meter II and a 
White Balance sensor that's mounted on the front of the viewfinder on 
the D2x (and possibly the D2Hs). These are the only Nikon's with 
encrypted white balance (The newer D50 and D70s lack it).

And Craig, all RAW formats are inherently proprietary. Even DNG is Adobe 
Proprietary, and DNG's not a true raw format, rather a useful 
intermediary that preserves raw sensor data.

-Adam