As long as you have the original raw processing software and a computer to run it and assuming the storage medium is viable then reprocessing the RAW files will present no problem. However the forward marching Operating Systems on both Mac and PC are also likely to cause great problems long term . For instance how many times have we seen on prodig please for help because after a Mac O/S upgrade some equipment will not only refuse to operate,sometimes it can not even be seen. The same applies to Windows. Ive some kit that will only run on Win 95 and it cost far more than a digital camera! so that computer has to be retained plus a spare in case of malfunction. My PhaseOne scan back only produces tiff files but the software will not run on XP so a separate PC with Win 2k is needed. SyQuest carts are still brought in occasionally,I have to use a win 95 pc to read theses,transferring the files to CD as a goodwill gesture to the clients that splashed out on them at my recommendation. The desire for a universally readable raw file is understandable, just as we all had favourite B+W developers used in different ways with film to achieve our desired results ,so I believe will come the day when we are able do the same with RAW format files. Just now the likes of Kodak and Minolta are producing software which give extremely good control of the files its cameras produce and until proprietary software companies prove beyond doubt that their software is superior then the camera manufacturers will surly strive to get the best from their camera possible by developing their own software.,they want to be market leaders after all. Its rather like using Ilford developer with Ilford film. Niche market developers from companies such as Tetenal, Patterson,May & Baker etc worked well and became developer of choice for many photographers but I suspect that Kodak Ilford and Agfa sold more of their own brand of Dev than the independents. Regards Michael Wilkinson. 106 Holyhead Rd, Ketley, Telford, Shropshire. England .TF1 5DJ 44 (0) 1952 618986. www.infocus-photography.co.uk For Negatives & transparencies from digital files ________________________________________________
Jorge Parra wrote I just found this site http://rawformat.com/ with a discussion on RAW format and the theoretical possibility of a RAW standard in order to guarantee that RAW files can be formally considered an archival file format,-something not entirely possible today- and not having problems a few years from now to open, re-process and optimise images currently stored as RAW data , as manufacturers try to keep their own proprietary formats and codes away from software developers, blocking the potential improvements of third party software apps. + ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jorge Parra" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 4:10 AM Subject: [PRODIG] A standard RAW File Format for archival purposes? > Dear fellows > > I just found this site with a discussion on RAW format and the theoretical > possibility of a RAW standard in order to guarantee that RAW files can be > formally considered an archival file format,-something not entirely possible > today- and not having problems a few years from now to open, re-process and > optimise images currently stored as RAW data , as manufacturers try to keep > their own proprietary formats and codes away from software developers, > blocking the potential improvements of third party software apps. > > Also, as Digital Cameras cameras become "old" very fast, files from those > cameras may end up without support in future software updates and this > questions the archivablity value of the original RAW data. > > http://rawformat.com/ > > Comments by Martin Evening, Andrew Rodney,Bruce Fraser and many others, make > it an infomative site. > > Regards > > Jorge Parra > > =============================================================== > GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE > --- > > =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
