Morning Neil,
GraphicConverter X updates regularly utilising many sources for
update information. Hence, the relative information for your camera,
scanner and output formats is usually of the latest tested data for
said capturing devices or formats, just one of the reasons it is such
a great piece of software for converting files. This allows the
program to interpret correctly and succinctly the images exposed in
each session - shoot. Not just orientation, but device settings such
as Exposure EV's, white balance and all other variables collected
during shoot, which are recorded within EXIF or XMP files and
interpreted by this program.
Thus, one very big reason I use this program continually and
recommend it, and not just for RAW conversion although Adobes DNG
converter has slightly improved with some cameras it still does not
provide that moment of capture as succinctly as GraphiConverter X.
But, thanks to Mark Secker with the information about Adobes
Lightroom, this program and DNG could find a place in my workflow for
RAW file formats. Mainly due to speed that it handles RAW format and
quality of output is quite outstanding from camera to printer.
Although Adobe have to add a few plug-in type functions for it to
truly be an answer as I still find the need for GraphicConverter X or
Photoshop to tickle the image some more.
Another important factor is Lemke Software and their adaptation of
Open Source software being a place they have evolved from and much of
their programs as with Apple and OS X is provided through this
channel. Hence, people whom have created relevant modules/programs or
modified for own purpose have been included through the GNU license
(many hands make lite work). So a very large information base of
testing not just software, but devices is substantially increased.
So, support Open Source or GNU licensed software providers and it's
community, not just financially, but testing, documentation, or
hacking. As ultimately the benefits are substantial for all.
Cheers!
`Rob...
On 7Mar2006, at 10:24 am, Neil Houghton wrote:
Hi all,
When I use my digital camera, I often switch between portrait and
landscape
orientation - to suit the subject/scene. When I transfer the images I
generally use a card reader & just drag the images to the relevant
pictures
folder.
Now when I browse through the pictures in the finder, Preview shows
them all
in landscape orientation and opens them in this orientation if I
double-click them - I can then, of course rotate them to the correct
orientation for viewing.
Whilst this is a minor annoyance, I accepted this as inevitable
since, as
far as I knew, my Canon S45 does not have an orientation sensor and
so would
not know the orientation I am holding it when I take the picture.
HOWEVER... today I was just browsing a folder using the excellent
Graphic
Converter (which I know is often recommended/referenced in WAMUG
posts) when
I suddenly realised that all the photo previews were being shown in
their
correct (with respect to gravity!) orientation as were the photos if I
opened them. I always liked graphic converter but I now accord it new
respect!....... How does it know which is the correct orientation
to display
what is, after all, just a bunch of pixels?
Intrigued, I checked the the Information pane there is nothing in
the EXIF
info to indicate orientation but I did notice that the image size
was shown
as 1704x2272 pixels for the portrait shots and 2272x1704 pixels
for the
landscape shots. If I import the photos into iPhoto, however, the
photos are
all shown in landscape mode and shown as 2272x1704 pixels in the info
window.
So, is Graphic Converter truly Psychic ??!! being a confirmed
sceptic, I
replaced the card in the camera and previewed the photos on the
camera LCD
and found (which I had not previously noticed) that the camera does
actually
display the previews in the correct orientation so presumably it
has some
form of sensor to detect vertical orientation which it then uses to
set the
height/width dimensions accordingly??
If so, why can Graphic Converter recognise this seemingly simple
piece of
info and display the image correctly whilst iPhoto, preview or IE seem
oblivious and display all images in landscape format initially
(Safari seems
unable to simply open a plain JPEG file!).
So has anyone else noticed which programs correctly interpret the
photo
orientation (like graphic converter) and which programs require you to
actually rotate all portrait orientation shots (like Preview,
iPhoto etc).
Cheers
Neil
--
Neil R. Houghton
Albany, Western Australia
Tel: +61 8 9841 6063
Fax: +61 8 9841 6137
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
