Digikam - Image Editor - Raw Photos problem

The solution that I found was as follows:
Select a single image from your catalog
Before you start the edit go to TOOLS > RAW IMAGE CONVERTER (Single)
Unless you have special needs set the converter to DEFAULT
Set the output file format
(You can click on PREVIEW ... if it makes you feel better)
Click on CONVERT
Voila ... A PNG file will go into your album

You can also use the TOOLS > BATCH PROCESS > RAW CONVERT
If you select more images

NOTE: Unfortunately raw converter is slow so need to be a bit patient

If you go the direction of directly opening the file with EDIT you will need a fair amount of patience in making the curve adjustment
I find the other way easier and then use a bunch of the tools for the next adjustment steps.

By the way I am using CinePaint for final final touch-up work so as to maintain 16 bit through to the final output.

David

Laurie;

By the way there are so many options for raw conversion in Ubuntu ... and far better than in windows that there should never be a need to tread the MS path again.

I would be happy to help if you need

David

Hi David,

Thank you for your posts - they did help a bit. I can now convert a RAW file in Digikam, but I lose the ability to use the white balance and exposure settings. When I was working in Windows, I would apply white balance and exposure settings directly to the RAW file, then convert it to a TIFF. But if I convert the file with Digikam, I'm forced to convert first, which locks in the white balance and exposure.

I've been doing some exploring, as you suggested in your 2nd post. I discovered that if I added the UFRaw plugin to GIMP, I could have UFRAW handle the white balance and exposure (and other settings too) and it then opens automatically in GIMP. Then I can apply the changes to hue/saturation, curves, unsharp mask, etc.

Are there any other methods that work well for RAW editing? Is there any way of using the white balance of Digikam on the direct RAW file and still obtaining a pleasing result?

Thanks very much for your help.

Laurie

Hi Laurie;

I have done a lot of thrashing recently with my raw conversion and spent
much time trying the options in DigiKam, CinePaint/GIMP, UFRaw and
RawStudio. I should add that I am also a recent refugee from the Windows
world.

Overall I am finding that RawStudio is providing (for me) the best
combination of ease of use and end results. I find it easy to 'tweak'
individual images but also I find it fast for batch or semi-batching my
material. My output from RS is close enough to my overall basic image
goal that very little further general processing is often needed.

Interesting, your note comes on the same day that RawStudio announce
that they now have a 'bigger and better' version, so I need to install
that and see how this in turn will further help the flow.

Currently my processing is DigiKam (for management and minor
adjustments) > RawStudio > CinePaint (final 16 bit processing). I am
also using DigiKam to do some minor processing, add borders and insert
title blocks.

Let me know how you get on .. direct address
nospamdavidvjatverizondotnet

Cheers;

David

On Thu, 2008-01-24 at 02:31 +0000, Laurie Maybury wrote:
> Question #22439 on digikam in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/digikam/+question/22439
>
> Status: Answered => Open
>
> Laurie Maybury is still having a problem:
> Hi David,
>
> Thank you for your posts - they did help a bit. I can now convert a RAW
> file in Digikam, but I lose the ability to use the white balance and
> exposure settings. When I was working in Windows, I would apply white
> balance and exposure settings directly to the RAW file, then convert it
> to a TIFF. But if I convert the file with Digikam, I'm forced to convert
> first, which locks in the white balance and exposure.
>
> I've been doing some exploring, as you suggested in your 2nd post. I
> discovered that if I added the UFRaw plugin to GIMP, I could have UFRAW
> handle the white balance and exposure (and other settings too) and it
> then opens automatically in GIMP. Then I can apply the changes to
> hue/saturation, curves, unsharp mask, etc.
>
> Are there any other methods that work well for RAW editing? Is there any
> way of using the white balance of Digikam on the direct RAW file and
> still obtaining a pleasing result?
>
> Thanks very much for your help.
>
> Laurie
>

It seems you're facing a similar issue to what has been reported previously. When previewing RAW images in the main window, they appear fine, but when you try to edit a photo in the Image Editor, it becomes excessively dark. You're also looking to use 16-bit. It appears that the Image Editor is applying automatic adjustments to curves, white balance, and other settings when opening images, and you want to disable these automatic changes. To resolve this, I recommend checking the software's settings or preferences for options to disable these automatic adjustments. Exploring user forums or the software's documentation may also provide valuable insights and solutions, as Digikam is a highly regarded tool for RAW image processing. Try using a different photo editor like vsco you can check here https://vscocamapk.com/