The Enhanced RAW Format from Olympus

[Siegfried]

Hi Folks

I like to bring another exciting Olympus function to your attention. See the following article for more info:

https://myolympusomd.blogspot.com/2021/ ... space.html

There are more articles with more info on my blog. Please, don't let promoters make you believe Olympus cameras
read the jpeg image for the histogram or Live View. Olympus designed an amazing Live View function and I
explained Live View and the Histogram in my articles...

Short summary:-

- The enhanced Raw File consists of layers like Sensor Raw Data, Camera settings, and Creative Settings
- Old school raw converters like LR, PhotoLab, and Capture One cannot access the Enhanced Raw Data
- Old school raw converters can only access the sensor raw data from Olympus (this is huge...)
- Workspace can access the Enhanced Raw Data plus synchronize the camera's final Live View in Workspace
- Your Olympus camera's settings are included in the Enhanced Raw Format, this enables us to:
1. Experiment with the Creative Color camera functions in Workspace
2. Test and experiment with different camera settings in Workspace
3. Live View in Workspace makes it possible to develop accurate camera profiles in WS

- One would typically export a 16-bit Tiff file to Photoshop after the raw conversion in WS is done.

This is a new concept for most Olympus photographers and it takes time to fully understand, appreciate
and benefit from this unique Enhanced Raw Format...

Some might say, why didn't Olympus create a video or articles about this? The engineering team at the
Olympus Imaging Division was very creative and competent. I said it many times, they have been at least
10 years ahead of the competition. The Global and Imaging marketing teams were an absolute disaster.
One can do interesting case studies on how the Olympus marketing teams failed the imaging business.

Wish you all the best

Siegfried

[Rob Trek]

I need to read more closely about the histogram reading off the sensor rather than the projected live view.
The live view and histogram are capped +/- 3 stops from neutral grey, which is fine.
But what I'm reading from your blog is that the histogram represents the full range (effectively raw) read off the sensor adjusted for the profile settings.

This goes against what I've repeated myself many times as I've heard from others, perhaps in error.
The page you presented from the e30 manual isn't precise enough to reach this conclusion. Assuming that was the intent.

I do understand what you wrote about Workspace and the enhanced raw. Very early on I talked about using Workspace to test out different profiles and settings.

Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge and experience.

[Siegfried]

Hi Rob, thank you for your feedback.

Your video works for me, especially considering it's 34K views later and four years old. You explained the basics and I tried to give this unique functionality of Olympus cameras substance with the Enhanced Raw Format concept and explanation. All said, why would Olympus photographers continue to discuss Workspace as if it only converts the Base Raw Data Layer like Lightroom, PhotoLab, and others?

Trusting information from the web...
Rob, I reached a point of not trusting web statements. The wild things people claim are crazy. Take the popular commercial line saying "One sensor captures more light than another." It couldn't be more irrelevant and folks argue about it. Sensors are designed to saturate when fully exposed. (study the photons to electrons graph in my articles). Another is one sensor size has more noise than another. Complete nonsense because every sensor has a noise floor (see photons to electrons graph). Size is a tiny subcategory of what determines noise...

The Live View display & the histogram...
I saw claims that the histogram reads the jpeg file data?? The +/- 3 stops you refer to are probably the exposure comp range of the camera. The histogram doesn't show any over or under-exposure details. That does not mean it's not connected to the sensor's raw data stream. The same for Live View. In fact, the Live View display and the histogram have the ability to show that the image signal (raw data) is clipped... Rob, you need to study my articles

The E30 information...
Rob. I do not have to prove anything if we accept the social media norm of people dropping any type of facts with no explanation. I try to provide detailed explanations and unfiltered supporting documentation for those interested in doing their own reading and thinking...

Final comment...
I mentioned I bought an older EM1 MKI. I also said it's so much fun to re-discover it unfiltered. This is huge... One of these filters is, M43 cameras have a diffraction problem. Don't all lenses suffer from diffraction? Unfiltered means I ignore the counter-marketing crap and discover the product unfiltered. In fact, most Panasonic cameras take care of diffraction if you select the function, and if I remember correctly.

Most of our camera features are easy to understand, test, and try out... if we dare to step away from the filters and just try the camera, software, and lenses...

Best

Siegfried

[Rob Trek]

One of my greatest weaknesses in life is not reading enough. Your blog has such a wealth of information that I need to dive into.

I completely agree with you that there is a lot of misinformation being presented and repeated (myself included).

I'm planning to do a new video on metering, which will require a lot of explanation of the histogram. Would you be interested in previewing it and providing feedback?

Thanks,
-Rob

[Siegfried]

Wow, it will be an honor to work with you.

Best

Siegfried

[Siegfried]

Hi folks

I did several updates to the Gradation article and the Enhanced Raw Format article.

Best

Siegfried