Fuji raw file conversion

[traveller (Bo)]

Hi all,
Trying to experiment more with my Fuji XE-1 in raw file format. A few questions for the more experienced users out there
1. Can Deep Sky Stacker handle Fuji raw files? My limited research tells me I have to convert the RAF file to a TIFF or FIT file first?
2. If so, which conversion program do you use or recommend? I have the bundled program called SilkyPix.
3. Do you do any adjustments when converting your RAF files? If so, what are the typical settings, and are they the same fore DSO (at prime focus) v widefield (using camera lenses)?
Thanks
Bo

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

Bo. I have used SilkyPix to convert RAF to 16bit tiff - X-Pro1- for astro work.. Don't know about DSS conversion, but I am told 16bit tiff is preferable.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

Bo, more recent versions of dcraw than that included with DSS can decode the Fuji RAF files well using a 3-pass demosaicing method. You'd need to download the source code and compile it though.

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

Demosaicing with dcraw, as suggested, is one way around a lack of demosaicing support for RAF files with some preprocessing programs.

v9.19 available with Ubuntu converts RAF and there are Windows executables available for download here and there.

MacOS Yosemite has support as well, though not sure which version of dcraw.

Here if you are a Windows user - v9.26 - you will need to know the options for conversion.

Silkypix is the easy road because the tiff files are demosaiced. This is a stacked example taken with the X-Pro1 on a double arm drive - it can be done.

[gregbradley]

Handling of RAF RAW files:

1. Adobe Lightroom has recently upgraded its Fuji RAW conversion. I am not sure what its like now. It was the worst.

2. Photo Ninja is good, Capture 1, Irident (Mac), Raw Therapee are all good.

There is a DPReview article on Fuji RAW converters that is worth reading.

As far as stacking in DSS not sure, I imagine you want TIFF output.

Greg.

[traveller (Bo)]

Thanks everyone. Noob question, what is demosiacing?
I had a look at dcraw and see that it supports XE-1 but when I open up deep sky stacker (3.3.4) it wouldn't see RAF file. What am I doing wrong?

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

Demosaicing is the process of determining the red/green/blue values for each of the pixels. The way I understand it, there is a red, green OR blue colour "filter" over each of the pixels of the (otherwise monochrome) sensor, and the software decodes the data from the raw file and kind of interpolates the colour values for each pixel.

The version of dcraw in DSS is a few releases behind that necessary to decode the Fujifilm X-Trans raw files. If you get hold of a later copy of dcraw, you can then manually decode them to TIFF files and load those into DSS.

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

Bo. The easiest method is to convert your files to 16bit tiff in silkypix and load into DSS.

A better and slightly more complex method is to install dcraw and convert your RAF files to 16bit CFA monochrome tiff and load into DSS.

This link may be helpful http://www.guillermoluijk.com/tutori...w/index_en.htm

The options are

dcraw -4 -o 0 -D -t 0 -k 0 -H 1 -T your.RAF

[traveller (Bo)]

Thanks all, appreciate your input.
I think I will go down the RAF to TIF conversion via Silkypix path, but is there a way to batch process this? Or will I need to convert each photo individually? I suspect the latter.
Bo

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

SP has a batch process option.

[traveller (Bo)]

Thanks Rowland.

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

There is a DSS setting which you may need to turn off. Not being a DSS user, I think it is RGB per channel processing or something like that.

[traveller (Bo)]

Ok, I will cross that bridge once I get a few clear nights in Melbourne.
Thanks again Rowland.
Bo