LX3 RAW

[RovingMike]

I tried RAW mode and was shocked by the state of the image. I found it very hard to get it back to anything acceptable without the in-camera processing. Am I missing a point somewhere? Is RAW really of any use on this size of sensor?

[JohnHallett]

I tried RAW mode and was shocked by the state of the image.

Why - what was wrong with it? Could you post an image (or link to one) so that we can see? I have recently purchased an LX3 and haven't noticed any particular problem.

[RovingMike]

I'll have to load up another raw software, as I just took a free month's trial of the one I had and didn't get on with it at all. But maybe that was it! I normally use Oly Master 2, so not used to a "real" raw programme.
What do you use?
Mike

[JohnHallett]

What do you use?

I use Lightroom - but you need to get version 2.2 or above for it to read the LX3 files.

That may be your problem, although the RAW file extension may be DNG, there are subtle differences in the way each camera produces it and so the RAW editor has to be able to read it properly.

The following is a quote from Adobes notes on the release of v2.2:

"With the release of Lightroom 2.2, there is an important exception in our DNG file handling for the Panasonic DMC LX3, Panasonic DMC FX150, Panasonic DMC FZ28, Panasonic DMC-G1 and Leica D-LUX 4. In this release the native, proprietary files from these cameras can only be converted to linear DNG files. A linear DNG file has gone through a demosaic process that converts a single mosaic layer of red, green and blue channel information into three distinct layers , one for each channel. The resulting linear DNG file is approximately three times the size of a mosaic DNG file or the original proprietary file format."

The latest version is 2.6 and I haven't yet seen a problem with any RAW file. I think, therefore, that maybe the program you were using was having problems reading them.

Hope this helps.