In essence, RawDigger is a microscope that lets you examine RAW data in greater detail, using statistics, histograms, and visualizations. The main objectives of the application are to assist you in creating better photographs and reducing the number of “keepers” by improving your understanding of the “digital film”—that is, RAW data—that you are using.
Numerous problems with studio lighting, lenses, flashes, shutter and aperture accuracy, camera drift repeatability, and exposure noise can all be diagnosed using the program. It helps define how light meters are calibrated, what the available headroom is, which camera settings affect RAW data and how, how the RAW converter understands RAW data, and what “hidden” compensation is implemented, and which tone curve is used for both in-camera JPEGs and in the converter. It also helps prepare for camera profile calculations and color conversion.
There are various editions of RawDigger available:
- For individuals who are serious about getting the best quality from their camera for precise exposures, Exposure Edition is designed for daily use. In addition to highlighting overexposed and underexposed areas, Exposures Edition shows RAW data in all modalities (RGB, composite RAW, and RAW per channel), a RAW histogram, image statistics, and a histogram for a chosen area.
- The Research Edition is intended for statistical analysis of unprocessed data and camera/sensor evaluation. It is entirely compatible with RAW data processing software and can be used for a variety of purposes, including personal usage and evaluation preparation. TIFF export, multiple selected areas per sample, sample data tables, statistics and histograms for multiple samples, and sample data export in CSV and CGATS formats are all included in the Research Edition.
- The Profile Edition is intended for people who need to generate instrument data for color profiling, linearization, or sensor calibration. Selection grids are added in the Profile Edition to expedite the computation of heterogeneity maps, step wedges, and color targets. White balance, normalization, equalization (flatfield), and outlier filtering can all be applied before data export using the Profile Edition.
