Pure Raw DNG too dark

Dear all,
I have a significant problem with the DNG files out of Pure Raw. All files are about one stop too dark.
Camera Canon R5.
What’s wrong?

greetings, Gerd

left: DXO DNG
right: RAW

Google Photos

What software are you viewing the raw file in?

Mark

Hi Mark,
the screenshot shows the two files side by side in Adobe Bridge. OS is Win 11
I can see the same behavior in other viewers
Greetings, Gerd

Hi Gerd and welcome to the forum.

The reason for @mwsilvers question about the software is because most probably the software that you are using for viewing these files are showing you the JPG that is embedded in the RAW file. The linear DNG that is produced by PureRAW contains no such JPG to display. So what you are seeing in the DNG file is the minimally processed RAW file(optical corrections and NR only, with no tone or color correction applied), whereas in the embedded JPG, what you are seeing has already been processed in-camera according to the camera settings that you chose when the file was captured.

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That is correct. And additionally, most raw software, including DXO PhotoLab, Lightroom, ON1 Photo RAW and others automatically apply presets when viewing raw files that significantly alter the way they look when compared to their unprocessed raw. state. Without knowing how you compared these files the assumptions you’ve made may not be accurate.

Mark

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One other thing Gerd, are you using Canon’s proprietary “Highlight Tone Priority”?

Hello!
I also have the same problem! All files are exactly 0.5 stops darker. You can, of course, come to terms with this state of affairs, all the same, the main processing takes place in an external editor. But what about users who want to get a quick JPG without using an external editor. For example, I have selected the “RAW only” shooting mode on the camera, and I need to quickly make JPG files in DxO PR. And the result will be negative in my case, because I will get the JPG output half a stop darker! It turns out that I cannot use this function of converting to JPG due to a mismatch in the exposure at the output after processing, which is what happens in my case. Therefore, I work around this problem by processing in an external editor. In fact, there is nothing wrong with that. I just wanted to write you about this flaw, so that you can fix, if possible, these small inconveniences in the next update of the program. It would be nice, and the functional completeness of the program would be felt.
Panasonic G9 camera. I think we need to make it possible to adjust exposure parameters for users in the settings for the JPG format.
Thank you for your attention.

First of all the hint about the Highlight Tone Priority was 3/4 of the solution.
After switching this off on my R5 ther problem reduced to the situation described by Pavelwcp.
I have to add at least 0.3 to 0.5 stops to get the same result as in DPP or Adobe RAW. without a correction.
It would be great if that could be fixed in the next update!

Thx, Gerd

I have reported this same issue to DxO Tech Support, and gone back and forth with them several times on it. It is a thing. It happens maybe 50% of the time. When it happens, I am seeing a darker DNG result, by a full stop, after DxO PureRaw processing than the original, when viewed side by side rendered by the same software, using both Lightroom and FastStone Image Viewer (a RAW image viewer). I see several technical reasons being suggested for why this might be the case, or why the results are being misinterpreted, but it is REAL. Bottom line, it is a problem that DxO needs to fix.

+1 DxO please fix it!

Hi all,
I just tried PureRAW V2 and it shows the same bad behavior.
Quite disappointing :frowning:
Greetings, Gerd

Hello,

can you upload some RAW files for us to test ?
Please use https://upload.dxo.com/

And do you use some camera feature like “highligh priority” ? If so the behavior is “normal”, we don’t handle it yet but fix is planned even if I don’t have a date for now.

Regards,
Marie

Hello Marie,
thanks for taking care!
I just uploaded an example.
No highlight priority involved… May the “Auto lighting Optimizer” also be a problem?
***Update: No changes when turning this off or on ***

  • The original RAW-File from the Canon R5
  • The convertet JPG from Pure Raw 2 (seems to be OK!)
  • The converted DNG file from Pure Raw 2 (too dark)

By the way: I would appreciate a profile of the Canon EF-S 18-135 IS USM on a R5. Sounds stupid but the combination of both is a wonderful team for cycling and hiking :slight_smile:
Best regards, Gerd

Hello @gerdhwg ,

thanks for the file. I’ll recheck parameters of Canon but it seems “Auto lighting Optimizer” can do the same as highlight priority mode.

I note your request of APS-C lenses on Canon R5 and I’ll look to what’s is blocking it.

Regards,
Marie

@Marie ,

Are you suggesting here that it should always be possible to use the DXO profiles of aps-c lenses when shooting with full-frame cameras?

I ask this because I noticed that in my images made with a full frame Nikon camera in combination with aps-c lenses DXO does not support this. See my request: Optics module for (Nikon) APS-C/DX lenses on fullframe camera in crop-mode

Regards,
Lex

hello @LexB ,

it’s not always possible and here I have to look what is blocking, maybe it’s not a big thing but maybe it is.

I’ll let you know.

Regards,
Marie

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Hi Marie,
I just checked the situation with “Autolighting Otimizer” and unfortunately that does not change the ploblem.
The results are the same when switching it on and off.

Could you realize that the JPG out of Pure Raw is OK where the DNG is too dark?

Greetings, Gerd

Regarding the APS-C lens on the full frame R5: It would be great to use a profile for that. My technical know how is too small to say something about using a APS-C profile on a full frame camera :slight_smile: Regards, Gerd