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iOS 10 RAW pictures

e1me5

e1me5

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 11, 2013
503
1,085
Cyprus
There is an event at WWDC scheduled tomorrow about Advances in iOS Photography that mentions RAW image data capture. Does that means iOS devices will be able now to take RAW pictures? I actually wished that some months ago and was so happy to spot that now.

"People love to take pictures with iPhone. In fact, it's the most popular camera in the world, and photography apps empower this experience. Explore new AVFoundation Capture APIs which allow for the capture of Live Photos, RAW image data from the camera, and wide color photos.

Tuesday, June 14, 9:00 PM–10:00 PMPacific Heights"
 
Lets hope Apple put full raw support into IOS as per macOS. That might encourage developers to make extensions IOS Photos as they have for macOS Photos.

Maybe we will the details tomorrow from the event attendees.
 
Seems RAW is supported. From some release notes.

AVFoundation
The AVFoundation framework (AVFoundation.framework) includes the following enhancements:

  • The new AVCapturePhotoOutput class provides a unified pipeline for all photography workflows, enabling more sophisticated control and monitoring of the entire capture process and including support for new features such as Live Photos and RAW format capture. You should transition to AVCapturePhotoOutput instead of AVCaptureStillImageOutput, which is deprecated in iOS 10
Click to expand...
 
It looks like Apple will go DNG format for raw files from IOS devices in IOS 10. I guess that beats having one more raw converter to build in any external post processing tools like Lr, CiP,....etc.


Core Image

The Core Image framework (CoreImage.framework) includes several enhancements.

RAW image file support is now available on iOS devices that use the A8 or A9 CPU. Core Image can decode RAW images produced by several third-party cameras as well as images produced by the iSight camera of supported iOS devices (to learn more, see AVFoundation). To process RAW images, use filterWithImageData:eek:ptions: or filterWithImageURL:eek:ptions: to create a CIFilter object, adjust RAW processing options with the keys listed in RAW Image Options, and read the processed image from the filter’s outputImage property.

You can now insert custom processing into a Core Image filter graph by using the imageWithExtent:processorDescription:argumentDigest:inputFormat:eek:utputFormat:eek:ptions:roiCallback:processor: method. This method adds a callback block that Core Image invokes in between filters when processing an image for display or output; in the block, you can access the pixel buffers or Metal textures containing the current state of the processed image and apply your own image processing algorithms.

When using a custom processor block or writing filter kernels, you can process images in a color space other than the Core Image context’s working color space. Use the imageByColorMatchingWorkingSpaceToColorSpace: and imageByColorMatchingColorSpaceToWorkingSpace: methods to convert into and out of your color space before and after processing.

Performance is significantly improved for rendering UIImage objects that are backed by Core Image images (such as those created by using the initWithCIImage: initializer) in a UIImageView object. In addition, a Core Image–backed UIImage object that’s tagged with a wide-gamut color profile renders in a UIImageView object that uses wide-gamut color (on capable iOS devices).

Core Image kernel code can now request a specific output pixel format.

Core Image introduces five new filters:

  • CINinePartTiled

  • CINinePartStretched

  • CIHueSaturationValueGradient

  • CIEdgePreserveUpsampleFilter

  • CIClamp
https://developer.apple.com/library...tes/General/WhatsNewIniOS/Articles/iOS10.html


AVCapturePhotoOutput is a concrete subclass of AVCaptureOutput that provides a modern interface for most capture workflows related to still photography. In addition to basic capture of still images, a photo output supports RAW-format capture, bracketed capture of multiple images, Live Photos, and wide-gamut color. You can choose to have images delivered in RAW format, a compressed format such as JPEG, or both, and also enable automatic delivery of preview-sized images in addition to a main image. In addition, the AVCapturePhotoOutput class can format captured photos for output in the JPEG/JFIF and DNG file format.

https://developer.apple.com/reference/avfoundation/avcapturephotooutput
 
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Can someone break down what this means? Up until now any RAW files imported into the Photos app are stored as JPEG images and manipulated/edited as such. Does this mean all RAW files will be stored as RAW files and apps will be able to edit and manipulate RAW files? Cause if so then Apple just ticked a lot of boxes for me. I use VSCO for all of my editing but thus far only working with high res JPEG versions of my images.
 
Up until now any RAW files imported into the Photos app are stored as JPEG images and manipulated/edited as such.
Click to expand...

Not exactly. IOS Photos can and will import a raw file. It will then extract and present the jpeg preview image embedded in the raw file. Photos will let you edit the jpeg preview file. But you can not today edit the raw file. Once IOS 10 is out, evidently IOS Photos should be able to edit DNG raw images from IOS devices and the very few cameras that do DNG as their native raw format. Only Pentax and Leica come to mind for doing native DNG.
 
Currently one can process raw with 3rd party apps. Perhaps with some limitations, haven't looked at it in recent years. Does this mean one will now be able to import raw and edit via Photos or, be limited to iOS devices being able to output a dng file (editable on device or not)?

If the latter, then the market consists of folks looking for raw editing capability for shots taken with an iOS device. Does not strike me as much of a market. On the other hand, if the files are large enough, and people shoot wide, maybe useful for some. Certainly not aimed at iPads. May as well carry an ILC.
 
I would think that the iOS/DNG editing may be left up to apps that take advantage of it.

Right now Adobe Express can edit RAW in iOS, for example. I think maybe Mylio does as well. Making DNG available from the camera doesn't necessarily change the editing landscape, but it certainly seems to most of us that Apple wouldn't make such RAW available without allowing third parties to edit it perhaps more easily, and maybe their own Photos.

And I could see apps that do say HDR making use of it, and the user might not even be aware that the app is processing DNG behind the scenes. It would lead to better output, and it doesn't necessarily mean the user would interact with it.
 
So I can now edit and process device originated raw files. I frankly can't see a raw shooter picking up his device for a shoot. Nor can I see the typical device shooter editing raw to salvage his blown out or noisy shots.

This strikes me as another indication Apple has no clue about the photography market.
 
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