OpenRAW: Difference between revisions
Adding more links plus some explanatory text. |
Adding lots more links, for worldwide launch and other external links. |
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As the seriousness of the issue was quickly realized, they founded an initiative called OpenRAW, with the goal of encouraging image preservation and giving creative choice of how images are processed to the creators of the images.<ref name="AboutOpenRAW">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/about/index.html |title= About OpenRAW |author= Larry Strunk |authorlink= |date= 2006-03-15 }}</ref> |
As the seriousness of the issue was quickly realized, they founded an initiative called OpenRAW, with the goal of encouraging image preservation and giving creative choice of how images are processed to the creators of the images.<ref name="AboutOpenRAW">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/about/index.html |title= About OpenRAW |author= Larry Strunk |authorlink= |date= 2006-03-15 }}</ref> |
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OpenRAW was launched worldwide via a press release<ref name="Release1">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/press/release1/index.html |title= For Immediate Release — OpenRAW Web Site Launched |author= Juergen Specht |date= 2005-04-25 }}</ref> on 25 April 2005 (with a soft-launch a day or two earlier). Examples of the reaction: [[Digital Photography Review|DPReview]]<ref name="DPReview">{{cite web |url= http://www.dpreview.com/news/0504/05042501openraw_website.asp |title= OpenRAW launches website }}</ref>; others in English<ref name="PhotoshopNews">{{cite web |url= http://photoshopnews.com/2005/04/23/openraw-launched-web-site/ |title= OPENRAW Launches Web Site }}</ref><ref name="RobGalbraith">{{cite web |url= http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-6466-7777 |title= OpenRAW initiative and website launched |author= Eamon Hickey |date= 2005-04-25 }}</ref><ref name="SlashDot">{{cite web |url= http://news.slashdot.org/story/05/04/25/1240219/image-preservation-through-open-documentation |title= Image Preservation Through Open Documentation |date= 2005-04-25 }}</ref><ref name="ZDNet">{{cite web |url= http://www.zdnet.com/news/photographers-ask-camera-makers-to-open-up/142489 |title= Photographers ask camera makers to open up |author= Declan McCullagh |date= 2005-04-25 }}</ref><ref name="cameratown">{{cite web |url= http://www.cameratown.com/news/news.cfm/hurl/id%7C1225 |title= OpenRAW Web Site Launched }}</ref><ref name="engadget">{{cite web |url= http://www.engadget.com/2005/04/25/photographers-create-openraw-project-in-response-to-raw/ |title= Photographers create OpenRAW project in response to RAW encryption |author= Barb Dybwad |date= 2005-04-25 }}</ref><ref name="CNET">{{cite web |url= http://news.cnet.com/Photographers-ask-camera-makers-to-open-up/2100-1041_3-5683936.html |title= Photographers ask camera makers to open up |author= Declan McCullagh |date= 2005-04-25 }}</ref>; some in German<ref name="golem">{{cite web |url= http://www.golem.de/0504/37705.html |title= Freie Rohdaten von Digitalkameras: OpenRAW-Website eröffnet |author= Andreas Donath |date= 2005-04-26 |language= German }}</ref><ref name="COMPUTERWOCHE">{{cite web |url= http://www.computerwoche.de/index.cfm?pid=254&pk=555954 |title= OpenRAW: Fotografen aller Länder, vereinigt Euch! |date= 2005-04-26 |language= German }}</ref><ref name="photoscala">{{cite web |url= http://www.photoscala.de/node/view/926?from= |title= OpenRAW fordert offengelegte RAW-Spezifikationen |date= 2005-04-25 |language= German }}</ref>. |
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OpenRAW was launched worldwide on 25 April 2005 (occasionally earlier).<ref name="PhotoshopNews">{{cite web |url= http://photoshopnews.com/2005/04/23/openraw-launched-web-site/ |title= OPENRAW Launches Web Site }}</ref> |
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== Supporters == |
== Supporters == |
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:"We want camera manufacturers to publicly document their RAW image formats - past, present, and future. ... Many have suggested (and Adobe has created) a common, open file format for RAW image files for all camera makers to use as a solution to the RAW problem. A common, openly documented RAW format would fulfill many of the goals of OpenRAW, but is likely to face significant resistance from manufacturers who feel their "creativity" and ability to innovate would be constrained. Open documentation of all RAW file formats by manufacturers is the quickest and most satisfactory way for OpenRAW's goals to be reached." |
:"We want camera manufacturers to publicly document their RAW image formats - past, present, and future. ... Many have suggested (and Adobe has created) a common, open file format for RAW image files for all camera makers to use as a solution to the RAW problem. A common, openly documented RAW format would fulfill many of the goals of OpenRAW, but is likely to face significant resistance from manufacturers who feel their "creativity" and ability to innovate would be constrained. Open documentation of all RAW file formats by manufacturers is the quickest and most satisfactory way for OpenRAW's goals to be reached." |
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The phrase "(and Adobe has created)" above refers to Adobe's [[Digital Negative|DNG (Digital Negative Format)]], launched 7 months before OpenRAW. From April 2006, OpenRAW's stance was explicitly opposed to DNG. The words "(and Adobe has created)" disappeared from "The RAW Problem", removing the acknowledgment that Adobe had created such a file format.<ref name="RawProblem2">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/info/%23solution |title= The RAW Problem |archivedate= 2006-04-11 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060411194520/http://www.openraw.org/info/%23solution }}</ref> An article "Notes on the future of Open RAW formats, and a look at DNG" by Stuart Nixon said "DNG is not the answer".<ref name="NotesStuartNixon">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/node/1482 |title= Notes on the future of Open RAW formats, and a look at DNG |author= Stuart Nixon |date= 2006-04-03 |archivedate= 2006-04-21 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060421030226/http://www.openraw.org/node/1482 }}</ref> In an interview with Javier García Diz, Juergen Specht said "No, DNG is unfortunately not a solution."<ref name="CaptivePhoto">{{cite web |url= http://javiergarciadiz.blogspot.com/2011/07/raw-format-captive-photo.html |title= RAW format, the captive photo |author= Javier García Diz }}</ref> |
The phrase "(and Adobe has created)" above refers to Adobe's [[Digital Negative|DNG (Digital Negative Format)]], launched 7 months before OpenRAW. From April 2006, OpenRAW's stance was explicitly opposed to DNG. The words "(and Adobe has created)" disappeared from "The RAW Problem", removing the acknowledgment that Adobe had created such a file format.<ref name="RawProblem2">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/info/%23solution |title= The RAW Problem |archivedate= 2006-04-11 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060411194520/http://www.openraw.org/info/%23solution }}</ref> An article "Notes on the future of Open RAW formats, and a look at DNG" by Stuart Nixon said "DNG is not the answer".<ref name="NotesStuartNixon">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/node/1482 |title= Notes on the future of Open RAW formats, and a look at DNG |author= Stuart Nixon |date= 2006-04-03 |archivedate= 2006-04-21 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060421030226/http://www.openraw.org/node/1482 }}</ref> Opposition was present in the forum.<ref name="ConvertingToOpen">{{cite web |url= http://www.openraw.org/node/1548/ |title= Converting current RAW images to Open RAW |author= (various) |date= 2007-02-03 }}</ref> In an interview with Javier García Diz, Juergen Specht said "No, DNG is unfortunately not a solution."<ref name="CaptivePhoto">{{cite web |url= http://javiergarciadiz.blogspot.com/2011/07/raw-format-captive-photo.html |title= RAW format, the captive photo |author= Javier García Diz }}</ref> |
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[[Digital_Negative#Objectives|DNG was designed]] (among other things) as an archival raw image format and has a published specification. Instead of seeking synergy between its aims and those of DNG, OpenRAW concentrated on "public documentation of RAW image formats - past, present, and future". |
[[Digital_Negative#Objectives|DNG was designed]] (among other things) as an archival raw image format and has a published specification. Instead of seeking synergy between its aims and those of DNG, OpenRAW concentrated on "public documentation of RAW image formats - past, present, and future". |
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== Status in 2011 == |
== Status in 2011 == |
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OpenRAW has a page on Facebook.<ref name="Facebook">{{cite web |url= http://www.facebook.com/pages/OpenRaw/107508059273330 |title= OpenRAW on Facebook }}</ref> |
OpenRAW has a page on Facebook.<ref name="Facebook">{{cite web |url= http://www.facebook.com/pages/OpenRaw/107508059273330 |title= OpenRAW on Facebook }}</ref> |
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Niche and some smaller camera makers [[Digital_Negative#Timeline|use DNG as a raw image format]], and so conform to OpenRAW's requirement. However they do so by using an openly documented non-proprietary format rather than by using and openly documenting their own proprietary formats. So they are helping to solve ''both parts'' of the "ever increasing number of proprietary formats" problem identified in "The RAW Flaw"<ref name="RawFlawLL"></ref>. |
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The larger camera makers, such as [[Canon (company)|Canon]], [[Nikon]], [[Olympus_Corporation#Cameras_.26_audio|Olympus]], and [[Sony#Digital_photography|Sony]], [[Image_file_formats#RAW|continue to use raw image formats]] that are not openly documented, and so still cause the problems identified by OpenRAW. A variety of [[Digital_Negative#DNG_conversion|DNG Converters]] enables the undocumented proprietary formats used by the larger camera makers to be converted to DNG, but this is less satisfactory than the approach of the smaller camera makers. The OpenRAW motto "Digital Image Preservation Through Open Documentation" remains valid. |
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== References == |
== References == |
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* Planning for US Library of Congress Collections: [http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/sustain/sustain.shtml Sustainability of Digital Formats - Sustainability Factors] |
* Planning for US Library of Congress Collections: [http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/sustain/sustain.shtml Sustainability of Digital Formats - Sustainability Factors] |
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* Planning for US Library of Congress Collections: [http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/content/still_preferences.shtml Sustainability of Digital Formats - Still Image - Preferences in Summary] |
* Planning for US Library of Congress Collections: [http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/content/still_preferences.shtml Sustainability of Digital Formats - Still Image - Preferences in Summary] |
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* American Society of Media Photographers - dpBestflow: [http://www.dpbestflow.org/node/305 Raw File Formats |
* American Society of Media Photographers - dpBestflow: [http://www.dpbestflow.org/node/305 Raw File Formats] |
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* universal photographic digital imaging guidelines (UPDIG): [http://www.updig.org/guidelines/ph_file_formats.html File formats - the raw file issue] |
* universal photographic digital imaging guidelines (UPDIG): [http://www.updig.org/guidelines/ph_file_formats.html File formats - the raw file issue] |
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* Archaeology Data Service / Digital Antiquity: [http://guides.archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/g2gp/RasterImg_3 Guides to Good Practice - Section 3 Archiving Raster Images - File Formats] |
* Archaeology Data Service / Digital Antiquity: [http://guides.archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/g2gp/RasterImg_3 Guides to Good Practice - Section 3 Archiving Raster Images - File Formats] |
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* University of Connecticut: [http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/libr_pubs/23/ "Raw as Archival Still Image Format: A Consideration" by Michael J. Bennett and F. Barry Wheeler] |
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* Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research: [http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/dpm/dpm-eng/oldmedia/obsolescence1.html Obsolescence - File Formats and Software] |
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* International Digital Enterprise Alliance, Digital Image Submission Criteria (DISC) [http://www.idealliance.org/sites/default/files/DISCSPECIFICATIONS2007.pdf Guidelines & Specifications 2007 (PDF)] |
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* JISC Digital Media - Still Images: [http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/stillimages/advice/choosing-a-file-format-for-digital-still-images/#fo3 Choosing a File Format for Digital Still Images - File formats for master archive] |
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* The Florida Center for Library Automation: [http://fclaweb.fcla.edu/content/status-florida-digitial-archive Status of the Florida Digitial Archive] |
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Revision as of 14:22, 12 October 2011
OpenRAW
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/OpenRAW_badge_square_128_white.png)
OpenRAW was an initiative to raise awareness of a serious problem with top-end digital photography and to help solve that problem. The problem concerns long-term access and viewing of the raw images often used by professional and experienced amateur photographers. OpenRAW's solution, (also their motto), was "Digital Image Preservation Through Open Documentation".[1]
This initiative was primarily an international (non-political) advocacy and lobby activity directed at companies making digital cameras and those developing software to support those cameras. It also had the aim of raising awareness of the problem among photographers. Its resources included a website with a discussion forum[1], and many registered supporters, including individuals[2], companies[3], and professional organizations[4].
Formation
Early in 2005, Juergen Specht[5] and the members of his mailing list D1scussion[6] began to raise questions and concerns of the direction and difficulties associated with proprietary RAW files introduced by camera makers.[7]
The background to these concerns is described at Raw image format (Drawbacks), Digital Negative (Objectives), and dcraw (Motivation). In summary, the photographs from top-end digital cameras are often contained within files whose specifications are formally known only to the camera manufacturers. Not only does this require extra software development by many companies after the launch of most new camera models, but there is a major risk that future software products will not be able to render photographs from decades earlier.
As the seriousness of the issue was quickly realized, they founded an initiative called OpenRAW, with the goal of encouraging image preservation and giving creative choice of how images are processed to the creators of the images.[8]
OpenRAW was launched worldwide via a press release[9] on 25 April 2005 (with a soft-launch a day or two earlier). Examples of the reaction: DPReview[10]; others in English[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]; some in German[18][19][20].
Supporters
At OpenRAW's peak there were over 1600 registered individual supporters from across the world, writing in English but sometimes as a second language[2]. Nearly thirty software and hardware companies registered their support[3], thirty "photographic resources" were supporters[21], and so were five professional organisations.[4]
Its influence was wider than these numbers would indicate. When it conducted a survey in 2006[22], more than 19,200 photographers worldwide responded to it.[23][24][25] Twenty photography associations, forums, listservs, and other resources worldwide supported the survey.[26]
What these supporters have in common was the conviction that people and organizations should reliably be able to access and view their photographs well into the future, and that this requires open documentation of the formats of the files used. While popular image file formats such as JPEG are openly documented, most raw image formats, often used by professional and experienced amateur photographers, are not.
Achievements
The OpenRAW initiative identified the seriousness of this problem, articulated it in a way that the photographers concerned understood, summarized the solution with their "motto", and created a "global brand" ("OpenRAW") which encapsulated all of these. The team were not the first to understand these problems, and didn't claim to be. They were primarily photographers, (rather than companies with commercial interests in cameras or image processing products, or archivists, or accademics), and spoke to other photographers in their own language with credibility.[27][5][28] So they were able to unify resources among those photographers under one brand.
The OpenRAW initiative raised awareness of these problems with many photographers and organizations worldwide. Many other people were vaguely aware of them, and the OpenRAW material crystallized their understanding.
Camera manufacturers became aware of the disquiet about their policies, and one of them (Sony) responded with a letter held on the OpenRAW website.
Although few if any camera manufacturers changed their policies as a result of the OpenRAW initiative, many of the newly-aware photographers became informed about options available to them, such as specific archiving actions they could take. (No measures are available of how much they changed their habits).
A useful legacy of the initiative is the availability of resources describing the problems. In particular, soon after the launch of OpenRAW, an article "The RAW Flaw"[29][30][31], jointly authored by Michael Reichmann (of The Luminous Landscape[28]) and Juergen Specht (leader of the founding group of OpenRAW), was published on each website. (The OpenRAW version[32] is a subset of the Luminous Landscape version). Permission is given for the text to be copied and republished.
Limitation
The problem identified by Michael Reichmann, Juergen Specht, and other sources identified above, can be summarized as: "there is an ever increasing number of undocumented raw file formats". The final paragraph in "The RAW Flaw" on The Luminous Landscape website is:[29]
- "Finally, consider the problems of digital asset management and the cataloging of files…. The various asset management programs can't hope to keep up with the ever increasing number of proprietary formats. And as time passes and these programs are enhanced, what are the chances that they will still be able to read your older RAW files?"
And it summarizes the solution as:
- "The Solution? There really is only one solution – the adoption by the camera industry of...
- A. Public documentation of RAW formats; past, present and future
- or, more likely...
- B. Adoption of a universal RAW format"
The version of "The RAW Flaw" published by OpenRAW[32] omits that entire final paragraph, and also the words "or, more likely...". OpenRAW did not acknowledge the need to avoid the ever increasing number of proprietary formats, and did not pursue the idea of a "universal RAW format". Another article "The RAW Problem" at OpenRAW confirms this:[33]
- "We want camera manufacturers to publicly document their RAW image formats - past, present, and future. ... Many have suggested (and Adobe has created) a common, open file format for RAW image files for all camera makers to use as a solution to the RAW problem. A common, openly documented RAW format would fulfill many of the goals of OpenRAW, but is likely to face significant resistance from manufacturers who feel their "creativity" and ability to innovate would be constrained. Open documentation of all RAW file formats by manufacturers is the quickest and most satisfactory way for OpenRAW's goals to be reached."
The phrase "(and Adobe has created)" above refers to Adobe's DNG (Digital Negative Format), launched 7 months before OpenRAW. From April 2006, OpenRAW's stance was explicitly opposed to DNG. The words "(and Adobe has created)" disappeared from "The RAW Problem", removing the acknowledgment that Adobe had created such a file format.[34] An article "Notes on the future of Open RAW formats, and a look at DNG" by Stuart Nixon said "DNG is not the answer".[35] Opposition was present in the forum.[36] In an interview with Javier García Diz, Juergen Specht said "No, DNG is unfortunately not a solution."[37]
DNG was designed (among other things) as an archival raw image format and has a published specification. Instead of seeking synergy between its aims and those of DNG, OpenRAW concentrated on "public documentation of RAW image formats - past, present, and future".
Status in 2011
The OpenRAW Mailing List was closed to new members in April 2006.[38]
The OpenRAW website became inactive in August 2009, but the last post was a year earlier.[39] By May 2011 that home page was moved to preserve it[1], and a new home page summarized the history of OpenRAW.[7] It says:
- "While the final goal of "Open Documentation" has not yet been reached, the OpenRAW initiative and the survey results have triggered the ongoing development of an "Open" RAW standard which is in the final stages of becoming a reality."
- "OpenRAW had a lot of impact on the world of photography and it continues to aim at improving the situation for photographers and their photographs for years to come."
OpenRAW has a page on Facebook.[40]
Niche and some smaller camera makers use DNG as a raw image format, and so conform to OpenRAW's requirement. However they do so by using an openly documented non-proprietary format rather than by using and openly documenting their own proprietary formats. So they are helping to solve both parts of the "ever increasing number of proprietary formats" problem identified in "The RAW Flaw"[29].
The larger camera makers, such as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Sony, continue to use raw image formats that are not openly documented, and so still cause the problems identified by OpenRAW. A variety of DNG Converters enables the undocumented proprietary formats used by the larger camera makers to be converted to DNG, but this is less satisfactory than the approach of the smaller camera makers. The OpenRAW motto "Digital Image Preservation Through Open Documentation" remains valid.
References
- ^ a b c "Original OpenRAW website".
- ^ a b "Individuals supporting OpenRAW".
- ^ a b "Software Companies & Developers supporting OpenRAW".
- ^ a b "Organizations supporting OpenRAW".
- ^ a b Juergen Specht. "Juergen Specht - Photographs: Photos by a German Photographer living in Tokyo, Japan".
- ^ "D1scussion - The Forum for professional photographers using Nikon DSLR cameras".
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Welcome to OpenRAW (latest home page)".
- ^ Larry Strunk (2006-03-15). "About OpenRAW".
- ^ Juergen Specht (2005-04-25). "For Immediate Release — OpenRAW Web Site Launched".
- ^ "OpenRAW launches website".
- ^ "OPENRAW Launches Web Site".
- ^ Eamon Hickey (2005-04-25). "OpenRAW initiative and website launched".
- ^ "Image Preservation Through Open Documentation". 2005-04-25.
- ^ Declan McCullagh (2005-04-25). "Photographers ask camera makers to open up".
- ^ "OpenRAW Web Site Launched".
- ^ Barb Dybwad (2005-04-25). "Photographers create OpenRAW project in response to RAW encryption".
- ^ Declan McCullagh (2005-04-25). "Photographers ask camera makers to open up".
- ^ Andreas Donath (2005-04-26). "Freie Rohdaten von Digitalkameras: OpenRAW-Website eröffnet" (in German).
- ^ "OpenRAW: Fotografen aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!" (in German). 2005-04-26.
- ^ "OpenRAW fordert offengelegte RAW-Spezifikationen" (in German). 2005-04-25.
- ^ "Photographic Resources supporting OpenRAW".
- ^ "The Original Survey Page (now nonfunctional)".
- ^ Juergen Specht (2006-04-24). "Survey Press Release".
- ^ Calvin Jones (2006-04-25). "The 2006 RAW Survey".
- ^ Calvin Jones (2006-04-29). "2006 Raw Survey Results" (PDF).
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ Juergen Specht. "OpenRAW home page". Archived from the original on 2006-04-02.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ Calvin Jones. "Calvin Jones Photography".
- ^ a b Michael Reichmann. "The Luminous Landscape".
- ^ a b c "The RAW Flaw (at The Luminous Landscape)". May 2005.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ "The RAW Flaw (at The Luminous Landscape)" (DOC). May 2005.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ "The RAW Flaw (at The Luminous Landscape)" (PDF). May 2005.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "The RAW Flaw (at OpenRAW)". May 2005.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ "The RAW Problem". Archived from the original on 2006-02-20.
- ^ "The RAW Problem". Archived from the original on 2006-04-11.
- ^ Stuart Nixon (2006-04-03). "Notes on the future of Open RAW formats, and a look at DNG". Archived from the original on 2006-04-21.
- ^ (various) (2007-02-03). "Converting current RAW images to Open RAW".
- ^ Javier García Diz. "RAW format, the captive photo".
- ^ Juergen Specht (2006-04-02). "OpenRAW Mailing List".
- ^ "OpenRAW home page". Archived from the original on 2010-02-08.
- ^ "OpenRAW on Facebook".
External links
- Planning for US Library of Congress Collections: Sustainability of Digital Formats - Sustainability Factors
- Planning for US Library of Congress Collections: Sustainability of Digital Formats - Still Image - Preferences in Summary
- American Society of Media Photographers - dpBestflow: Raw File Formats
- universal photographic digital imaging guidelines (UPDIG): File formats - the raw file issue
- Archaeology Data Service / Digital Antiquity: Guides to Good Practice - Section 3 Archiving Raster Images - File Formats
- University of Connecticut: "Raw as Archival Still Image Format: A Consideration" by Michael J. Bennett and F. Barry Wheeler
- Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research: Obsolescence - File Formats and Software
- International Digital Enterprise Alliance, Digital Image Submission Criteria (DISC) Guidelines & Specifications 2007 (PDF)
- JISC Digital Media - Still Images: Choosing a File Format for Digital Still Images - File formats for master archive
- The Florida Center for Library Automation: Status of the Florida Digitial Archive