Stupid xmp sidecar files

[cameraman]

Why can’t camera manufacturers design the files so when shooting raw and working on them in post, thet the sidecar files get embedded into the raw file instead of having those annoying extra files? 

[rs-eos]

Camera manufacturers don’t create sidecar files. They are created by software (e.g. Canon’s DPP, Adobe Lightroom)

Also, it’s best to treat RAW files as being read-only so as to protect their integrity. This is the foundation of non-destructive RAW workflows.

[shadowsports]

Concur and agree.  👍

[Peter]

Sidecar files are often optional. Probably you can just let your raw converter save the settings in its database, but then you don't have any backup if the database breaks.

As rs-eos wrote above:

"it’s best to treat RAW files as being read-only so as to protect their integrity."

Nikon has this problem when transferring its files. From ExifTool:

"Downloading NEF images from newer Nikon cameras with Nikon Transfer 1 or older versions of ViewNX 2 (and probably Capture NX 2) may result in corrupted NEF images that can no longer be opened."

[amfoto1]

If you really wanted to, you could convert to Adobe DNG files. They have no sidecar files. Instead they embed the info, just as you wished.

However, DNG may or may not be fully compatible with current or future software. Right now they are fairly universal, but that doesn't mean they will be in 10 years. So do plenty of investigation before converting everything to DNG. (Or keep the original RAW files and make DNG to work with... which will require a lot of add'l storage space.)

***********

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2), EOS M5, some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
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[johnrmoyer]

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@cameraman wrote:

Why can’t camera manufacturers design the files so when shooting raw and working on them in post, thet the sidecar files get embedded into the raw file instead of having those annoying extra files? 

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When using Canon DPP, you have the option of either saving the recipe in a separate dr4 file or saving the CR2 or CR3 file with the edit information embedded. I have not noticed Canon software creating a sidecar file otherwise.

[smbjerke]

Hi John,

Do you know where storage options (to store edits within or outside til raw file) are found ?

Do you happen to also know how or where edits to JPG files are stored ?

- Sjur

[johnrmoyer]

I am not certain I understand the question, but I hope this might be helpful anyway.

exiftool can read the edits saved into a Canon CR2 or CR3 file by DPP. I do not know that edits of a JPG are saved by DPP.

For example, if one had changed the GammaWhitePoint in DPP to recover clipped highlights and saved the CR3 file then:

exiftool -s -G0:2 -GammaWhitePoint IMG_5748.CR3 

would report

[CanonVRD:Image] GammaWhitePoint : +0.428

and

exiftool -s -G0:2 -"CanonVRD:*" IMG_5795.CR3

would report all of the edits found in the CR3 file

https://exiftool.org/

[smbjerke]

Hi,

I guess the answer was provided by https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1093

in this post https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/Camera-Software/Where-are-DPP4-edits-stored/m-p/433778#M16761

Sjur

[johnrmoyer]

If the intent is to edit a raw file first in DPP and then edit the same image in another program, then I think it is best to save a 16 bit TIFF from DPP for editing in the other program. It might be good to either export a linear TIFF if the gamma curve is to be chosen in the other program or to set the white balance in DPP and use the gamma controls in DPP to extend the dynamic range so that there is no clipping before saving the TIFF. Also, it might be good to disable auto lighting optimizer and peripheral illumination correction in DPP and do that in the other program because that seems to me best done after setting white balance and before unsharp mask. If using a Canon lens, then Digital Lens Optimizer might best be done in DPP, although rawtherapee capture sharpening also sometimes works very well.