Since the advent of the consumer digital camera, hard disks and memory devices have faced the burden of ever increasing amounts of images to store. This is, in part, due to digital photography being an inexpensive way of taking thousands of images without any image processing costs to bear, thereby encouraging the photographer to snap many pictures of the same thing. The only ongoing expense is recharging the batteries in the camera.

When a digital camera captures an image, its image sensors records the light from millions of sensing area. The camera’s digital circuitry converts the generated analog voltage signal into a digital representation. Many cameras allow these images to be stored in a raw image file. They are akin to digital negatives, as they have the same role as negatives in film photography. These RAW files usually offer higher color depth than JPEG files, but take up far more storage space.

As implied by the name, RAW files have not been processed. By taking pictures in raw format the photographer is not committing to the conversion software that is built into the camera. Instead, the individual can store the raw files, and make use of computer software to generate better JPEG files, and also benefit from future improvements in image software.

Linux offers excellent software for dealing with RAW files, for remotely operating cameras, importing and processing raw data, as well as software to read, write and edit camera metadata.

To provide an insight into the quality of software available for Linux, we have compiled a list of 8 useful camera tools. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for any budding David Bailey or Ansel Adams.

Here’s our recommendations.

Now, let’s explore the 8 camera tools tools at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, screenshots, together with links to relevant resources.

Camera Tools digiKam Digital photo management application with revamped camera support Darktable Virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers gPhoto Digital camera command-line client RawTherapee RAW image processing application UFRaw Standalone tool to import RAW data from high-end digital cameras ExifTool Library and program to read and write meta information in multimedia files Rawstudio RAW image converter fspy Quick and easy still image camera matching

Return to our complete collection of recommended free and open source software including our latest additions.

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