Why not default to iMatch Libraw 'YES'? ;)

[MrPete]

I just finished diagnosing some new thumbnail blanks, due to WIC errors. Learning more than I ever wanted to know about that mess... I learned:

• Nikon no longer has a NEF Codec available for download
• The old one we had installed now gets errors in some situations in iMatch, producing (generic icon-only) blank thumbnails (error: wic copypixels failed 80070057 -- giving a 0x0 thumbnail in the file window)
• The Microsoft NEF WIC codec gives fuzzy thumbnails in the file window, and in reality it is based on LibRaw but hasn't been updated in years.
• iMatch's use of LibRaw works great, and produces good clean thumbnails

Given the above, why not default the iMatch LibRaw setting to YES instead of NO?

[Mario]

LibRaw is the default for all new installations since IMatch 2025.

Nikon no longer has a NEF Codec available for download

I've read that on Nikon Rumors.
A bad move for Nikon customers. But they were the last to offer one.
I wonder why Nikon/Canon/Sony/Olympus not cooperate with the LibRaw developer, provide him with technical data and some annual funding. I hope Microsoft does so, too.

If LibRaw dies, the only way to work with RAW is Adobe/DxO/C1. Affinity uses LibRaw.

Another argument for making DNG a requirement for all cameras. If Android/Apple can do it for billions of devices, Canon/Nikon/... can surely use DNG as well. Requires pressure by paying customers and probably some laws.

[mopperle]

If LibRaw would die, only options would be Adobe and C1. DxO is for me and many others no option since they refuse to support DNG files from modern smartphones. E.G. Apple got its ProRAW format which is packed into a DNG file. But DxO support for modern smartphones stopped some years ago and they constantly ignore customer requests.
This and some other reasons made me stick to LrC. Users not willing to spend money on a RAW developer then need to stick to software they get for free from the camera vendor,. Like Canon DPP or Nikon Studio NX etc.

[Mario]

I dunno why they don't support DNG.
The implementation is open source and cross-platform. They can fetch the Bayer matrix from the DNG and do their normal RAW processing as they do with other RAW formats. RAW files and DNG files share the TIFF file structure.

I've spent some effort and time to include the Adobe DNG toolkit in IMatch 2025. Together with it and LibRaw IMatch supports the DNG variants with JPGXL previews, which Adobe introduced for Lightroom. For "reasons".

I'm absolutely no fan of being dependent on large companies or one-person projects like LibRaw for a simple thing as looking at the images my cameras and phones produce. I use Android smart phones, so DNG is the standard. And I will consider this when I purchase my next digital camera.