Update: Aperture 3 now supports the Lumix LX3, G1 and GH1 raw formats. However, there are some problems with DNG support for these cameras. The trade-offs in this post are still valid, but before you decide on a DNG workflow, take a look at the work-arounds for getting certain DNGs working in Aperture 3.
Mac OS X and Aperture don't yet support the RW2 raw format produced by recent Panasonic cameras like the DMC-G1 or LX3 or the Olympus E-P1. That leaves Mac users with a couple of options:
- Shoot JPEG. The quality is pretty good, and the G1's automatic settings get it right much of the time.
- Shoot RAW and convert with SilkyPix or RAW Developer, software packages that support RAW from these cameras. SilkyPix, while it comes with Panasonic cameras, has an unusual interface (export settings get saved in the "cloakroom"). RAW Developer seems great, but is by no means free. Neither program is designed to manage a photo library.
- Buy the latest version of Adobe Lightroom, which handles these latest raw formats just fine
- Shoot RAW and convert to Adobe's DNG format -- which Aperture and iPhoto can read mostly
For now, I am committed to Aperture. And I prefer to shoot RAW. So if, like me, you prefer to use Aperture to manage your photos, this workflow can help.
As I've written before (in Adobe DNG 1.3 spec now does RAW for the Panasonic Lumix G1), the state of OS X is that for now, DNGs work fine from adapted manual lenses. While the DNG converters have been updated to support shots taken with the Panasonic and Olympus lenses, OS X doesn't understand the new stuff those lenses add. In practice, this means you can only work with raw shots made with legacy lenses. One day Aperture and OS X will be updated to understand the new stuff -- either in RW2 format or in DNG. Until that sunny day, here's what I do:
- With the kit lens (or any other micro 4/3 lens -- if I had others), I shoot JPEG
- With manual legacy lenses (I have a couple of Voigtlanders), I shoot RAW and convert to DNG
- Import these DNG and JPEG images into Aperture
Automating Conversion and Import
This may sound complicated, but at download time, it's really not, because I've automated the process. Here's how you can, too. For that last import step, I use Image Capture to pull the photos off of the camera and call an Automator workflow that does the conversion.
I've put the code for the the workflow below. It requires two helper applications:
- Adobe DNG converter turns your RW2 files into DNGs. The originals are still there, if you want them.
- exiftool, which compensates for a date bug. Aperture and DNG converter can't agree on the date and time your photos were taken. Exiftool removes date info from the DNGs so that Aperture can do the right thing.
These programs get called by the import workflow, which looks like this in Automator:
Here's the code for the shell script action that does the conversion:
Simply paste that code into a perl shell script workflow box, just like in the screenshot above. For the import action, feel free to choose import into Aperture (like I do) or iPhoto. Either one will work.
Last, save the workflow as an Image Capture plugin, and you'll be all set. Image Capture will let you pick where to download the images, and your new workflow will appear in the list of automatic tasks. (Restart Image Capture if you don't see it right away.)
Or Download the Whole Workflow
Update: Don't want to mess around with creating a workflow to do this? Why not just download mine. Save it in your home directory to ~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Image Capture, where Image Capture will find it. Restart Image Capture if necessary.
So there it is. You'll be shooting full quality when you can, or JPEG when you must -- and not complicating your workflow.
4 Comments