macOS app to convert X3F to DNG

X3Fuse 0.0.7_alpha Test1

Hi Sagwa, I downloaded the version 0.0.7-alpha & performed quick tests.

— on older macOS system, upon oppening the app, the finder return :
« You can’t use the application “X3Fuse-0.0.7-alpha” with this verion of macOS. The application requires macOS 14.0 or later.
—Then, I tried on my iMac Pro (2017) runing macOs 14.7.7 :

The app opens this time, and I could populate it’s window with a X3F file coming from an SdQ-H.
I left the default options in the Settings, but ticked the “Debug logs”.
After clicking the button “Convert” the app did create a .dng of the file (same name). OK, but
I could not open the file :

— Photoshop 2021 returned « Could not complete your request because PS. was unable to parse the PostScript. »
— SigmaPP 6.8.2 returned « The software does not support this file. »
— Affinity Photo : « The file type is not supported. »
— Preview 11 returned « The file “~” could not be opened. Preview does not support this raw file format. »
— QuickTime returned « The document “~” could not be opened. The specified URL type isn’t supported. »

Now I oppened the logs folder, where the error.log says :
<<
Please, i can only send you the error.log content in the next post…

… the error.log says :

<<

[2025-08-06 21:19:20.105] Unknown camera model: sd Quattro H
[2025-08-06 21:19:20.106] [_DQH0723.X3F] Opcode file not found: UNKNOWN_FF_DNG_Opcodelist3_5.6
[2025-08-06 21:19:20.833] [_DQH0723.X3F] No flat-fielding opcode found for this camera/lens/aperture combination
[2025-08-06 21:25:25.770] Unknown camera model: sd Quattro H
[2025-08-06 21:25:25.770] [_DQH0723.X3F] Opcode file not found: UNKNOWN_FF_DNG_Opcodelist3_5.6
[2025-08-06 21:25:26.487] [_DQH0723.X3F] No flat-fielding opcode found for this camera/lens/aperture combination
[2025-08-06 21:25:26.556] Failed to show completion notification: Error Domain=UNErrorDomain Code=1 "Notifications are not allowed for this application" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Notifications are not allowed for this application}

>>

By now.

Further on, I tried with a X3F from a dp0_Q.

Same return from Photoshop, and I still have to force-quit the Adobe app.

I checked the log file, but it was unchanged ! Do I have to clear the logs first ?

Hi Greg - Thank you for trying it out and sending the logs. I'm sorry to hear the converted files are not opening for you.

Would you be able to send me the DNGs that were converted so that I can try to inspect them and determine what went wrong? If the files are too large to post, you can send them here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/8UJ0rK5QSRh9O0Mt4Lym

Greg0 N0yl said:

[2025-08-06 21:19:20.105] Unknown camera model: sd Quattro H
[2025-08-06 21:19:20.106] [_DQH0723.X3F] Opcode file not found: UNKNOWN_FF_DNG_Opcodelist3_5.6
[2025-08-06 21:19:20.833] [_DQH0723.X3F] No flat-fielding opcode found for this camera/lens/aperture combination
[2025-08-06 21:25:25.770] Unknown camera model: sd Quattro H
[2025-08-06 21:25:25.770] [_DQH0723.X3F] Opcode file not found: UNKNOWN_FF_DNG_Opcodelist3_5.6
[2025-08-06 21:25:26.487] [_DQH0723.X3F] No flat-fielding opcode found for this camera/lens/aperture combination

Click to expand...

Those errors are all related to the flat-field opcodes for Merrill cameras and shouldn't affect the output dng, since you are converting Quattro files (the app will simply print the error and continue as normal).

Greg0 N0yl said:

— Photoshop 2021 returned « Could not complete your request because PS. was unable to parse the PostScript. »
— SigmaPP 6.8.2 returned « The software does not support this file. »
— Affinity Photo : « The file type is not supported. »
— Preview 11 returned « The file “~” could not be opened. Preview does not support this raw file format. »
— QuickTime returned « The document “~” could not be opened. The specified URL type isn’t supported. »

Click to expand...

Affinity, Preview, QuickTime, and Rawtherapee definitely won't be able to open the converted DNG - they are unfortunately not able to interpret the raw data. Photoshop, Lightroom, and Capture One should be able to open it though.

Here is a known working DNG converted with X3Fuse. I'm curious if you are able to open it in Photoshop: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tiz8...ey=f4jphrg032eb8bc1577apa9d8&st=gyrkmisq&dl=0

Greg0 N0yl said:

I checked the log file, but it was unchanged ! Do I have to clear the logs first ?

Click to expand...

Interesting! That's not expected, new logs should be appended to the existing log files without needing to clear.

Thanks Sagwa

- uploaded the dng_files (1 from sdQH +1 from dpQ-0), for you to see.
- downloaded the good (salad) one : no better , BUT

I may not be an appropriate tester actually (or very soon), because

1/ Adobe starts making fuss about the membership formula I was on ;

2/ my macOS 14.7 is running from external Ssd.

So, is there anyone else running macOS 14 or 15 on a Intel-based Mac interested ?

… … … thanks in advance

Hello Sagwa, back to praise !
It … works fine. Congratulations.

After proper upgrades : Sonoma (OS 14.7) on the internal drive / then PS.2025 ;
the DNG files your App X3Fuse-0.0.7-alpha produced from Sigma Raw files could be opened by ACR then Photoshop.

They come in Display P3 color space.
X3Fuse settings further allow conversion to .JPG and .TIFF formats.
And it works for all dp-Quattros and both sd-Quattros (whether H or not )… & Merrils.

That means all the Macs (intel-based included) that can run Sonoma ( ≈ those who carry a T2 chip on board ( T2 being in fact a tiny Apple silicone) )
can benefit from your conversion application.

That's the moon for everyone hating to have to work their way through S.P.P.

Yo! Right on.

samples from X3Fuse Dng then ACR+PS (quick edit) :




some Geastre on the loan — sdQ-H & Sigma 70mm Macro F2.8 Art.

&


Tempest winds crush on old wide cedar — dpQ0 (cropped)

That without SPP at all.
Cheers !

Greg0 N0yl said:

Hello Sagwa, back to praise !
It … works fine. Congratulations.

Click to expand...

Wonderful! And thank you for uploading the DNGs, and I am glad to hear however that it's working for you in ACR/Photoshop after updating.

Greg0 N0yl said:

That's the moon for everyone hating to have to work their way through S.P.P.

Click to expand...

Indeed! Editing in ProPhoto is by far my least favorite part of shooting on foveon, so I'm happy to have a solution that helps me circumvent it for the most part.

Is there a plan to add the colour profiles - standard, neutral, vivid, landscape, portrait - that the in camera Sigma DNG files have?

digi2ap said:

Is there a plan to add the colour profiles - standard, neutral, vivid, landscape, portrait - that the in camera Sigma DNG files have?

Click to expand...

Oh interesting - it might be possible! Can't say for sure how feasible it is, but I've added it to the issue tracker here: https://github.com/sagwaco/x3fuse/issues/24.

Sorry to say the 0.1.0 version is no more compatible with Intel-Macs (no-pass sign on the icon).
But it's not a problem because I still have the X3Fuse 0.0.7 version that is.
I'll go on testing it, for example by comparing results of two .X3F editing routes :

— from X3Fuse-converted .dng
— from SPP developped .Tiff

PS: I'll soon be able to run v.0.1.0 on a M1 MacBookP.

sagwa said:

sagwa said:

Greg0 N0yl wrote:
(…)
Indeed! Editing in ProPhoto is by far my least favorite part of shooting on foveon, so I'm happy to have a solution that helps me circumvent it for the most part.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Forgot to ask why do you dislike ProPhoto Color Space so much ?

Personally what bug's me the most in SPP is the lack "real time" editing, meaning the delay (for the image to be redrawn) after each & every setting change, which makes comparison before/after more difficult.
And also the impossibility to Undo any change!

thanks for ur hard work. what is the default output of ur program in terms of the detail slider in spp?

Greg0 N0yl said:

sagwa said:

Greg0 N0yl said:

Greg0 N0yl wrote:
(…)
Indeed! Editing in ProPhoto is by far my least favorite part of shooting on foveon, so I'm happy to have a solution that helps me circumvent it for the most part.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Forgot to ask why do you dislike ProPhoto Color Space so much ?

Personally what bug's me the most in SPP is the lack "real time" editing, meaning the delay (for the image to be redrawn) after each & every setting change, which makes comparison before/after more difficult.

Click to expand...

No delay on my M4 Max MBP, really makes SPP come alive.

SPP still delivers an unique angle on colour from the sdQ, I’ve nearly been able to replicate it through hue shifts in ACR but not quite.

SPP is still very valid, and now that editing is fluid with the M4 chip, the only real negative is no local editing - which I use a lot in ACR.

Greg0 N0yl said:

And also the impossibility to Undo any change!

Click to expand...

Excited to play with this!

Haven you had any luck with the severe false colors introduced when converting DPXM photos with clipped highlights?



Also, I notice the repo includes a binary of your patch x3f_tools. Do you have a repo up with all of the changes you made to it?

Greg0 N0yl said:

sagwa said:

Greg0 N0yl said:

Greg0 N0yl wrote:
(…)
Indeed! Editing in ProPhoto is by far my least favorite part of shooting on foveon, so I'm happy to have a solution that helps me circumvent it for the most part.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Forgot to ask why do you dislike ProPhoto Color Space so much ?

Personally what bug's me the most in SPP is the lack "real time" editing, meaning the delay (for the image to be redrawn) after each & every setting change, which makes comparison before/after more difficult.
And also the impossibility to Undo any change!

Click to expand...

Oh, I don't really have any opinions about the ProPhoto color space, I was just referring to SPP when I said ProPhoto.

And my main issue with SPP is the same as yours - it's slow.

Also regarding the issue you mentioned of 0.1.0 not working on Intel macs - I have confirmed the issue and am working on a fix. Hope to have it out soon!

a_l_e_x_v said:

Excited to play with this!

Haven you had any luck with the severe false colors introduced when converting DPXM photos with clipped highlights?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately I haven't done anything to address that specifically. I've seen it in a few of my test images, usually when the highlights are really blown out, like in this example. Also I've seen it happen with Quattro images too, so I'm not sure if this is what you're referring to.


Test image from DP2M - about 2 stops overexposed

Reducing the exposure makes it clearer:


Test image from DP2M - about 2 stops overexposed and reduced exposure

I've been trying to understand why it happens. Most of the time the highlights seem to blow green or red in Lightroom, so I suspect that it may have something to do with the way that Lightroom reconstructs blown highlights. Since the green channel is normally used for luminance data in Bayer sensors, maybe Lightroom is somehow overcompensating?

Or maybe more likely, it's just that the blue channel is blown out and Lightroom isn't doing anything smart to reconstruct the blue color. I think SPP might detect when the green and blue layers are clipped and use the red layer to reconstruct the blue and green channels. This could be why extreme clipped highlights appear desaturated in SPP. So maybe an approach like that might be a good general fix (I've just been emulating this by using a luminance mask in Lightroom).

I feel like it would be possible to address this when converting the x3f to a DNG. There's a function in x3f_tools that loops over all of the pixels to detect and remove the autofocus pixels in Quattro cameras. That might be a good place to start.

Edit: Actually, this is worth tracking as an issue. I've added it to the issue tracker here: https://github.com/sagwaco/x3fuse/issues/25 . Please feel free to add more examples or any ideas there!

a_l_e_x_v said:

Also, I notice the repo includes a binary of your patch x3f_tools. Do you have a repo up with all of the changes you made to it?

Click to expand...

The x3f_tools fork I'm working from is at https://github.com/mangosango/x3f/tree/mac-universal-build. It's in rough shape at the moment and it only builds for macOS. I'd love to modernize it and try to use github actions to automate builds, but I've never worked with cpp before - I'm way out of my depth with that.

fronko said:

thanks for ur hard work. what is the default output of ur program in terms of the detail slider in spp?

Click to expand...

AFAIK the converter doesn't apply any additional sharpening or detail enhancement. I've only used SPP with Merrill cameras so I've never used the detail slider, and I'm not familiar enough with how it's implemented in SPP to give you a definitive answer - sorry!

X3Fuse uses the kalpanika team's x3f_tools to do the DNG conversion, in case you've used that command-line tool before.

Likely related, though I don’t have a Quattro camera so can’t confirm. I will post an example picture later from my DP2M.

I am not sure if capture one or Lightroom does highlight reconstruction properly here, or at all.

SPP definitely uses information from the other channels luma first and then chroma, when possible. And it knows about the underlying exposure difference of the layers, which the others do not.

The only other software that I’ve seen handle these fine properly is Iridient Developer, thought as far as I know they haven’t open sourced or released documentation about how they handle highlight recovery properly. They also seem to handle color casts correctly by reading them straight from the file.

I can't open the “X3Fuse-0.0.7-alpha.app” application on my iMac Pro (Sequoia 15.6). Is there a trick in the system settings (I haven't found one)? This application may ultimately offer the same conversion rendering as the “Kalpanika” tool, which I usually use with the “x3f_wrapper” application, which works well and generates a .dng file?