FastStone and raw

[dwight3]

I frequently see people touting FastStone as a great image editor.

I recognize that (for Windows users, anyway) FastStone can be a useful image viewer. It's free, fast loading, and easy to use. But I have not seen any evidence to convince me that FastStone is able to edit raw files using the raw data (as opposed to just using the embedded jpg preview).

I have used IrfanView for a couple decades now (I encountered it long before I ever heard about FastStone). I use IrfanView as an image viewer and I have used it to do quick edits to jpgs (such as brightness, contrast, cropping, file format conversion) but I have other tools I consider better for serious editing. I don't use FastStone much because I have IrfanView, which my muscle memory has gotten used to. IrfanView recently announced support for raw files but I haven't tried it yet because I have "better" tools for raw. Previously, IrfanView could view a raw file but it was the embedded jpg preview that would be displayed.

So the question is: Can anyone show me that FastStone (or IrfanView) actually uses the raw data from the raw file for editing? That means it has to demosaic the data.

OR, does anyone have a source that addresses this question more definitively than a bunch of random google queries?

 

[Charles2]

Use a raw file from a camera that does not save a camera JPG at full size, becauseof limitation or because of user setting. Open the raw file in FastStone. Note the image dimensions. Then press the A key to get the raw version. The dimensions will be larger. The image will probably look different, too. But you don't know how Fast Stone demosaiced the image, what gamma or tone curve it used, etc. The image is not much use for serious editing. At least you can view it at 100% and get a rough idea of the detail and noise quality.

 

[Dareshooter]

AFAIK Fastsone uses the embedded JPEG . I bought my Canon M50 at the time of it's introduction and Faststone was able to display the new CR3 Raw files from day one if I recall correctly.No third party converter at the time could do this and Adobe took a few weeks to before it was able to handle the Raws so I used Canons DPP for Raw conversion.

 

[rambling robin]

Tricky question.

This is a screenshot of a jpg cr2 comparison I was using to check how my different Canon models handle the tricky subject of reds and greens in plants vs artificial red and green in RAW and jpg. Camera set to Natural - no on board adjustments.







As you can see the RAW on the left renders paler than the jpg. Since other RAWs in FS do the same it leads me to suspect that FS is doing something with the RAWS. Editing and saving as 100% jpg also produces a file size very close to the RAW.

Using ART and Canon DPP both files render identically which implies they're using the embedded jpg. Darktable rendering is very similar to FS in as much as the RAW appears flatter and paler than the jpeg.

 

[CrisL]

AFAIK Fastsone uses the embedded JPEG . I bought my Canon M50 at the time of it's introduction and Faststone was able to display the new CR3 Raw files from day one if I recall correctly.No third party converter at the time could do this and Adobe took a few weeks to before it was able to handle the Raws so I used Canons DPP for Raw conversion.

As explained by charles2 faststone is also doing à limited rendering on the raw ,so easy to see it’s not applying any Lens corrections for distortion or vignetting. As you experienced it May be usefull sometimes

 

[CrisL]

Use a raw file from a camera that does not save a camera JPG at full size, becauseof limitation or because of user setting. Open the raw file in FastStone. Note the image dimensions. Then press the A key to get the raw version. The dimensions will be larger. The image will probably look different, too. But you don't know how Fast Stone demosaiced the image, what gamma or tone curve it used, etc. The image is not much use for serious editing. At least you can view it at 100% and get a rough idea of the detail and noise quality.

Correct I usually see that with some Panasonic raws files fz and g séries cameras at least

 

[Dareshooter]

AFAIK Fastsone uses the embedded JPEG . I bought my Canon M50 at the time of it's introduction and Faststone was able to display the new CR3 Raw files from day one if I recall correctly.No third party converter at the time could do this and Adobe took a few weeks to before it was able to handle the Raws so I used Canons DPP for Raw conversion.

As explained by charles2 faststone is also doing à limited rendering on the raw ,so easy to see it’s not applying any Lens corrections for distortion or vignetting. As you experienced it May be usefull sometimes

I find it useful all the time but as viewer from where I cull. I also find it very useful for downsizing an image when needed as it uses the Lanzcos 3 algorithm which does a great job without the need for additional sharpening after downsizing .