Darktable Nikon Z6 white balance error

Software darktable
1

Hi,
I have installed Darktable on my Mac and it start up ok but if I try to open a Nef file I get an error stating “Failed to read camera white balance”. Hope someone can help me out with this. I have installed 2.6.0.

2

I just exiftool-ed a Z6 NEF, and the “WB RB Levels” makernote tag is still the same ID as my D7000. You might get exiftool and run this:

exiftool -G -H yourfile.NEF

and look for something like:

[MakerNotes]    0x000c WB RB Levels                    : 1.482421875 1.482421875 1 1

in the prodigious output.

Nikon Z NEFs have new stuff in them, e.g., I’m staring at an XMP section with editing parameters I’ve not seen before, but the WB Levels tag hasn’t changed…

3

@Robteed Welcome to the forum!

First thing to do is to provide a sample NEF to test. Just drag and drop the file into the composer field. Since you are new, you might need to write a few more posts before you can share files.

4

NZ6_0272.NEF (20.8 MB)

5

Hello afre,
I have uploaded a NEF file. I think this was taken in the highest resolution. I don’t know if that makes a difference.
Thanks

6

Confirmed; I get this:

image
image701×71 4.2 KB



Take note, from the release notes of dt 2.6.0:

Nikon Z 6 (except uncompressed raws)

Also take a look at https://raw.pixls.us/. I see the following raw entries:

image
image1311×496 64 KB

If there are more raw formats than listed, please let us know.

1 Like
7

As per Partial Nikon Z 6 camera support - with exception of uncompressed raws. · darktable-org/rawspeed@3d56d2c · GitHub,
is it uncompressed raw?

8

EXIF says ‘compressed’.

Here’s an exiftool dump of the metadata:

NZ6_0272.txt (11.9 KB)

9

That guarantees exactly nothing for NEF’s.

10

Well, I had the camera shooting in uncompressed Raw, changed to Compressed Raw and I can open Nefs with Darktable now.

1 Like
11

Great! Hope we get uncompressed support someday. :slight_smile:

1 Like
12

iirc libraw can decode 14-bit uncompressed Nikon Z6/7 files (though I didn’t verify). We could port that code for darktable/rawtherapee.

13

darktable does not use libraw.

14

Hence the comment “we can port that code”

1 Like
15

@Robteed i suppose you should start with filing a bug somewhere, either https://redmine.darktable.org/projects/darktable/issues/new or Issues · darktable-org/darktable · GitHub

16

I now have a fix, but someone needs to ask for it in the form of a bugreport (:

17

Can't decode Nikon Z6/Z7 uncompressed raw file · Issue #2023 · darktable-org/darktable · GitHub is just for you @LebedevRI :smile:

1 Like
18

Finally, thanks :slight_smile:

19
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