While it is partially true what you are writing, I don’t agree with the last part. I observed many times how supportive the community is in adding support for camera models, if sample files were provided by the users. Even for special cases such as Fuji’s non Bayer sensors, solutions are found (e.g. recently in Darktable). An exception may be very special features such as Canon’s dual pixel raw files.
The Nikon D850 does not exist yet. RawTherapee already supports the Sony α9, as well as the not-so-new Canon EOS 5DS.
There is an effort underway to unite the raw decoding code used by the libre programs in our community into one. When that is done, everyone benefits as soon as someone does the work. That is kickass.
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Great to learn that recent high-end cameras are supported already. It has taken quite long until you could work with the D810. Things look upward.
Well, to a degree. Of course there is more to supporting a camera than raw file decoding. But it’s a first step. And yes, it’s kickass as frick.
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I own a Pentax. It writes to either PEF or DNG. PEF isn’t open source friendly at all. DNG is sort of digital negative standard and it is widely supported.
Oh, don’t other manufacturers’ cameras also write DNGs? (I’ve only ever owned Pentax digital cameras.)
Certainly not Canon or Nikon.
My Yi M1 writes a DNG.
Less popular companies like Leica, Ricoh, DxO and Light use DNG. A bunch of smartphones do as well. A list of others.
From the same source: “Adobe stated that if there were a consensus that DNG should be controlled by a standards body, they were open to the idea.” Should that format make Adobe Systems Incorporated a FOSS friendly corporation? It sounds strange.
@Jacal I don’t know if DNG is FOSS but it could still be friendly (to a certain extent), just as Canon is sort of friendly by not shutting down the efforts of CHDK or Magic Lantern. What Adobe has to say for itself: Digital Negative (DNG) Specification patent license.
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Canon can’t shut down CHDK/ML, as Canon’s firmware is based on the Linux kernel, they were forced to release the source. I don’t think canon likes the fact that those projects exist. Though if they just embraced them, they’d be better off, I think.
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I must have missed some news there. Do you have any links that support your claim? Both that the Canon cameras are based on Linux and that their firmware is open?
I thought that older Canon cameras were VxWorks, and now they’re DryOS.
Sorry, I misspoke, I was thinking of this http://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=14847.0 however the end result rains the Dane, Canon can’t shut down CHDK/ML… If they could I be they would.
Good to learn more about Canon’s firmware. Should have indicated sarcasm; couldn’t find an adjective for frenemy 
. Since we are down this path, do you know of any other companies that use Linux in their firmware? Is this a plus for the FOSS community?
Sony does. There’s some kind of SDK available for it but on what terms I’m not sure.
The GoPros run with Linux, but it has absolutely no benefits for the FOSS community.
The RAW format isn’t even supported by any open source program.
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Canon can’t shut down CHDK/ML… If they could I be they would
Not necessarily. One purpose of the “control” these brands try to keep over their cameras is that they could face litigation because someone broke his camera using CHDK or MagicLantern. So, the easy thing for them would be to make the camera load only signed software (UEFI anyone?). FOSS licenses allow you to make your own derivatives, they don’t make it mandatory for the camera to run it.
And they haven’t done it yet. It could well be out of ignorance, or just because they think that the confidential audience isn’t worth locking out, since letting them play is generating a lot of goodwill and part of the brand attractiveness to tinkerers, who are often consulted by acquaintances before purchasing a camera.
The TiVoization clause of the GPL3 is supposed to prevent that.
Why should Canon care? They don’t release anything under GPL.
If they wanted to take down ML the have something better though: lawyers. Even if everything ML do was perfectly legal (IANAL so I won’t comment on that) they could still use the power of their big wallets to make it impossible for the free community to face the charges.
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