Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. News

Working with RAW video files? Update to SlimRAW lowers file sizes without quality loss

Hillary K. Grigonis
By

best free video editing apps 2 31164219 workstation with camera beside monitor
Picheat Suviyanond
The problem with all the advances in imaging tech is that storing large 4K video files — or uploading them to the web — quickly becomes an issue. But what if you could reduce those file sizes without reducing the quality? SlimRAW, a CinemaDNG compression program, could help ease the issue with the expanded options in its latest update.

Released earlier this week, version 1.6 of SlimRaw offers an additional 5:1 lossy CinemaDNG compression to the earlier 3:1 and 4:1 choices. While the new compression modes offer more choices for videographers, a new lossless compression mode will reduce the file size while keeping quality intact, the firm says.

Recommended Videos

The new lossless compression is logarithmically encoded to create smaller files without a loss in quality. While lossless compresses files without quality loss, lossy achieves the compression by sacrificing some data. Lossless 10-bit is a variation of lossless in that the quality is preserved, but it applies a tone-mapping curve to further reduce file size. The lossless 10-bit is designed for use with a 12-, 14-, or 16-bit RAW camera. The latest SlimRAW update gives videographers more options for optimizing video from different devices for a variety of uses.

Along with compressing big files, the program serves as a converter, switching lossy or lossless RAW files to CinemaDNG for greater compatibility with multiple editors and viewers. The platform can also be used to save video from the camera to two locations at once, all while compressing the files, generating checksums and keeping the metadata intact. SlimRAW is also designed to save time by uploading footage from the camera and compressing files in one step.

The platform can further be used with DNG stills and is directly compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro CC, a feature that users often use to create time lapses.

SlimRAW is available for both iOS and Windows, with a free trial and a $49 full version.

Topics
Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary K. Grigonis
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
DJI’s 2022 drone contest offers record prize pool
A photo taken from a drone.

Leading drone maker DJI has teamed up with the SkyPixel online community for its eighth annual photo and video contest.

Whether you’re an experienced drone pilot or an absolute beginner still finding your way, the contest is the perfect opportunity to send your machine skyward in a test of your creative skills.

Read more
How $80 of photo processing software magically saved me thousands
photo editing topaz labs denoise ai phil camera

It's a good time to be a photographer, whether you're just starting out and really don't have any idea what you're doing, or if you're a seasoned pro looking to try something new.

The gear is better than ever, making even entry-level bodies better than what the previous generation started out with. Software options make cataloging and processing your photos faster and less destructive, so you can revisit things for years and give old pics new life.

Read more
Sony A7 III mirorless camera is $300 off for Black Friday
Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless front view.

There are a lot of great Best Buy Black Friday deals going on right now, and whether you're looking for TVs, laptops, or even headphones, there's a little something for everybody. Of course, many folks may not realize that Best Buy has some fantastic deals on high-end photography gear, such as this Sony Alpha a7 III mirrorless camera. While it usually goes for a whopping $2,200, Best Buy had brought it down to $1,900, and while that relatively doesn't seem like much, you could always spend the $300 savings on a new lens.

Why you should buy the Sony Alpha a7 III
The Sony Alpha a7 III is a camera with so much tech that it might as well be three different cameras. It has excellent dynamic range, low-light performance, and high-speed performance, and the full-frame sensors make the images look absolutely stunning. Interestingly, the a7 III manages to do an excellent job at both low and high ISOs, the latter of which can go as high as 51,200 non-boosted, which, granted, adds a lot of noise, but noise reduction helps with that. As for the video, well, sadly, it's not as impressive, at least in terms of advancements in image quality, and while it can do 8-bit 4K at 30 frames per second, it's no longer ahead of the pack in that regard, like the Panasonic Lumix GH5 is with its 400Mbps 10-bit codec and 60-fps 4K.

Read more