Please add support for Hasselblad (*.fff) files

[红炉点雪]

As film photographers, we often work with film scanners. The "Hasselblad X5" is an excellent choice for film scanning, and the RAW format of this scanner is (*.FFF).

I have been looking forward to Affinity supporting its (*.fff) format so that we can directly use Affinity to process (*.fff) files and use it to de-mask negatives, calibrate colors... Rather than open another software to handle this format separately.

To be honest, I don't know what Affinity's future development plans are, but I do hope that the authorities will support this image format in time to bring a new experience to film photographers.

 

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, 红炉点雪 said:

To be honest, I don't know what Affinity's future development plans are, but I do hope that the authorities will support this image format in time to bring a new experience to film photographers

Affinity Photo depends on the Open Source LibRAW package for RAW support, except on macOS where Apple's RAW engine is also available. Serif doesn't implement its own support for different camera RAW formats.

[红炉点雪]

I found it interesting that when I tried to change the (*.fff) file to (*.tiff), the image file was successfully opened in Affinity.

[v_kyr]

49 minutes ago, 红炉点雪 said:

I found it interesting that when I tried to change the (*.fff) file to (*.tiff), the image file was successfully opened in Affinity.

Most camera RAW file formats are based on and did orginated from a custom enhanced TIFF file format. - Though a Hasselblad X5 is not directly among the list of by Libraw supported Hasselblad cams ...

• https://www.libraw.org/supported-cameras

... also not among the alternative Apple RAW engine under macOS Ventura.

[Andreas Scherer]

On 9/19/2023 at 4:17 PM, 红炉点雪 said:

Rather than open another software to handle this format separately.

I wouldn't expect a solution in Affinity anytime soon.

Skimming a few articles and sites on this topic, I find that—despite the prize tag of their products,—Hasselblad seem reluctant to support FFF. From Hasselblad Flextight X5 (23,500€) I come to FlexColor 4.8.13 (free [?] download as of August 12, 2011; the plugin for CS is 32 bit only). From FFF I come to 3FR and to Phocus 3.7.5 (as of August 31, 2023), which expressly is not compatible with FFF (and vice versa).

Good luck!

PS: Even Adobe Camera Raw doesn't seem to support FFF files created by FlexColor (anymore).

[Andreas Scherer]

PPS: Here's an article that describes the demise of Hasselblad's X scanners: https://www.davidebarranca.com/2019/12/2019-12-07/2019-12-07-hasselblad-flextight-flexcolor-3f/