Reading an article about processing RAW image files on Linux on linux.com I found LightZone. Actually this is a Java application. The Linux port doesn't seem to be “too official” as I didn't find any reference on Lightcrafts' homepage, but it is working nicely.

The concept is pretty different to the usual tools but intreagingly simple. Usually I use ufraw and I'm quite pleased with the results. But applying different parameters to different zones of the RAW is sometimes perfect and even if not it is easy to adjust the levels with the zone finder and you don't have to tweak difficult curves.

Now I just wish a better tool for adjusting white balance (IMO ufraw implements one of the best solutions here: selecting a rectangle with neutral colour and using this for white balance is just the perfect solution), a possibility to use it as an import tool to Gimp (Gimp's jpeg export is so much better than anything else I've seen) and CA correction. I'd buy it if it weren't free on Linux (I'm thinking about buying bibble as well as I like the integration of Noise Ninja and CA correction there; I just don't like the interface too much).

The biggest problem is, that it bribes you to play with the image…

One sample (I don't think there's a big difference to ufraw here, but I had LightZone just open…):

After the very early morning tour just the opposite: a late evening tour with [+]maggie, cats_dd, derbaum, schneller2000, and der einsame wolf.

I have to admit, that I like the minimalisms results most, but l think I'll post a few other images later…