I have used Sigma's Raw converter. But, because it has one or more good features does not from my experience put it above all others. In fact, I would venture most Raw converters, both independent and camera manufacturer each has its good points, but few are comprehensive and provide a well integrated set of tools and functions that serve every need very well. Even those that are intended to be a complete solution like Adobe's Camera Raw and Lasersoft SilverFast's DC Pro can be improved considerably on a feature by feature comparison with other converters.

So, I would ask, why can't all Raw converters include all of the best features of all of them. Sadly the answer is no one company really has the resources in money or personnel that is ideally suited because it would really requiree a joint effort pooling the entire resources of all. And, of course in a world where everyone is competing with everyone else to get as big a piece of the pie as possible at the expense of others, that is not a likely scenario.

So with digital camera Raw what we have is in its youth, all competing to lead the pack. However the digital camera world will mature, as the scanner world has. Now many of the most successful scanner manufacturers offer as part of their software bundle Lasersoft SilverFast Ai6 for scanning photographs, which is a distinct advantage to both users and the companies that manufacture hardware. This advantage has developed over time that has allowed Lasersoft to acquire a concentrated development resource in part through accumulated experience developing a single product that is now available for almost every scanner made.

Currently there are a number of independent software developers in the Raw converter field. In time some of them may merge, grow, and merge again combining many good and proven features. Whether one or two dominate only time will tell. But users would benefit if camera manufacturers would instead trying to re-invent the wheel look to how the scanner industry has evolved and take a lesson from that and begin making their cameras more attractive by offering a bundle of software for Raw conversion from resources like Bibble, DxO, Phase One and Lasersoft.

Actually as I understand the software is made by Foveon and provided to Sigma.

Fill light is nice. RSE has it in a slightly advanced version (more control) but does not support the Sigma cameras as of now.

Uwe