MEF to PBM Converter

MEF is the proprietary RAW image format used by Mamiya medium-format digital cameras, introduced with the Mamiya ZD in 2004 and continued through subsequent models including the DM series. MEF files capture the unprocessed output from Mamiya's large-area CCD sensors — typically 48x36mm or larger — at 16 bits per channel, preserving the full dynamic range and color depth of the medium-format sensor before any demosaicing, white balance, or tonal processing takes place. The format uses a TIFF-based container that stores the raw Bayer-pattern data alongside embedded JPEG previews and extensive EXIF metadata including Mamiya lens identification, shutter speed, aperture, and metering information. Mamiya (later reorganized as Mamiya Digital Imaging and eventually merged into Phase One's operations) has a legacy stretching back to 1940 in medium-format film photography, and the MEF format represents the digital continuation of that tradition. One advantage is the medium-format sensor's inherent imaging qualities: the larger sensor area captures more light per pixel, producing lower noise floors, smoother tonal gradations, and a shallower depth-of-field rendering that medium-format photographers value for portrait, fashion, and landscape work. RAW flexibility is another practical strength — MEF files processed in Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, or dcraw allow photographers to apply modern demosaicing and noise reduction algorithms to these sensors, often extracting noticeably better results than the camera's original processing offered.