P: Output Linear Tiffs

Andrew:

Excellent info. Read your Linearity and Gamma article many years ago. Very good.

However i never said I wanted the resulting file to "look" correct. I was remiss in saying I wanted a linear output. I want a raw tiff that looks like the example I uploaded. It is a downsized version of a raw file converted by MakeTiff to a tif. Yes, it is extremely dark. I do not know how it is rendered by that software, thus my initial question.  The question....How to accomplish the same result with ACR? Is it possible?

You said... But nothing you've asked for, that IS possible from a rendered raw isn't possible in ACR; for decades. 

Not sure what you mean here, sorry.

Thank you for taking the time to explain all these concepts.

Not sure of what you are inferring from the supplied jpg. It has an embedded profile, in this case AdobeRGB. 

Exactly, and that is the WRONG profile if indeed this is a linear TIFF! Adobe RGB (1998) has a gamma curve and it looks wrong because you are handling it wrong. This is basic color management (or a basic color management failure to preview image data).

There is no 'default' color space in Photoshop, there is a color space (RGB Working Space) that you select. IF the image has no embedded ICC profile, that is the assumption. Something always has to be assumed here. In your case, you're embedding the wrong profile, another incorrect assumption and the data previews dark and incorrectly. If you assigned a linear gamma profile to a gamma corrected image, the opposite would be seen and again, that preview is simply wrong. 

I'm not confusing anything, kind of the opposite <g>. 

You first need to understand what you actually want here. Again, rendering INTO a linear color space from raw has been an option in ACR for decades! Do you have a linear RGB Working Space you want to render into? If not, do you need to learn how to make one (then use it)? 

Start with  the concepts of linearity and gamma:

http://digitaldog.net/files/LinearityandGamma.pdf

Next, read about what scene referred rendering from raw is, is this what you want? 
http://www.color.org/ICC_white_paper_20_Digital_photography_color_management_basics.pdf

If so, your next stop is here:

http://www.color.org/scene-referred.xalter

But nothing you've asked for, that IS possible from a rendered raw isn't possible in ACR; for decades. 

Not sure of what you are inferring from the supplied jpg. It has an embedded profile, in this case AdobeRGB. Since it is raw output it would not really matter what profile is or is not embedded. If there is not an embedded profile PS would display using the Colorspace default. Is it possible you are confusing linear output with raw sensor output? Whatever, I stray from the original inquiry. That is, is it possible to get a file like I have posted from ACR?

You say that it is possible. I believe you. Just how would one accomplish that?

You noted above that you can do that with Color Settings in PS. How would one do that exactly? Thanks for the info.

Linear data can look “dark” because of a lack of a ICC profile and being incorrectly previewed with the wrong profile for that data. There is nothing inherently “dark” or otherwise per se with linear rendered data.

We have been using MakeTiff app from ColorPerfect for years to make raw TIFF files, that is no exposure adjustment or curves but outputing the raw sensor response. They look like your example above, very dark. Is that what you say is possible with ACR? Attached jpg is what MakeTiff tiffs from a raw NEF file look like.

You've been able to do that since about day one; outuput to a linear color space. 

You simply need a linear output profile which is easy to actually make in Photoshop (Color Settings). 

You cannot, with any raw converter produce a TIFF (rendering) with NO adjustments. 

And nothing in ACR/LR has any effect on exposure. That only takes place when you press the shutter. You can of course adjust brightness of the final rendering, from data that really looks like this: