Raw?

[AdyWilliams]

Hi,

Quite new to RAW, had a little play, but having problems with editing them?

Any tips?

Adrian

[RingwaySam]

What are you having problems with? Converting them or other things?

[AdyWilliams]

Well, converting them is one thing? CS2 doesn't seem to regonise the file type.

[RingwaySam]

Well, converting them is one thing? CS2 doesn't seem to regonise the file type.

Ahh right. I've tryed converting them before but with no luck. You need a RAW converter, try asking Manc as he's the only person I know that uses RAW I think

[LX-A343]

I have CS2 and don't have any problems at all converting Canon RAW files. Make sure you have the RAW converter updated to the actual version.

Gerardo

[YYZPICS]

Your camera should off come with some raw software.

[McG]

I download my pics using the Canon camera window software, and then have a quick peek at them using the zoom browser software. I open and process the RAW files using CS2, not the Canon DPP software. The pics have the .CR2 file extension.

[chachu207]

Just on a different track, how can I get my (Canon PowerShot) camera to shoot in RAW, and what are the advantages?

[brianw999]

I firstly need to make one thing clear...I 'aint no expert.

Secondly, I use Nikon and not Canon.

Thirdly.....ummmmm....can't think of a thirdly !! .....anyway.....

I use RAW and open and convert it to .jpg using the supplied Nikon Picture Project software. My reasoning behind this is that I am converting an uncompressed image to .jpg rather than an already compressed-once-in-the-camera .jpg image. Does that make sense ? Told you I wasn't an expert didn't I ?

I've experimented with using .jpg fine in the camera, worked on the image in Photoshop and compared the result with a RAW converted to .jpg, worked on in Photoshop and then saved again and noticed in some, maybe not all, but some cases that the picture taken using RAW came out better. Every rejection that I have had at JP for .jpg compression faults has been for a pic taken originally as a .jpg fine in camera.

I've just obtained Photoshop CS2. Is there an update that allows Nikon RAW to viewed without having to export as a .jpg from Picture Project ?

[MELflyer]

Brian, check the Adobe website to see if your camera is supported. If it isn't supported in the sipped version of CS2 that you have, there may be an update. Part of the advantage of shooting raw is that you don't save you file as a compressed file (eg jpeg) until you save to print/uplaod, so you should notice a lesser loss of quality through having to not save to jpeg more than once.

[Mark Kappes]

I would explain about RAW files, but I would in all likelyhood just confuse everyone. Here is an Adobe pdf that explains the difference between RAW and JPG. They do a much better job than I can.

Good luck

Mark

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/pdfs/understanding_digitalrawcapture.pdf

And here is a link to the Adobe website page showing which cameras are supported in their RAW plug-in.

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/331563.html

[AdyWilliams]

Thanks for all the help, had a bit more of a play with it, and seem to be getting some good results!!

[Mark Ralph]

You will find specialized RAW software better than the ones that come with the camera, I am not sure if Rawshooter is still free but it is pretty good. I always convert my RAW's to TIFF and edit them in CS2 and only at the last minute convert it to Jpg.
Top tip - if you have an aircraft with thin line graphics such as bizjets with stripes or AA type stuff when you convert from RAW select it to reduce the size of the original by exactly 50%, then this help to stop getting the dreaded jaggies on long thin lines.

[jid]

One thing to remember about RAW files, if all your doing with your images is posting them on the internet you will gain very little from shooting RAW. If your shooting something special then by all means shoot RAW but your buffer will not hold the same amount of shots, not to mention filling up your CF card in double quick time. The only person who will be happy is your professional printer who will be able to process your 16bit tiff's far more accurately than a jpeg.

If your image processing software does not support RAW files there is a very good stand alone package by Pixmantec called RawShooter. The basic version if freeware so you can give it a go for free. Then if you fall in love with the RAW world spend a few quid and get the full blown version.

Go feel the RAW power ... Jid