John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

One of the problems with 'raw' is that there no standard file format. Thus, your image editing software must have a patch of code that can read and open your camera's raw file. Software will convert the raw file data into a format that it can operate on and display and write to a, say, TIFF file, it probably can not 'write' to your raw file format.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Raw files contain the raw data from the sensor. To convert that into an image you have to apply certain parameters such as white balance, brightness/contrast corrections, etc.

Reversing that transformation and creating a raw file from an image is at best difficult and depends on the specific transformations used in the image production. Also, since the format of the raw file is dependent not only on the brand of camera, but the model as well, and since there are a lot of metadata parameters in the raw file including parameters specific to the manufacturer, there is no good way to write a raw file from an image.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Nothing. Different strokes for different folks. If Photos is working for you and you like the results, then why waste time and money on other software?

But if you are curious, the software vendors almos all offer a free trial version. Try a few. See what you think.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

It is my understanding that Adobe has an application that can convert a raw file to their DNG file (Adobe raw, essentially). Can DNG convert any image file (like Tiff, Jpeg, etc) to a DNG file?

Charlie7

JD750 - As I mentioned earlier, I do not consider the time and money spent on PSE, Lightroom and Affinity wasted. I still use them. I simply wondered if any of you had tried Photos. It seems folks come back to "serious software" with no knowledge of the control Photos offers.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

No. Raw data is just that — RAW. It isn’t an image yet. When you “view a raw image,” you’re really viewing a preview JPEG that was stuffed into the raw file at the camera (or, you’re viewing a proxy image generated by your software). Raw data cannot be viewed as an image. It is very much like an exposed, undeveloped piece of film: pure potential.

IMAGE formats (JPEG, TIFF, BMP, etc. have been processed. You can’t UN-process them. But since raw files can’t be altered, you can always go back and convert them differently.

Charlie7

WOW confused again........
So, I shoot a photo in raw, upload it to my Mac and an external hard drive, then import it into Photos. Even though the data information file for the photo reads raw, it is really JPEG? When I load the same photo into Light room, or Affinity, I can process it as a raw file. Does that not make it a raw file?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

ALL raw files coming from cameras *contain* JPEG previews. These previews are used to display the file on the LCD or OLED screen on the back of your camera. They are also used to display a thumbnail in your operating system. They may be used to display an image when you open a raw file, before the software has a chance to fully convert the raw data to a better view.

The raw file is a "wrapper" of sorts. Inside every raw file is at least one (sometimes two or three different sizes of) preview JPEG. Then there is the EXIF table of information about camera settings (the metadata, or data about data). Then, there is the sensor array output, which is the raw data your application will process into something viewable — some sort of bitmap — that can be saved in an actual image file format.

When you make an exposure, your camera uses its current menu settings to process the image with its own JPEG engine. Those menu settings offer you a lot of PRE-PROCESSING control. What they don't (usually) allow is the use of the full 12-bit or 14-bit sensor data to make "after the fact" changes to an image. That's why raw files can be processed to make JPEGs look so much better than they would if you just relied upon the camera for processing.

There is far more dynamic range in a raw file than in a JPEG. A JPEG contains about 5.5 usable f/stops of range, while a raw file from the best cameras captures 13-14 stops or so. Post processing "compresses" the tonal range of a raw file into a printable or displayable range of tones.

EVERY software program used for post-processing raw files will display some sort of bitmap, which either is decoded from the JPEG in the raw file, or is created within the software itself as a proxy file. This is necessary because monitors are at best 10-bit devices, and usually just 8-bit devices, so you cannot display the full range of tones in the image.

Charlie7

So your answer is yes. "I shoot a photo in raw, upload it to my Mac and an external hard drive, then import it into Photos. Even though the data information file for the photo reads raw, it is really JPEG?"
I still do not understand; "When I load the same photo into Light room, or Affinity, I can process it as a raw file. Does that not make it a raw file?

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I use Photos. For my cell phone pics. And I have tried retouching using Photos. It is good software I won't deny that. And it is serious software.

But quite honestly, when Apple cut Aperture loose, all this after the Final Cut Pro fiasco, I realized I could not depend on Apple for long term software support. Apple is a development company. They identify a nich that in software that is undeveloped and utilize it to sell hardware, then when other competitors catch up, Apple moves on. Apple's revenue stream is not dependent on software (Or computers these days). The hard lesson was the road map for Apple, was not aligned with my desires about long term software support. Adobe on the other hand, values their customers. Their bread and butter, so to say, is graphics software. They want long term customers, and they make a very competitive product. They welcomed all the Aperture ex-pats, I gave them a try, and I have been a very happy Photographer's Plan CC customer.

The other day I shot an event with friends with my iPhone, stored the images on camera roll, then pulled it into LR CC and did some quick editing, sent a sharing link to my friends. It was very efficient. And it syncs back to LR Classic on my computer.