Raw almost chased me away. Don't Let that happen to you! (Page 2): Vibrance = 100 Don't know why the zeros dropped off on last post. Also under file you should click "Load Full...

jsenear Loc: Hopkins, MN.

Vibrance = 100
Don't know why the zeros dropped off on last post. Also under file you should click "Load Full Resolution" before processing.

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

Thanks for that advice
Cheers JE

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

jsenear wrote:

Well I bit the bullet and turned my camera over to raw. Honestly,I think the unprocessed Raw pictures straight out of the camera turn many people off. ( Dull pictures etc.). It did for me! I downloaded Zoner Picture Studio and started working with my new raw files. With a few flicks of the processing sliders I was blown away. The difference was like Night and Day. I wish I'd gone to Raw 5 years ago. Try Raw with an easy program like Zoner and you will be amazed.

I use Zoner almost exclusively for my RAW processing needs - has all the controls I need and allows for a trouble-free, easy workflow unlike some of the other RAW processing programs.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Thank you

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

lighthouse wrote:

Oh this is tired JR.
I am sick of seeing it written.
Guess what. I can't see a jpg. I have a disk full of them and I cannot see a single one of them.
I have to put the disk in my drive, load into my software, which then converts that to a representation on my monitor in green red white and blue dots and then that approximates the image that I took.
It still isn't really my image but it fools my brain and eyes into thinking that it is.

Concur.

It would be nice if (for once) we could celebrate the discoveries of others-- something they are sharing that has improved their photographic experience.

So here goes: jsenear, thanks for sharing your experience.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

jsenear wrote:

Well I bit the bullet and turned my camera over to raw. Honestly,I think the unprocessed Raw pictures straight out of the camera turn many people off. ( Dull pictures etc.). It did for me! I downloaded Zoner Picture Studio and started working with my new raw files. With a few flicks of the processing sliders I was blown away. The difference was like Night and Day. I wish I'd gone to Raw 5 years ago. Try Raw with an easy program like Zoner and you will be amazed.

J, I think the problem stems from people using 3rd party PP programs. I shoot Canon and have always used DPP to download my RAWs. By using the native program, I can set as many in-camera presets that I want, and they are all still there(including spot removal) when downloaded in RAW. I do most of my work in DPP.
The exceptional shots that I want to really custom tweak, I take into Lightroom, and once there all of my presets are gone, since 3rd party won't support the native file.
To those that are experts with PP, I wonder how much my Foto files are changed when the RAW is converted to a DN?
RAW shouldn't be scary or avoided, I've never shot a jpeg. SS

Radioman Loc: Ontario Canada

JR1 wrote:

You have just said what I said, you edit them before use if raw.

There is no need to edit them - load them into the editor and save them in whatever format you want.

The RAW file format is specific to the camera - the editor or viewer takes the RAW picture data and creates a standard file format such as tiff, jpeg, jpeg 2000 etc.

anotherview Loc: California

Ditto:

Country's Mama wrote:

I know how you feel. I switched to raw and haven't looked back.

I switched to RAW files only, back in April of 2008. I too never looked back.

The Adobe Camera Raw plug-in that calls up RAW files for pre-processing can do most of the necessary editing and adjustment of images.

Refinements can occur in the full Photoshop including third-party plug-ins. For example, I use Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 to develop most of my black-and-white photographs.

Using RAW files gives far more control to the photographer over development of his or her images.

At the same time, photographers who do photography for pay (professionals) typically want to process their images as fast as possible in order to deliver the product so they may write an invoice. Legitimately, such photographers will shoot in the JPEG file format while controlling for conditions as best they may while adjusting their camera for the best exposure. This way, they minimize if not eliminate the necessity of later editing of their images. They will use an editing program like Lightroom to do batch processing to speed image development. The faster turnaround brings in the pay faster.

Guava Plant, Tequila Factory Garden, Near Puerto Vallarta

OonlyBonly

Actually Canon's DPP (Digital Photo Professional) does save the processed RAW file - it also saves the information in the file which allows it to be returned to the previous 'saved' level OR to the original RAW file.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

JR1 wrote:

You can't use images straight from the camera in RAW they have to be processed

RAW and JPEG are two different things, I shoot almost all sports, I don't have time for RAW

If you're shooting sports, jpeg is usually the way to go.

georgevedwards Loc: Essex, Maryland.

I had trouble opening this RAW file extension, I have Photoshop CS3 but even the DNG converter wouldn't work, PS9 did work however and I did RAW processing and then saved as a JPEG and did final touches in CS3.

johneccles wrote:

Hi jsnear, like you I give up on RAW from time to time not having much success so I usually go back to jpeg which is excellent on my camera. I have used Zoner Photo Studio 15 for some time now, but when using RAW editing this is where I don't have much luck.
Can you tell me how you proceed down the list starting with exposure etc. I attach a photo for you to play with.
Hope you don,t mind
Cheers JE

Street View RAW Sample

Mudshark Loc: Illinois

This past week I received a panicked, urgent call from a long time, important client. Corporate was about to go to press and wasn't happy with the quality of some images I had shot six or so years ago. They had been through some other "editors," turned into jpegs for some unknown reason and by the time the corp. editors got them they just were not "right."
So I went back, found the original RAW files shot on a Canon 1Ds, processed them on much improved software to 360 dpi Tiff files and they were promptly shipped off to corporate HQ. I made a few more bucks thanks to people who don't really know what they are doing...resizing and manipulating my files...and the images were described as "outstanding."
There is a reason why I shoot and save RAW files...

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

I have stumbled into and out of RAW a few times over the past 7 yrs while using my bridge cameras - Now that I have 2 good Canon Rebels and am going on a 4 or 5 day photo trip to the High Sierras I just may set one of them to RAW and one to JEP just for a test - I have CS4 to edit my RAW with - going to be a fun first trip with my DSLR kit.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

It seems you follow rule #1 very closely - save the original - work on a copy. Some times I end up with 3 or 4 copies that I have manipulated in different ways. Much like what had happened to your photos by the 2nd & 3rd parties.

Mudshark wrote:

This past week I received a panicked, urgent call ... (show quote)

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

Hi George, thanks for your efforts its an excellent result.
The Raw file is an ORF, from Olympus.
Cheers JE