RAW editing: I have a Sony A58 that shoots in raw and jpg. The extension is ARW. I also have a MAC. What can I get to edit photos if I shoot in RAW. It's always been a ??? For me, so...

Mdsmith Loc: North Carolina

I have a Sony A58 that shoots in raw and jpg. The extension is ARW. I also have a MAC. What can I get to edit photos if I shoot in RAW. It's always been a ??? For me, so just shoot jpg. Thanks. P.s. I don't want to spend tons of $$$$$$, but not sure about free Apps.

lloydl2 Loc: Gilbert, AZ

Mdsmith wrote:

I have a Sony A58 that shoots in raw and jpg. The extension is ARW. I also have a MAC. What can I get to edit photos if I shoot in RAW. It's always been a ??? For me, so just shoot jpg. Thanks. P.s. I don't want to spend tons of $$$$$$, but not sure about free Apps.

What editing program are you currently using? Many of us use adobe cc (lightroom and photoshop for $10 per month. Others use free products like gimp. Many use photoshop elements.

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

Mdsmith wrote:

I have a Sony A58 that shoots in raw and jpg. The extension is ARW. I also have a MAC. What can I get to edit photos if I shoot in RAW. It's always been a ??? For me, so just shoot jpg. Thanks. P.s. I don't want to spend tons of $$$$$$, but not sure about free Apps.

lightrroom is a good beginning. If you wanted to go further you could later add elements, but lightrrom is a great base tool.

Also, Sony I am sure makes a raw editor that would work for your images. Check the website for software and select your camera. All camera companies provide such things for free but they often have limitations.

kemo Loc: Tampa, FL

Mac comes with iPhotos as a native (free) application if the Mac is a few years old and you have not upgraded the operating system. If your Mac is new or if you've upgraded the OS, then the application is called Photos. Either way, the system will handle the RAW files from your Sony. These programs do a good job of photo processing in an easy to understand package, but for greater manipulation of your photos you'll need to fork out some bucks for any of the "add on" applications like Lightroom. Visit you tube and search for photo processing... there are several other popular programs

SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer

You should have received a free disk with your camera which contains 2 Sony ARW programs - Image Data Lightbox which is an image sorter and, Image Data converter which will allow you to make multiple changes to your ARW images and export them as a .jpg, .tiff, etc. If you don't have the disk, you can download them free from the Sony website at: http://www.sony-mea.com/support/download/520263

Mdsmith Loc: North Carolina

I have photoshop elements 11, but that doesn't accept arw files.

But, duh, I have Image Data Converter on my MAC and had forgotten about it. Will have to figure it out now. I also have the new Photos App, which works well and does accept my raw files, but doesn't give you some of the options that other programs do.

Thanks everybody for chiming in and helping me to refresh my memory and maybe find something else that I can use.

Great to be a part of this forum. It is so helpful, and love all the photos. Photography is always a learning experience, and one I enjoy, although my brain doesn't always cooperate. LOL

Marsha

P.S. Guess what I will be doing today????

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Mdsmith wrote:

I have photoshop elements 11, but that doesn't acc... (show quote)

Just to add more work for you ;)

Take a look at Lightzone, Dark Table, Raw Therapy & Gimp - good freebies for editing raw and JPG files. Picasa might even do what you need.

For a $10.00 a month subscription, 1 year commitment, you can get the top of the line Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I don't know but maybe Elements version 13 has what you need.

Mdsmith wrote:

I have photoshop elements 11, but that doesn't acc... (show quote)

ronwande Loc: Hendersonville NC

Raw files are different camera to camera. Elements upgrades generally include more of the (newer) cameras' raw file types.

You can use a free download from Adobe. Google DNG converter.

My older Elements 10 and 11 don't accept raw files from the SX50. The converter converts them to dng (digital negative) which all recent versions of photoshop and elements can handle.

I am pretty sure the conversion is totally lossless. If someone knows for sure that I am wrong, correct me please.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

ronwande wrote:

Raw files are different camera to camera. Element... (show quote)

FYI: I have been converting to the DNG format for several years now from Nikon raw - have not seen where there is anything lost in the conversion or the format.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Mdsmith wrote:

I have photoshop elements 11, but that doesn't accept arw files. .....

The Photoshop Elements 11 I had did ARW files from my Sony camera just fine. 11 goes through Adobe Camera Raw 7.4. Your Sony A58 was included in 7.4. If you open PE11, click the Help menu and select updates, your Elements 11 will move from the original ACR 7.1 to 7.4 and you will be editing your A58 ARW files.

Reference these two lists for compatibility.

http://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/camera-raw-plug-supported-cameras.html

http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/camera-raw-compatible-applications.html

Ed911 Loc: Eastern NC

Lightroom is my go to post processing program. Ultimately, it doesn't have the power and flexibility that Photoshop has, but having been a Lightroom user ever since it was first introduced, it is a powerful image processing program. I now, and have for years, processed all of my images in Lightroom...exclusive of Photoshop, unless I need something specific...like moving a head in a group shot...or using the patch tool to remove a saggy throat...or custom vignetting an image.

No you can't produce photo art in Lightroom, or change backgrounds, but short of that...Lightroom, the photographer's friend, would be the first program that I'd recommend...and since it's available with Photoshop in Adobe's Cloud offering for $10 per month, it's virtually a no brainer.

Hope this helps.

Mdsmith Loc: North Carolina

Thanks to all who gave me so much good info on this subject. I now have Elements 11 with ARW capability, and also Data Image Converter that came with my Sony. This is really a learning experience, and I can see I will spend some time figuring out all this technical stuff and what it does to my photos. I am going to post a couple of hummingbirds I played with, if I can figure out how to find them to post them. LOL!!!!!!

I cropped these, but can't find them. LOL, LOL!!!!!

(Download)

paccmps

I personally prefer Photoshop but that is all I have ever used !

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Mdsmith wrote:

I have a Sony A58 that shoots in raw and jpg. The extension is ARW. I also have a MAC. What can I get to edit photos if I shoot in RAW. It's always been a ??? For me, so just shoot jpg. Thanks. P.s. I don't want to spend tons of $$$$$$, but not sure about free Apps.

Bite the bullet and get Lightroom/Photoshop for 49.99 per month. While not free, it is the best bang for the buck.