Canon 5D IV: I recently purchased a Canon 5D IV and am a bit confused over the dual pixel for Raw feature. Is this difficult to use or to learn and is it a necessity. Any help from...

ldmarsh

I recently purchased a Canon 5D IV and am a bit confused over the dual pixel for Raw feature. Is this difficult to use or to learn and is it a necessity. Any help from %DIV users would be helpful.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

ldmarsh wrote:

I recently purchased a Canon 5D IV and am a bit confused over the dual pixel for Raw feature. Is this difficult to use or to learn and is it a necessity. Any help from %DIV users would be helpful.

Check this out see below.

https://www.canon.co.uk/cameras/eos-5d-mark-iv/dual-pixel-raw/

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Dual pixel raw allows you to make microadjustments to the focus point of an image provided you use Canon’s DPP SW to process the raw image. It doubles the file size (!) and slows the burst rate substantially - a BIG trade off unless you’re a portarait photographer and need to make minute focusing adjustments after the fact. Experiment and see if you think it’s worth the huge file size, slower processing and substantially reduced burst rate. I didn’t, but others may have a different opinion.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

ldmarsh wrote:

I recently purchased a Canon 5D IV and am a bit confused over the dual pixel for Raw feature. Is this difficult to use or to learn and is it a necessity. Any help from %DIV users would be helpful.

From a Google search:
https://photographylife.com/what-is-dual-pixel-raw-in-the-canon-5d-mark-iv

This should help.
Mark

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

TriX wrote:

Dual pixel raw allows you to make microadjustments to the focus point of an image provided you use Canon’s DPP SW to process the raw image. It doubles the file size (!) and slows the burst rate substantially - a BIG trade off unless you’re a portarait photographer and need to make minute focusing adjustments after the fact. Experiment and see if you think it’s worth the huge file size, slower processing and substantially reduced burst rate. I didn’t, but others may have a different opinion.

This is true and I want to emphasize that you can only edit or use these dual pixel raw files in the software that comes with your Canon camera called DPP or Digital Photo Professional.

I too did not see any difference and the file size is double as stated by TriX.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

jeep_daddy wrote:

This is true and I want to emphasize that you can only edit or use these dual pixel raw files in the software that comes with your Canon camera called DPP or Digital Photo Professional.

I too did not see any difference and the file size is double as stated by TriX.

Whether or not you see an difference may depend on the quality of the image itself and the size and resolution of the monitor you are using. I saw a few of examples on a 28in 4K screen and the improvement was quite noticable. But, in most situations it may not be worth the effort.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

mwsilvers wrote:

Whether or not you see an difference may depend on the quality of the image itself and the size and resolution of the monitor you are using. I saw a few of examples on a 28in 4K screen and the improvement was quite noticeable. But, in most situations it may not be worth the effort.

True. I'm not using 4k. About the only type of picture that might benefit from dual pixel might be portraits.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

ldmarsh wrote:

I recently purchased a Canon 5D IV and am a bit confused over the dual pixel for Raw feature. Is this difficult to use or to learn and is it a necessity. Any help from %DIV users would be helpful.

After taking a few hundred dual pixel raw pics with my 5DIV and quickly gave up when I couldn't see any obvious improvement. What I did find is the Dual Pixel RAW file sizes grew from the normal 30 -38MB size to 67 - 78MB. Even the JPEGs grew to 20MB. Since I save both my original RAW file and at least one JPEG (for each keeper) I will have to allocate almost 100MB per picture for storage. Forgive me if my math is wrong, but I am still on EST, grin. Bottom line, the cost (size-not $) in storage is not commensurate with gain.
Thanks,
JimmyT Sends

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

TriX wrote:

Dual pixel raw allows you to make microadjustments to the focus point of an image provided you use Canon’s DPP SW to process the raw image. It doubles the file size (!) and slows the burst rate substantially - a BIG trade off unless you’re a portarait photographer and need to make minute focusing adjustments after the fact. Experiment and see if you think it’s worth the huge file size, slower processing and substantially reduced burst rate. I didn’t, but others may have a different opinion.

Thanks Trix, I have never checked to see if it is turned on in my camera but my camera does suffer slow burst rates, I never thought of DPW slowing the camera. I will check my settings.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Blurryeyed wrote:

Thanks Trix, I have never checked to see if it is turned on in my camera but my camera does suffer slow burst rates, I never thought of DPW slowing the camera. I will check my settings.

Worth checking - if I remember, mine was on by default. BTW, turning on in-camera lens correction (rather than correcting in PP) will slow the burst rate as well. Also, if you write to both card slots, that cuts it and the max burst size substantially if you write raw to both simultaneously. The table of max burst size vs exposure mode (raw, JPEG in various sizes) in the manual is worth a look if your burst seems slow.

Michael1079 Loc: Indiana

TriX wrote:

Dual pixel raw allows you to make microadjustments to the focus point of an image provided you use Canon’s DPP SW to process the raw image. It doubles the file size (!) and slows the burst rate substantially - a BIG trade off unless you’re a portarait photographer and need to make minute focusing adjustments after the fact. Experiment and see if you think it’s worth the huge file size, slower processing and substantially reduced burst rate. I didn’t, but others may have a different opinion.

This response is spot on. Good reply to op

Selene03

Trix's response on what it does is spot on. I have never used it and never missed it, but it might be worth it to experiment with it to see if you like it. I don't haven't had the patience to try it out.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

TriX wrote:

Dual pixel raw allows you to make microadjustments to the focus point of an image provided you use Canon’s DPP SW to process the raw image. It doubles the file size (!) and slows the burst rate substantially - a BIG trade off unless you’re a portarait photographer and need to make minute focusing adjustments after the fact. Experiment and see if you think it’s worth the huge file size, slower processing and substantially reduced burst rate. I didn’t, but others may have a different opinion.

That's a fair answer. It's worth it for certain subject matter. I think Canon will REALLY have something when their Digic processors get a lot faster.