BillO Loc: Eastern Shore Maryland

Hello

While awaiting my new digital camera to be delivered, I started to educate myself on how to embrace digital.
Forgive me if my terminology isn't perfect. I've been in the film world until now with little experience with much to do with digital except in the most basic point and shoot cell,and phone stuff.

My new Canon SX 70 has the capability to shoot in RAW. This sounds interesting to me. After some reading, I kind of understand what RAW is and some of its capabilities for post-processing. Eventually, when I get used to the new camera, I'd like to give it a try.
Any suggestions on a beginners (read simple) software that I can learn post processing digital photos (including RAW)?

Thanks
Bill

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

It’s not an acronym, so raw doesn’t need to be all caps.

I’ve only used photoshop and not sure what simple free software there is. Will be interesting to see what comes up.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Bill, there is probably software included with your camera, or can be downloaded from the Canon web site. That would be an excellent place to start.

I started with a simple photo editing software due to work related requirements. When I started transitioning to digital, first scanning film then shooting with a digital camera, I managed to obtain a copy of Photoshop. I've been using that since the early 2000s.

I think for you just starting on your photography journey, the best would be your camera manufacturer's processing software. When you exceed its limits, then start looking at the more involved processing software.
--Bob

bkr2 Loc: Hackettstown,New Jersey

I would say don't rush things. Adobe Photoshop classic is a good place to start.
Good luck.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

The software for Canon editing is Digital Photo Professional. You can find downloads specific to your operating system here.

Another free source, if you use Windows:
https://www.faststone.org/download.htm

A "simpler" version of Photoshop is PS Elements. A free trial is available. One benefit of a well known product such as this is the number of videos, articles and books available for help. And also us folks on UHH

A note about the camera: when I used an SX50 for shooting far-distant subjects such as eagles, I was rarely able to produce a result from raw as good as the camera did with its jpgs. You might consider shooting both raw and jpg at first, and then compare your edited raw to the in-camera jpg. This can be a good learning experience!

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

I rarely use RAW. Then again, much of my photography is documenting events. The disadvantage is filling memory faster as RAW makes bigger files.

The biggest advantage of RAW is greater dynamic range, the range from the dark darks to bright brights. If the scene doesn't have such a range, it is a hedge against poor exposure setting of the camera.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I suggest buying Photoshop Elements (it has a RAW processor built in) and also buy Scott Kelby's book "Adobe Photoshop Elements" book. It has a section on Adobe Camera RAW, PSE's RAW processor.

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

Use the manufacturer's software to start. If it didn't come with the camera you can download it from their website free. Once you get used to the basics of raw processing you can move up to more capable software.

After that it will depend on how many photos you are taking. If it's just a few photos for family stuff you can probably deal with it the way you deal with other files. If you start taking a lot of photos, (1) learn how to delete photos of no value and DO IT; (2) consider using software that can help you organize your photos. I use Lightroom, which comes bundled with Photoshop for around $10/month. A lot of people don't want to be locked into monthly payments for things they don't use much so you might consider using some of the other software out there that has organizational capabilities. (I use Lightroom and haven't tried any of the newer stuff so I can't recommend anything specific beyond LR. Others on this forum will be happy to suggest what they use.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

You probably mean file storage space (e.g. hard drive), not memory. Storage space is pretty cheap these days

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

My first digital was an Olympus super zoom and the default format was TIFF for some reason. Then my first DSLR was a Sigma SD10 (still have it and a few lenses + a ring flash for macro) and it only did RAW so after a few years when I got a Canon 6D out of habit I just continued with RAW. I almost never shoot anything in JPEG unless I am using my little Panasonic pocket P&S. I buy shirts etc with at least two pockets - left one for pen, notebook, shopping list etc and the right one for the Panasonic.

Now I did have people asking to see a JPEG when I was using the SD10 - but the Sigma software had a batch conversion feature that put JPEGs of the whole download into a folder with the same date if you told it to. So for a while I had two folders of every date I shot- one RAW and one JPEG. I don't do that anymore since I started using first LR and the LR/PS.

Oh and: GoofyNewfie Do not bother with the "It’s not an acronym, so raw doesn’t need to be all caps." Over the years on 6 or so photo sites on line I find the vast majority of people do use caps. It is now more or less the default.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Canon's RAW editor is DPP.
You'll find that there are usually more image parameters that can be controlled (modified) using a RAW file than JPEG.
An editor is an editor, it just depends on how many things one can control with what editor. Nothing to be intimidated about by RAW files. RAW is a just a data file containing all of the image information from the camera, as opposed to a pre-processed JPEG image that the camera generates.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Correct, but I like "RAW" to differentiate it from raw as in meat or shushi.
I like the formats to be consistent in font format when I write. (GIF, JPG, JPEG, RAW, PNG)

BTW - I feel EXACTLY the same way about the usage of Megs and Gigs.
Why put an "s" on an already plural word? (Megabytes)
News media and non-computer people started years ago, now it is gospel.
(Ever hear anyone say a small file is 32Ks???? No, it's 32K)
But I can't change that either........

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

When you become a RAW photographer, you become the decision maker for these considerations in post processing, where many had been decided by the camera for the JPEG:

1. Sharpening
2. Noise Reduction
3. Color Saturation
4. Exposure adjustments, general
5. Contrast, general
6. Highlights and shadows
7. White Balance
8. Lens corrections
9. Color space
10. Pixel resolution for target image share platforms
11. Disk storage (for the larger files)
12. Image file back-up strategy (for those larger files)

You don't have to understand all these issues, but when you do, you'll be much more successful as a RAW photographer.

You might resist the peer pressure of the photography club; and instead, consider whether a higher quality lens coupled with expert-level shooting technique yields more tangible results as compared to more computer time after shooting.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

True - I often interchange those words improperly. To me, storage space is a form of memory.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I think the OP might have meant memory <card>.

(Memory is storage. Just a matter of where the memory is located.)