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I really need RAW help - please
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Oct 8, 2019 17:47:20   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
rmorrison1116 wrote:
RAW is not an image format, repeat, NOT an image format. The image you see from the RAW data file is a low resolution JPEG thumbnail, not a RAW image. Since you are shooting with a Canon camera, you should have a disk or have internet access to Canon DPP processing software. USE DPP to process your RAW data files into JPEG or TIFF image files.
The reason for shooting RAW is, RAW saves all the data, gathered by the digital camera, to storage. With 'all' the data you have the ability to control the outcome of the image far, far more than if you shoot just JPEG. Shooting JPEG starts out as RAW and then the camera processes the RAW data into a JPEG, eliminating a large percentage of the data the camera originally gathered.
Some folks may suggest, shoot both RAW and JPEG. Don't do that, it's just a waste of storage space on your memory card and since the camera only has 1 card, why waste storage space!?
RAW is not an image format, repeat, NOT an image f... (show quote)

Correct!

It's a file format, unique to each camera manufacturer.
(Not a waste if one uses both...)

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Oct 8, 2019 18:39:07   #
martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida
 
Sark17 wrote:
Maybe the question then becomes how to get the grain out of RAW photos? I have PhotoshopCC, LRCC, Luminar 3 and iPhoto (which I don't think would be much help). I reduced noise and used a noise filter, and they're better but still majorly grainy.


No offense, but you should take someone with you to take some photos. You don't even know how to use your camera and you've purchased a half dozen different softwares. Now your going on a vacation on Friday and you want to just start shooting raw. You can't learn it all in a couple of days or weeks. If you got all this money to throw around I suggest taking some lessons. Purchase the book Understanding Exposure 3rd edition by Bryan Peterson. It's about $5 used on the internet. Start at the beginning and learn from there. If you don't learn the basic then NOTHING will make sense.

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Oct 8, 2019 19:43:23   #
Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA
 
Another thing to consider with your EOS R is silent shooting.
Set it up for silent shooting, especially during the day, and you'll save a ton of shutter count.

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Oct 8, 2019 19:50:16   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
Sark17 wrote:
Maybe the question then becomes how to get the grain out of RAW photos? I have PhotoshopCC, LRCC, Luminar 3 and iPhoto (which I don't think would be much help). I reduced noise and used a noise filter, and they're better but still majorly grainy.


You might try applying a little less sharpening and a little more noise reduction. If you are using Lightroom, then hold the Alt key down while you move the Masking slider in the Sharpening panel. At first before you move it, the image turns to white. As you slide it to the right, it starts to turn black. The white represents what is still being sharpened, the black, those areas that are not being sharpened. This will help you sharpen edges and not smooth areas.

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Oct 8, 2019 19:53:28   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
As a reminder to all, the EOS R offers a "traditional" EOS RAW format with extension CR2 and a brand new 'compressed' RAW format identified by extension CR3. EOS R files are like all cameras, where the RAW file is unique to the camera body even when assigned the general CR2 extension for identification purposes. It seems Adobe's support of the CR3 files is slower to accomplish, being both a new camera and a new format from Canon. Reviewing the camera raw formats supported by specific software versions should be confirmed directly from the Adobe site, where possibly changes have been released in the past several days or weeks. The individual photographer can value judge their own decisions on shooting in either CR2 or CR3, as well as deciding to use Adobe's free DNG conversion software.
As a reminder to all, the EOS R offers a "tra... (show quote)


Nikons don't have that issue. Compressed, lossless compressed, non-compressed, 12 bit, 14 bit - Lr reads them all.

Seriously, though, I wouldn't bother with CR3 at the moment - since CR2 is well-supported and with the cost of storage dropping every hour, there is little benefit to using CR3 anyway.

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Oct 8, 2019 19:54:33   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
Hamltnblue wrote:
Another thing to consider with your EOS R is silent shooting.
Set it up for silent shooting, especially during the day, and you'll save a ton of shutter count.

Why/how would setting stealth mode not increment the shutter count?????
Electronic vs. mechanical?
Only mechanical is counted?

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Oct 8, 2019 20:42:10   #
Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan
 
rmorrison1116 wrote:
RAW is not an image format, repeat, NOT an image format. The image you see from the RAW data file is a low resolution JPEG thumbnail, not a RAW image.


That is not true. While raw files are different than files in other image formats, they certainly are image files. What else are they? All files can be described as mere "data" and all image files need to be interpreted and displayed by software designed for that task. In addition, Canon's DPP is not displaying "a low resolution JPEG thumbnail" when it opens a Canon raw file.

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Oct 8, 2019 20:51:28   #
10MPlayer Loc: California
 
dsmeltz wrote:
RAW files tend to look flat since they contain much more data and the file viewer you use will not display the image well. RAW come into its own when you go to post process and attempt to make more adjustments. The JPEG issue will show all of the adjustments that are made based on the settings you used in taking the shot. These settings are sort of like pre-selected post processing. So (assuming the settings well well chosen) the JPEG should look better. But you will not have as much leeway in post processing a JPEG since much of the data has already been discarded.
The suggestion that you shoot in RAW + JPEG is a good one. Even if you do not do a lot of post right now, with a trip like you are taking, it is nice to have the option in the future to come back and get more form the file.
RAW files tend to look flat since they contain muc... (show quote)


Good post.

I would add, that if you happen to capture an image in RAW that comes out too dark or possibly with an unfortunate white balance it's easy to fix in post. Not so easy in jpeg. That's what people mean when they tell you there's more leeway in RAW. You can fix most exposure problems in a RAW shot. The only one that's almost impossible to fix is blurring caused by too slow of a shutter speed in a dark setting.

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Oct 9, 2019 02:33:47   #
rcarol
 
Sark17 wrote:
Hello! I am new to shooting RAW and am getting more confused by the day. I have a professional photographer friend who tells me I HAVE to shoot in raw on an upcoming trip to Africa (I leave Friday!) So I started shooting raw to practice using my dogs. I figured it would be fairly straight forward - I was very wrong. I use a Canon EOS R with various lenses.

In the first screen shot you can see the JPG (right) compared to the RAW photo (left). The Raw photo is super grainy. The JPG is fine. I didn't edit any of these or even try for any good composition, just wanted to practice working with RAW and getting them off of my card - which has also proven to be complicated.

So, my questions - 1) why are my RAW photos much more grainy than JPG? I realize ISO is a bit high in this specific photo, but even when it's not at all, I get the same result. 2) what is the most straightforward way to get to get a raw file off of an SD card and actually be able to do anything with it on a Mac? Lastly, I am probably just going to shoot Large JPG to save myself the panic of ruining something trying to use RAW if I can't figure this out...

I am currently using a DNG converter to get them to Lightroom, then I am not totally sure what to do with them after that, I couldn't even figure out how to save it to post it here as an example as I did with the JPEG.

Thank you so much in advance for any tips/tricks you are willing to lend - I am pretty confused!
Hello! I am new to shooting RAW and am getting mor... (show quote)


I've looked at a lot of the responses that you've gotten since you've posted this topic. Some of it is very good, some of it is pure rubbish and a lot of it is just plain condescending. Unfortunately, that is so typical of this forum. Stick with your gut feelings regarding the responses, go on your trip and have a great time. I'm envious. I'd like to make a sojourn like the one your taking but age is catching up with me and my adventures are far more conservative than the one you're undertaking. Have fun, enjoy yourself and post some pictures when you get back - either RAW or JPEG, we don't care.

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Oct 9, 2019 04:19:16   #
rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 
rcarol wrote:
don't forget to take plenty of batteries. You never know when you'll have the opportunity to recharge them in Africa.


That would all depend on where on the African continent she is visiting. Let's say she's visiting Nigeria. You should not have a problem finding a place to charge camera batteries there, unless one is truly out in the boonies, then it doesn't really matter what continent they are on.

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Oct 9, 2019 04:59:37   #
rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 
Blenheim Orange wrote:
That is not true. While raw files are different than files in other image formats, they certainly are image files. What else are they? All files can be described as mere "data" and all image files need to be interpreted and displayed by software designed for that task. In addition, Canon's DPP is not displaying "a low resolution JPEG thumbnail" when it opens a Canon raw file.


YES, it is true, and I'm pretty sure I didn't say RAW is not an image FILE. I believe I said it's not an image format. RAW is not an image format, viewable or otherwise and anyone who believes it is is mistaken. Is a CR2 file an image file? Yes, but it is not an image format like JPEG. A RAW file is all the unprocessed data and instructions and a JPEG thumbnail. When one views a RAW file still in camera or on other viewing software capable of interpreting the data, they are viewing the low resolution thumbnail embedded in the file. When one views a RAW file with DPP, which is PROCESSING software, the initial image displayed is created using preset defaults. DPP is not displaying the embedded thumbnail because its function is not a viewer, it's a processor. JPEG, TIFF, GIF, PNG, BMP, to name a few are image formats. RAW data may be processed into many different image formats depending on how robust the processing software is.
Also, all image files are not mere data or can't or should not be referred to as mere data because, with the exception of RAW, the files have been processed into a specific image format type such as TIFF, which means it is no longer merely data!

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Oct 9, 2019 06:08:26   #
ncribble Loc: Albuquerque, NM
 
Sark, Have fun on your trip and now you'll very happy you purchased the RF 24-105 L lens.

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Oct 9, 2019 06:15:21   #
traderjohn Loc: New York City
 
Sark17 wrote:
Hello! I am new to shooting RAW and am getting more confused by the day. I have a professional photographer friend who tells me I HAVE to shoot in raw on an upcoming trip to Africa (I leave Friday!) So I started shooting raw to practice using my dogs. I figured it would be fairly straight forward - I was very wrong. I use a Canon EOS R with various lenses.

In the first screen shot you can see the JPG (right) compared to the RAW photo (left). The Raw photo is super grainy. The JPG is fine. I didn't edit any of these or even try for any good composition, just wanted to practice working with RAW and getting them off of my card - which has also proven to be complicated.

So, my questions - 1) why are my RAW photos much more grainy than JPG? I realize ISO is a bit high in this specific photo, but even when it's not at all, I get the same result. 2) what is the most straightforward way to get to get a raw file off of an SD card and actually be able to do anything with it on a Mac? Lastly, I am probably just going to shoot Large JPG to save myself the panic of ruining something trying to use RAW if I can't figure this out...

I am currently using a DNG converter to get them to Lightroom, then I am not totally sure what to do with them after that, I couldn't even figure out how to save it to post it here as an example as I did with the JPEG.

Thank you so much in advance for any tips/tricks you are willing to lend - I am pretty confused!
Hello! I am new to shooting RAW and am getting mor... (show quote)


I think your friends advise that you shoot in RAW has more to do with post-editing. The quality of what you have to work with is greater than a JPEG. The taking of the picture is your talent.

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Oct 9, 2019 06:27:28   #
cdayton
 
Ignore your friend and shoot jpeg at max setting (fine, large, whatever). Back up photos daily. Have fun and don’t spend the first month home trying to process hundreds/thousands of RAW files. Many shown on this site are terribly over-processed - go with in-camera AI. The pro probably uses presets to quickly batch-process RAW files anyway. Of course, if you make a habit of drastically under/over-exposing your shots you’ll benefit from RAW. Otherwise, you’ll need a loupe to tell the difference (with apologies to Jared Polin).

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Oct 9, 2019 06:58:48   #
tcthome Loc: NJ
 
Sark17 wrote:
Thank you! That makes sense. I just "de noised" the RAW in LR and it looks better already. Here's a dumb question - if you change a RAW files name, like to a DNG, does that limit what you can then do with it? If I want to process in photoshop, where I am not good at all but still more comfortable than I am in LR, could I just use LR to get them on to my computer, and somehow get them from there to either a file on my desktop or to PS? Thank you guys for helping me! I know these are elementary questions, but I just want to learn :)
Thank you! That makes sense. I just "de noise... (show quote)


You are getting great info here. I started keeping a copy of my originals ( in my case nef - Nikon ) just in case I want to edit in a different software at a later date or say Adobe pulls the plug at some point. I can edit in either nef or dng` in LR.
Have fun on your trip, Tom

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