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03/17/2004 04:37:21 PM · #1 |
How does one go about editing RAW images? The raw photos come from my camera as .CRW files, but these can't be opened in Photoshop. If I convert a crw file to a tif does the tif contain the raw data? Am I missing something here?
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03/17/2004 04:43:50 PM · #2 |
The canon File Viewer Utility will convert your RAW files to either tiff or jpg files, which you can then edit in Photoshop 7. If you upgrade to Photoshop CS, you can read and edit RAW directly in Photoshop.
Best program of all is Capture 1, which is truly amazing - allows a whole range of adjustments to RAW files which will blow your mind away -white balance is fantastic. Look it up via Google! |
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03/17/2004 06:51:33 PM · #3 |
| I haven't used Capture 1 because it's only for DSLRs. However, I shoot mostly raw (Cannon G2's CRW), and I really love Breezebrowser, for it's versatility in converting (and batch renaming, which can use the EXIF information to generate useful names). It's available as shareware: which means there's a trial version, which is full featutered for conversions but is limited to displaying 20 or 30 thumbnails per directory. Worth a look! //www.breezesys.com |
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03/17/2004 07:00:58 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by hughletheren:
The canon File Viewer Utility will convert your RAW files to either tiff or jpg files, which you can then edit in Photoshop 7. If you upgrade to Photoshop CS, you can read and edit RAW directly in Photoshop.
Best program of all is Capture 1, which is truly amazing - allows a whole range of adjustments to RAW files which will blow your mind away -white balance is fantastic. Look it up via Google! |
I knew there was some reason to upgrade to Photoshop CS. Now if I can just get it past my wife. Thanks for the info, and I will have a look at Capture 1 ASAP.
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03/17/2004 07:03:52 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
I haven't used Capture 1 because it's only for DSLRs. However, I shoot mostly raw (Cannon G2's CRW), and I really love Breezebrowser, for it's versatility in converting (and batch renaming, which can use the EXIF information to generate useful names). It's available as shareware: which means there's a trial version, which is full featutered for conversions but is limited to displaying 20 or 30 thumbnails per directory. Worth a look! //www.breezesys.com |
Thanks for the info! I̢۪ll check that one out too.
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03/17/2004 07:40:22 PM · #6 |
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03/17/2004 08:38:57 PM · #7 |
Adobe also has Camera RAW plug in. Probably costs just as much as the CS upgrade.
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03/17/2004 08:39:19 PM · #8 |
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03/17/2004 08:49:33 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by micknewton:
I knew there was some reason to upgrade to Photoshop CS. Now if I can just get it past my wife. |
Good luck with this one. If yours is anything like mine, you'll be buying Photoshop CS3. |
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03/17/2004 09:06:39 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Koriyama:
Good luck with this one. If yours is anything like mine, you'll be buying Photoshop CS3. |
No kidding! If my wife had her way I̢۪d be editing photos with Microsoft Paint. Maybe I should tell her that Photoshop CS has a Younger & Thinner filter. Oooo, I like that. ;^)
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03/17/2004 09:43:16 PM · #11 |
| We bought PhotoShop CS at work and wow does it ever make a difference. I went from shooting .jpg to shooting everything I can in RAW. If you can manage the software and the storage it opens up a whole load of options and improved quality in post-processing. |
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03/18/2004 02:42:27 AM · #12 |
Damn, that's a sweet viewer, but its conversion capabilities are somewhat lacking. |
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03/18/2004 05:17:25 AM · #13 |
| There is just one program that I like to use for editeng RAW images, it's both easy to use and can do the most advanced things. Capture one, just the best of the best. |
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03/18/2004 06:48:38 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by oskar:
There is just one program that I like to use for editeng RAW images, it's both easy to use and can do the most advanced things. Capture one, just the best of the best. |
and I second that.. |
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03/18/2004 08:58:59 AM · #15 |
looks nice, but VERY expensive. Not to mention it is camera specific
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03/18/2004 09:11:58 AM · #16 |
| Like micknewton I am trying to learn my way around RAW files. So far this thread has been more about what conversion program people like best. Anyone care to go beyond that and tell something about how to work with RAW files, like what steps and in what order please. |
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03/18/2004 09:20:34 AM · #17 |
I also use Capture One. It is not neccessarily expensive... You can get the Rebel veriosn for something like $50 or so... and the LE version for $99. It will support The Canon DSLR's and also recently the the Nikon DSLR's.
It is awesome to use and IMO better than Photoshops RAW converter. I now exlusively take .RAW images. From reviews I have read and articles from pro photographers, Capture One by Phase One seems to be the most used for best results.
I just (yesterday) upgraded my version to the SE version which was a $199 upgrade. It wasn't really neccessary but it gave me somewhat more versatility in terms of color editing.
You may want to read this: //www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/paris-rebel.shtml
Regards,
Are - Ontario - Canada |
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03/18/2004 09:23:07 AM · #18 |
Capture One is definitely the best. The real-time adjustments that you can make to the preview make it a wonderful program to use. And if you don't have a "pro" body (i.e., you have a Canon 10D, D60, 300D or Nikon D100) it is reasonably priced (either $49 or $99). The LE version lacks some features that the $499 "Pro" version has (such as batch processing, tethered operation and resizing), but the actual raw conversion process and interactive adjustments are the same, meaning you end up with the same high-quality image from any version of C1.
(A PDF Comparison Chart of the various versions is available.)
Trial versions of all of the varieties are available.
Message edited by author 2004-03-18 09:27:05. |
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03/18/2004 09:30:17 AM · #19 |
Originally posted by micknewton:
Originally posted by Koriyama:
Good luck with this one. If yours is anything like mine, you'll be buying Photoshop CS3. |
No kidding! If my wife had her way I̢۪d be editing photos with Microsoft Paint. Maybe I should tell her that Photoshop CS has a Younger & Thinner filter. Oooo, I like that. ;^) |
How much trouble do you want to get yourself in to ? If I told my wife she needed to look younger and thinner and I could help her out, I'd be in so much trouble it wouldn't be funny!
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03/18/2004 09:35:40 AM · #20 |
| C1 arguably provides the best results, but from a workflow perspective adobe's raw converter is where I put my money. The fact that you have to buy the pro version of C1 just to get unlimited batch support and multi-format output is ridiculous. C1 isn't that much better than adobe's raw converter. |
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03/18/2004 09:42:18 AM · #21 |
I use breeze browser, capture one and photoshop CS.
(Aside: I use breeze as a thumbnail viewer (because I happen to have it anyway) and because capture one is slower for intital review. After that I switch to C1)
1/ Upload the RAW files using Breeze Downloader (which auto launches breeze browser
2/ repeat 1 until I've dumped all my CF cards
3/ Rename the folder with my personal naming convention (year_month_day_description) Many people back up everything at this point. I prefer to live dangerously and don't bother. All the browser/ converter tools I use are set to 'delete' to a DELETED folder so I'm not too worried about losing something by accident.
4/ Use breeze browser for inital 'lightbox' evaluation. Rotate thumbs to the correct orientation (I guess 10D, 300D etc doesn't need this due to orientation sensor)
5/ In the first pass delete any obviously not worth considering.
6/ Switch to C1 (again, this can all be done in one tool - just personal preference)
7/ Second pass through thumbnails. Tag any 'good' files for final consideration. Use the side by side eval feature in C1 to consider similar shots to pick the 'best' one.
8/ Sort by tags. Pick each image that I'm going to do final processing on.
9/ Fix white balance if needed - either using the eye dropper to pick a grey mid-tone from the image, apply a pre-saved white balance, adjust the sliders or whatever I need. I often use the eye dropper for 'normal' white balance, or use the sliders for any particular effects.
10/ Fix exposure if needed. Adjust contrast, adjust saturation as required. I try to get resonably close to 'finished' at this step, but often back off the final adjustments so that I can use levels in photoshop for final tweaks (with alt+slider movements to see effects in detail)
11/ no sharpening in C1 (have the option disabled in the preferrences)
12/ Output to 16 bit, full size, TIFF file and launch photoshop. File has an embedded D60 colour profile
13/ repeat on next image, while its processed in the background
Then in photoshop I typically do
Converting from embedded profile to working colourspace (Adobe RGB)
14/ Run an action that I put together that applies a levels adjustment layer, then a curves adjustment layer then a saturation adjustment layer that let me do any needed fine tweaking.
15/ Flatten image (or do any dodge/burning/ cloning needed then flatten)
15.5/ I often save at this point to target a variety of output formats
16/ Fred Miranda's edge sharpen Pro action, medium with custom tweaks
17/ resize to 640 with minor sharpening for web output or save/ interpolate for print output (or soft proof, depending on target) then do the sharpening in stage 16 after the resize
18/ for web, convert to profile sRGB, rendering relative colourmetric, black point compensation on.
19/Save For Web -> Optimise to file size 147Kb and save
20/ For print soft proof/ convert to profile, typically relative colormetric rendering or sometimes perceptual if it gives better results. Save / print.
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03/18/2004 10:27:33 AM · #22 |
| Gordon, out of curiosity, why do you have C1 generate a TIFF with the D60 color profile instead of setting the "destination color space" to AdobeRGB? Since the first thing you do in Photoshop is convert to AdobeRGB, wouldn't this save a step, and keep your TIFFs in a more "generic" color space? |
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05/06/2004 10:52:26 AM · #23 |
I was searching through the forums and came across this thread again. Since Gordon didn't answer EddyG's question, I thought I might.
First, assume the TIFF is generated with no profile whatsoever.
Gordon's method then is equivalent to:
1. Assign D60 color profile
2. Convert to Adobe RGB space
Your suggested step-saving method is equivalent to:
1. Assign Adobe RGB space
If you imagine that Gordon's D60 came from some kind of Bizarro world and his RGB sensor is instead capturing BGR data, the differences in the above methods should be readily apparent. Color fidelity is maintained using the device-dependent input profile. On the D60 some people have found reds to be problematic. Personally, I've been having issues with purples recently, so it's probably time I profiled my camera. |
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05/06/2004 02:21:12 PM · #24 |
I'm really starting feel like dunce.
How do you profile your camera? |
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05/06/2004 03:05:37 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by superdave_909:
I'm really starting feel like dunce.
How do you profile your camera? |
Short answer: Take a picture of a known color target (like IT8) then use software to compare the camera's capture of that target with "correct" values for the target. The software will generate a profile accordingly.
Long answer: Go buy Real World Color Management. |
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