teopilot From Italy, joined Jul 2010, 527 posts, RR: 2 Posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 2754 times:
Hello mates!
I've bought only a month ago my first reflex camera: a Canon 450D... and I'd say to be satisfied about my first results...
I started taking photos in JPEG format, but since I was at CDG a week ago, I decided to try also the RAW format, choosing the "RAW + JPEG" option included in my camera.
I know what RAW is... but I'm not here to discuss about this...
My question is related to how to hadle RAW format...
Let's explain better what I mean with the previous sentence:
First, a little foreword: Included in my camera, I found the "digital photo professional" which is an utility, made by Canon (I suppose), which dispays you all the photo you have downloaded on your PC; by choosing a photo in RAW format, a new window opens, and the latter lets you to edit your photo quite a bit: Lightness, contrast, shadows, RGB and other useful features;
ok... but this software is not as good as photoshop, which have a larger amount of functions.
so, the normal process I do with a RAW-format picture is:
1.open the RAW shot with digital photos professional, then I set the parameters in order to make the photo more good looking.
2. when I think the shot is ok, I transfer it to photoshop ( this feature is included in one of the menu in the upper bar)
3. then, in photoshop, I do the last checks and edits, and finally I resize my image in order to upload it here...
now, I've written down what I do to handle a RAW format image....
is it ok, or I'm mistaking somewhere?
if I'm mistaking, please just tell me where I'm not doing in the correct way, and possible solutions to fix my passage...
or also please tell me if you have any other suggestions, I'd really appreciate!
now... I'm sorry about the lenght of the post...
I thank you all in advance!!!
dlowwa From Canada, joined Apr 2005, 7238 posts, RR: 32 Reply 3, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2733 times:
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You can also open the RAW file directly with Photoshop. Photoshop's Camera Raw utility uses the same converter as Lightroom, and by all accounts is better than the software supplied by the camera makers, although I have no direct experience comparing the output of Canon's software to that of Adobe's. Personally, I never use the software that was supplied with the camera and always use Photoshop/Camera Raw to import, adjust, and then convert my RAW files.
cpd From Australia, joined Jun 2008, 4879 posts, RR: 44 Reply 4, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 2706 times:
Quoting dlowwa (Reply 3): You can also open the RAW file directly with Photoshop. Photoshop's Camera Raw
And before you leave the Camera Raw editor - make sure you open the image as a smart object. If you make a mistake with the colours, you can easily correct them in Camera Raw without needing to edit the whole image again.
It's a very good way to work with those files. The additional benefit is that any sharpening you use is applied as a smart filter, meaning it is non-destructive. So if you need to change the settings later, you can.
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 5672 posts, RR: 40 Reply 5, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 2688 times:
Quoting dlowwa (Reply 3): and by all accounts is better than the software supplied by the camera makers, although I have no direct experience comparing the output of Canon's software to that of Adobe's
My friend keeps telling me that Canon's Digital Photo Professional edits RAWs 'better' than Photoshop Camera Raw and that colours come out much better. But I stick with Photoshop as I find it much easier to work with.
cpd From Australia, joined Jun 2008, 4879 posts, RR: 44 Reply 6, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 2681 times:
But, if Canon's software is anything like Capture NX (the Nikon targeted software) - it's another labourious step in the process. Sort of like putting a square peg in a round hole.
For me, Capture NX should really ideally be a Photoshop plugin that effectively replaces Camera Raw in my workflow - and should allow me to place the resulting imported image as a smart object.
Exporting as a TIFF file, and then opening that in Photoshop for me is needlessly clunky - and I can't believe the powers that be haven't realised that.
Quoting teopilot (Reply 7): then, a question about resizing...
when is it better doing it?
before all postproduction processes, at the end, or is it the same?
Different people have different workflows. I prefer to do it near the end, but that's just what works best for me.
teopilot From Italy, joined Jul 2010, 527 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 2601 times:
... I'd like to add a question to my previous post, hoping not to be off topic...
I noticed that when I finally save my photo as JPEG, by reducing compression as minimum as possible, when I open my new-edited photo is not so good looking as it was before; let's explain better what I mean: I calibrate sharpen mask, etc, having as basis what I see in the photo shop window.
but when I save and then open the "new" photo to see how it looks, it "magically" seems under-sharpened,most of the times...
is this fact due to JPEG compression or is it related only to the shot itself?
and, if it is not due to the shot itself, how can I fix this problem?
dvincent From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 1719 posts, RR: 12 Reply 13, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2590 times:
CS2 is pretty old at this point. If you've got a newer camera, you might need a newer version of PS.
An alternative would be to pick up Lightroom 3 instead and use that for all of your RAW converting and organizing needs. LR uses the same engine as Adobe Camera RAW. When you want to edit in PS (to say do special sharpening) you just right click and choose edit in PS. You can also sync your changes across many photos.
And it does not include the 450D, reading further down there is a workaround that entails converting the RAW file to an Adobe DNG file then opening it in ACR, not sure how well that works.
If upgrading your CS2 is out of the question there are another couple of options-
Use Canon DPP (Digital Photo Professional) which you should have got with your camera or check out eBay etc for a copy of Photoshop Elements v5 or later which will allow you to upgrade ACR to a version that will support your camera!
Cheers
If your camera sends text messages, that could explain why your photos are rubbish!
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