RAW editing ? How ?

[Peisqo]

Hi guys, I'm still very blur with this RAW editing thing .. people always say "You should shoot in RAW so you can edit it later" .. what does this means ? Shoot jpeg also can adjust all the contrast, hue and all in PS right ? What's the advantage with RAW ?

Everyone edit RAW with PS ? How you guys edit ? Just adjust the contrast, exposure, saturation and all ? ISn't it the same with JPEG ?

Sorry so much questions =/ juz need to clarify this .... and also how come my PS CS2 can't open RAW file =.="

[siew]

Hi guys, I'm still very blur with this RAW editing thing .. people always say "You should shoot in RAW so you can edit it later" .. what does this means ? Shoot jpeg also can adjust all the contrast, hue and all in PS right ? What's the advantage with RAW ?

Everyone edit RAW with PS ? How you guys edit ? Just adjust the contrast, exposure, saturation and all ? ISn't it the same with JPEG ?

Sorry so much questions =/ juz need to clarify this .... and also how come my PS CS2 can't open RAW file =.="

If you shoot in RAW you can easily adjust the exposure and WB. It's difficult to make these adjustments in Photoshop. JPEG is a lossy format. Each time you save you'll lose some information.

[icyages]

You will need a plug-in called "Camera Raw" from adobe website. It will recognise a raw file (provided your camera model is being updated with the latest camera raw version).

[orionmystery]

I think this might help. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/rawtruth1.shtml

I can open NEF RAW file (Nikon) in my PS CS3. Maybe you need to download the CODEC?

[Peisqo]

If you shoot in RAW you can easily adjust the exposure and WB. It's difficult to make these adjustments in Photoshop. JPEG is a lossy format. Each time you save you'll lose some information.

what program u use to edit RAW then ?

I think this might help. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/rawtruth1.shtml

I can open NEF RAW file (Nikon) in my PS CS3. Maybe you need to download the CODEC?

do u know where to get those CODEC ? I heard CS3 is very weird and hard to use right ?

[icyages]

Try this link

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html

only works if you have CS3

[orionmystery]

do u know where to get those CODEC ? I heard CS3 is very weird and hard to use right ?

I got the CODEC from Nikon site. I am still new in ths PS thing. So far I only use it for cropping, resizing, curve adjustment...:P

[ShaolinTiger]

RAW is 16-bit and a lossless format.

Things like white balance aren't set in RAW, so you can change it without losing any quality.

If you want to adjust white balance in jpeg it's actually very difficult to get it right, and when you do adjust you are losing detail and quality. Plus if you want to process a batch of jpegs like that it's hard.

Curves and all you can do in jpeg no problem.

Also RAW is 16-bit and has the maximum detail your camera can capture, including less sharpening, so you can get the very best out of your shots.

If you shoot in jpeg you may aswell get a PnS camera because you're losing half the advantage of a dSLR.

I shoot Jpeg BASIC+RAW, I use the jpegs for proofing and selection, then process the pictures from RAW.

Apart from an event, where they needs pics on the spot, then no choice but to set manual white balance and shoot FINE jpeg.

I use Photoshop CS2 for RAW processing, you can find the plugin by searching for ACR or Adobe Camera RAW.

[kenneth]

Hi Peisqo, good day.


For PS CS2, there is an update from Adobe called Camera Raw version 3.7.
Installation instructions and download (2.1MB) from Adobe site here: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3587
You might also want to read the list of supported cameras (page 6 & 7) here: http://www.adobe.com/special/photoshop/camera_raw/camera_raw_3_7_readme.pdf

Supported cameras include those newer ones like EOS30D, EOS400D, Alpha100, D40, D80, K10D.


Please have a look if today is your lucky day! :)

[Peisqo]

Hi Peisqo, good day.


For PS CS2, there is an update from Adobe called Camera Raw version 3.7.
Installation instructions and download (2.1MB) from Adobe site here: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3587
You might also want to read the list of supported cameras (page 6 & 7) here: http://www.adobe.com/special/photoshop/camera_raw/camera_raw_3_7_readme.pdf

Supported cameras include those newer ones like EOS30D, EOS400D, Alpha100, D40, D80, K10D.


Please have a look if today is your lucky day! :)


My cam is D40 ... i tried that before ... try that again just now .. and it still doesn't work .. wth ? .. it give me this stupid warning that doesn't make sense at all :

"The "Nikon NEF PP" plug-in has overridden the "Camera Raw" plug-in. If you actually want to use the "Camera Raw" plug-in, you need to remove the "Nikon NEF PP" plugin from the plug-ins folder"

Anyways i juz click OK to continue ... then there is a menu where i can adjust the EV and WB ... then i click ok .. then another error :


" Could not complete your request because of a disk error "

????????? :?:?

[kenneth]

ic, sounds like clashing of plug in.

Try this if u r intending to use Adobe Camera Raw:

Assuming you are on Windows, locate to this folder:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop\Plug-ins\Adobe Photoshop Only\File Formats

try to find something like this...
Nikon NEF Plugin bla bla bla.8bi (the extention is always .8bi)

Either delete it, move it to some other folders except "Plug-ins" or rename it as something other than .8bi

Close PS CS2 if you havent, re-lauch PS CS2 again, and try opening the RAW
Hope this helps :)

[Peisqo]

ic, sounds like clashing of plug in.

Try this if u r intending to use Adobe Camera Raw:

Assuming you are on Windows, locate to this folder:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop\Plug-ins\Adobe Photoshop Only\File Formats

try to find something like this...
Nikon NEF Plugin bla bla bla.8bi (the extention is always .8bi)

Either delete it, move it to some other folders except "Plug-ins" or rename it as something other than .8bi

Close PS CS2 if you havent, re-lauch PS CS2 again, and try opening the RAW
Hope this helps :)


Alrighty !! It works !! :partyon: thnx dude ...

Ahhhhhhhhh now it's all clear .. i get what u guys mean by changing WB and everything now :) and wow .. so much easier control on the exposure, brightness and everything !!

So you guys just adjust everything in that window ? Juz play around ? :)

Juz 1 final stupid question :P After edit .. do we convert back to JPEG ? Will it be the same as shooting JPEG ar ? No right .. haha .. sry sry very noob here ...

And how to 1 shot convert all RAW to JPEG ?

p/s : how do we undo ar? =/ like i tried "straightening" then i can't undo ...

[ShaolinTiger]

Alrighty !! It works !! :partyon: thnx dude ...

Ahhhhhhhhh now it's all clear .. i get what u guys mean by changing WB and everything now :) and wow .. so much easier control on the exposure, brightness and everything !!
Much better right?


Usually I just try Auto button first on the lower section, make sure both shadow and highlight warnings are on, then tweak exposure until you like it.

You can try auto for white balance too, but I generally find what came out of the camera pretty accurate.


So you guys just adjust everything in that window ? Juz play around ? :)


Yah just experiment, see what you like.

Sharpening and contrast/curves are better done in photoshop tho.


Juz 1 final stupid question :P After edit .. do we convert back to JPEG ? Will it be the same as shooting JPEG ar ? No right .. haha .. sry sry very noob here ...


Yah, as long as you convert 8bit RAW you can save as jpeg, if 16-bit RAW and losless you have to save as a huge TIFF file.

8-bit is fine though after conversion.

And no, shoot both RAW and Jpeg, then convert the RAW to jpeg, then compare the two...completely different. The first time I saw the difference, I never shot jpeg only again.


And how to 1 shot convert all RAW to JPEG ?


That one you have to read a bit la, you can do batch conversion with Adobe Bridge and ACR. You can open all the .NEF files at the same time and you'll see them in the side of ACR.


p/s : how do we undo ar? =/ like i tried "straightening" then i can't undo ...

Press escape, or just close the RAW and delete the .xmp file then open it again.

[Peisqo]

Ahhhhhhh learnt alot alot today :) Thanks so much to kenneth and ShaolinTiger ... you guys are really helpful .. thnx for bearing with my noobness hehe