My camera comes with a RAW editor. It can save the RAW file to JPG ot TIFF.
Most say the TIFF is best because there's no compression.
What does PI work best with? TIFF or JPG
I'd appreciate any comments.
Thanks,
Bill
PI and RAW and then what?
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2log
re: PI and RAW and then what?
PhotoImpact supports both JPG and TIFF. However, if your image is high quality and comes in sizes 50MB and higher, this might slow down PHotoIMpact. Admittedly, the software is not optimized for use with large - high quality RAW files. So it would be better if you convert it to JPG at the moment.
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heinz-oz
I beg to differ here. If you save to jpeg you may as well just shoot in jpeg, unless you save the raw files for later.
My Canon EOS 350D is 8 MP and shoots raw. The image, when converted to 16bit tiff (48bit RGB) (not in PI) comes out to be about >45 MB. You won't be able to have a lot of images open at the same time but PI can certainly handle it, if your system is up to it.
PI only understands its own native raw format .raw. All cameras, not only brands, have their own type of RAW format. My EOS has a file extension .cr2 and my Canon PowerShot S45 creates 2 files, .crw and .thm which together hold the picture information. None of these is compatible with PI. Even though my Canon software allows me to save in .raw, the same extension as used in PI, PI does not interpret the data correctly.
The problem here is not PI though, it's the lack of a unifying standard. Even cameras from the same company, like in my case CANON, have two different file formats for two different cameras.
The advantage of RAW images is the color depth and clarity you can get if you master the process. That's a completely new subject though. Just to give you a hint here is an excerpt of an article on this subject from Michael Reichman, the full article can be found here http://www.luminous-landscape.com
Quote: What is Raw Mode?
When a digital camera makes an exposure the imaging chip (whether it's CCD or CMOS) records the amount of light that has hit each pixel, or photo site. This is recorded as a voltage level. The camera's analog to digital circuitry now changes this analog voltage signal into a digital representation. Depending on the camera's circuitry either 12 or 14 bits of data are recorded. Incidentally, if the camera records 12 bits of data then each pixel can handle 4,096 brightness levels (2^12), and if 14 bit then it can record 16,384 different brightness levels (2^14). (To my knowledge no current imaging chip records a true 16 bits worth of data).
Of course what happens after you've taken the photograph depends on whether you have the camera set to save images to the memory card as raw files or JPGs.
If you've saved the file in raw mode when it is subsequently loaded into a raw conversion program and then saved to a TIFF or .PSD format file it can be exported in 16 bit mode. The 12 or 14 bits recorded by the camera are then spread over the full 16 bit workspace. If you've saved the file in-camera as a JPG than it is converted by the camera's software to 8 bit mode and you will only ever have 256 brightness levels to work with. Unquote
I suggest a thorough reading of the articles on this subject found on the louminous-landscape site.
Heinz
My Canon EOS 350D is 8 MP and shoots raw. The image, when converted to 16bit tiff (48bit RGB) (not in PI) comes out to be about >45 MB. You won't be able to have a lot of images open at the same time but PI can certainly handle it, if your system is up to it.
PI only understands its own native raw format .raw. All cameras, not only brands, have their own type of RAW format. My EOS has a file extension .cr2 and my Canon PowerShot S45 creates 2 files, .crw and .thm which together hold the picture information. None of these is compatible with PI. Even though my Canon software allows me to save in .raw, the same extension as used in PI, PI does not interpret the data correctly.
The problem here is not PI though, it's the lack of a unifying standard. Even cameras from the same company, like in my case CANON, have two different file formats for two different cameras.
The advantage of RAW images is the color depth and clarity you can get if you master the process. That's a completely new subject though. Just to give you a hint here is an excerpt of an article on this subject from Michael Reichman, the full article can be found here http://www.luminous-landscape.com
Quote: What is Raw Mode?
When a digital camera makes an exposure the imaging chip (whether it's CCD or CMOS) records the amount of light that has hit each pixel, or photo site. This is recorded as a voltage level. The camera's analog to digital circuitry now changes this analog voltage signal into a digital representation. Depending on the camera's circuitry either 12 or 14 bits of data are recorded. Incidentally, if the camera records 12 bits of data then each pixel can handle 4,096 brightness levels (2^12), and if 14 bit then it can record 16,384 different brightness levels (2^14). (To my knowledge no current imaging chip records a true 16 bits worth of data).
Of course what happens after you've taken the photograph depends on whether you have the camera set to save images to the memory card as raw files or JPGs.
If you've saved the file in raw mode when it is subsequently loaded into a raw conversion program and then saved to a TIFF or .PSD format file it can be exported in 16 bit mode. The 12 or 14 bits recorded by the camera are then spread over the full 16 bit workspace. If you've saved the file in-camera as a JPG than it is converted by the camera's software to 8 bit mode and you will only ever have 256 brightness levels to work with. Unquote
I suggest a thorough reading of the articles on this subject found on the louminous-landscape site.
Heinz
You offered some interesting insight, but I'm a little more confused.
My Minolta A2 shoots RAW and I use ADOBE RGB (I heard Adobe RGB offers more colors and it appears the PI 10 handles this color scheme).
The camera comes with DiMAGE software which edits RAW and I can save to 48bit TIFF. So if my camera shoots 12 or 14 bit, is 48bit TIFF too high?
I have a gig of ram and I only manage one image at a time.
But I think you are saying that my work flow ought to be RAW to 48bit TIFF to PI native (or TIFF)?
Thanks for the article, I will read it and research raw work flow.
Bill
My Minolta A2 shoots RAW and I use ADOBE RGB (I heard Adobe RGB offers more colors and it appears the PI 10 handles this color scheme).
The camera comes with DiMAGE software which edits RAW and I can save to 48bit TIFF. So if my camera shoots 12 or 14 bit, is 48bit TIFF too high?
I have a gig of ram and I only manage one image at a time.
But I think you are saying that my work flow ought to be RAW to 48bit TIFF to PI native (or TIFF)?
Thanks for the article, I will read it and research raw work flow.
Bill
Thanks,
Bill
Bill
Just to give you a hint here is an excerpt of an article on this subject from Michael Reichman, the full article can be found here http://www.luminous-landscape.com
Quote: What is Raw Mode?
GREAT! Article! I need to learn more about PI's ability to handle high bit images and what would be my best file type for PI...
Right now I'll assume 48bit TIFF, but I'll experiment.
Thanks,
Bill
Quote: What is Raw Mode?
GREAT! Article! I need to learn more about PI's ability to handle high bit images and what would be my best file type for PI...
Right now I'll assume 48bit TIFF, but I'll experiment.
Thanks,
Bill
Thanks,
Bill
Bill
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heinz-oz
You may find that many tools in PI do not support 48 bit RGB or 16 bit greyscale images.
What I'm saying is: use the software that comes with your camera to perform all the processing needed. You can open images in 48 bit RGB in PI but are limited as to what you can do with these. If you need to work with that sort of bit depth, I fear, only a professional software, costing a lot more than what PI does, will do.
What I'm saying is: use the software that comes with your camera to perform all the processing needed. You can open images in 48 bit RGB in PI but are limited as to what you can do with these. If you need to work with that sort of bit depth, I fear, only a professional software, costing a lot more than what PI does, will do.
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VT Photog
[quote="BillS22"]
The camera comes with DiMAGE software which edits RAW and I can save to 48bit TIFF. So if my camera shoots 12 or 14 bit, is 48bit TIFF too high?
PI can only do a limited amount of processing on 48bit images. Many of the features I use regularly, such as noise reduction will be unavailable, and you cannot make a selection of part of the picture in this mode. Basic adjustments such as auto level, crop tool, etc., do worrk though.
With my Dimage 7hi, I have found that I get better conversions from RAW using either Raw Shooter Essentials from Pixmantec or, for the ultimate in image quality, Raw Deal, which is written just for Minlolta cameras, from Vector Graphics. Both are free for the downloading. RSE has a better interface and workflow, and is not much behind Raw Deal in quality, so I find I use it most.
I have a gig of ram and I only manage one image at a time.
I have 768MB, and have opened as many as 4 TIFF images (24 bit) to create a HDR picture. (each file being 15MB) I have a second hard drive which is used for Virtual memory, as well as the one with PhotoImpact, so this may make a difference.
But I think you are saying that my work flow ought to be RAW to 48bit TIFF to PI native (or TIFF)?
48 bits will give you the most flexibility if you need and are able to use all of it. My monitor will only display 32 bits, though, and all printers, AFAIK, only print 24 bit.
The camera comes with DiMAGE software which edits RAW and I can save to 48bit TIFF. So if my camera shoots 12 or 14 bit, is 48bit TIFF too high?
PI can only do a limited amount of processing on 48bit images. Many of the features I use regularly, such as noise reduction will be unavailable, and you cannot make a selection of part of the picture in this mode. Basic adjustments such as auto level, crop tool, etc., do worrk though.
With my Dimage 7hi, I have found that I get better conversions from RAW using either Raw Shooter Essentials from Pixmantec or, for the ultimate in image quality, Raw Deal, which is written just for Minlolta cameras, from Vector Graphics. Both are free for the downloading. RSE has a better interface and workflow, and is not much behind Raw Deal in quality, so I find I use it most.
I have a gig of ram and I only manage one image at a time.
I have 768MB, and have opened as many as 4 TIFF images (24 bit) to create a HDR picture. (each file being 15MB) I have a second hard drive which is used for Virtual memory, as well as the one with PhotoImpact, so this may make a difference.
But I think you are saying that my work flow ought to be RAW to 48bit TIFF to PI native (or TIFF)?
48 bits will give you the most flexibility if you need and are able to use all of it. My monitor will only display 32 bits, though, and all printers, AFAIK, only print 24 bit.
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heinz-oz
The idea is to stay with 48 bit until all processing like color balance, whitbalance, sharpening etc is done. After the image is as you wanted you can go to 24 bit RGB. If you were to do the processing in 24 bit you would have lost so much spectrum already before you started.
That is my understanding of the subject, whether or not entirely right, I'm not sure.
That is my understanding of the subject, whether or not entirely right, I'm not sure.