Question about RAW

eccs19

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I've been reading alot about RAW, and from what I gather, if your photo was done in RAW, it's easier to recover from possible errors. The only thing that I'm not sure is DOF and focus. My thinking is that DOF can't be fixed easily, and focus can be fixed a little bit. Can someone please confirm?
 
Umm, you can sharpen images, but not if they are out of focus, we need an example to see but most likely if its out of focus...u cant really fix it
 
Umm, you can sharpen images, but not if they are out of focus, we need an example to see but most likely if its out of focus...u cant really fix it

I don't actually have an example, it is more of a curiosity question as to what can / can't be done.
 
Out of focus is out of focus is out of luck. The use of sharpening software may give the illusion that an out of focus image is slightly less out of focus than it really is, but that's all. You can increase DoF through software, but it requires the compilation of several images.
 
The focus and the DOF are a result of the physics of the lens & camera. The DOF is a result of the physical aperture of the lens and the focal length of the lens. There is no digital or electronic aspect to it (besides the control of the camera). The focus is a result of how the parts of the lens are moved, it also has nothing to do with the digital process.

So no, you can't 'fix' focus or DOF.

There are several digital settings; color, contrast, saturation, white balance etc. These are digital settings, so when shooting in RAW, you can correct/change them after the shot has been taken. If you shoot in JPEG, those settings are locked into the image when it's saved, so you don't have as much freedom to 'fix' those things.
 
Sorry for jumpin in but Big Mike i have Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom ... and i have no idea how to Edit My NEF ( Raw) files so i can edit the pics at all.. im stuck ! :hail:
 
Sorry for jumpin in but Big Mike i have Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom ... and i have no idea how to Edit My NEF ( Raw) files so i can edit the pics at all.. im stuck !

The editing of the images as NEF files is for practical purposes no different than editing .jpg or .tif files; the difference is in the software. You'll need Adobe Camera RAW, Nikon Capture NX, or another RAW handler to do your processing.
 
Is it true that RAW images are standard a little more unsharp than JPG's?
You need to sharpen them in the lab-colors afterwards... seems a lot of work.

If you go shooting and come back with 300 photos.
You have to correct them manually afterwards... with a .jpg you don't.
Seems lots of work.

How do you guys do that?
 
There is no magic to RAW, it is just another tool which allows a greater manipulation of the medium than JPEG, especially with regards to color balance and recovery of detail in shadows. A RAW file is also much larger than an out-of-the-camera JPEG file, so in theory, more information equals a better Image Quality (but this is arguable).

Gary

Gary
 
Is it true that RAW images are standard a little more unsharp than JPG's?
You need to sharpen them in the lab-colors afterwards... seems a lot of work.

If you go shooting and come back with 300 photos.
You have to correct them manually afterwards... with a .jpg you don't.
Seems lots of work.

How do you guys do that?

most people use batch editing.... they will make primary adjustments to one photo and use a batch program to do the same with the rest...
 
most people use batch editing.... they will make primary adjustments to one photo and use a batch program to do the same with the rest...
Yes, a batch would do the trick.

BUT every photo is different. Every single photo is in a different light condition, indoor, outdoor, at night, with hazy sun in front, with hazy sun from the back,...
So in that case you're not using the advantage of the raw file.
In that case, you could just shoot everythin in normal jpg, and batch all your files with the "auto contrast and levels" options.
 
Yes, a batch would do the trick.

BUT every photo is different. Every single photo is in a different light condition, indoor, outdoor, at night, with hazy sun in front, with hazy sun from the back,...
So in that case you're not using the advantage of the raw file.
In that case, you could just shoot everythin in normal jpg, and batch all your files with the "auto contrast and levels" options.


sounds like you are a jpg shooter.... there is no problem with that... i'm pretty much back to shooting jpeg too...

-pro's need RAW due to the fact of photography being their business

-some amateurs need RAW because they need greater flexibility to fix their poorly taken shots due to a lack of bonding with their camera

-some amateurs need RAW even though they know how to use their camera but are perfectionists, or have extra time on their hands

-some amateurs can get away with using JPEG if they have a good relationship with their camera and need only make minor adjustments
 
another thing, when you upload RAW photos in Bridge, is it a good idea to convert to .dng? I don't really see the difference between the two
 
another thing, when you upload RAW photos in Bridge, is it a good idea to convert to .dng? I don't really see the difference between the two


I believe (but am not sure) that DNG (digital negative) is a lossless file that has wider acceptance among editing programs as opposed to prorprietary RAW files delivered by your camera.
 

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