Image Quality when converting RAW to JPEG

[Shades of Blue]

I have been shooting in RAW and editing my photos with Photos on my Mac. I plan to eventually purchase Lightroom, but Photos gives me the basics of what I need right now. When I convert my RAW files to JPEG, the images are left a little blurry. There is no 1-10 quality setting that I can see, unless I'm doing this wrong. I'm dragging the photos from Photos to a separate folder to put on a CD for the client.

I noticed this especially when I was putting together the photos from my latest indoor shoot. Is this a software issue in Photos, and would a program like Lightroom fix this? Or is this an issue when converting RAW images from cameras like the D3XXX and D5XXX series? I've heard that the consumer end cameras lack in the RAW shooting department....somewhere I read this, I think!

 

[jaomul]

I cant say for "photos" as I have not used that software, but in general raw files need a little sharpening before they are converted. Lightroom for example has a default setting of added sharpness that is applies automatically (this of course can be changed). Is "photos" a raw converter, or is it just doing a basic rendering of the raw file (like picassa does if you export out a raw file"?

 

[Shades of Blue]

I cant say for "photos" as I have not used that software, but in general raw files need a little sharpening before they are converted. Lightroom for example has a default setting of added sharpness that is applies automatically (this of course can be changed). Is "photos" a raw converter, or is it just doing a basic rendering of the raw file (like picassa does if you export out a raw file"?

You know, I really don't know. I just got my Mac a few months ago so it is new to me. I can open the RAW files, and they stay RAW files within photos, but when I drag them to a separate folder they are converted to JPEG files. I used Pixlr one time to edit photos and I had the option to choose the image quality from 1-10. I chose 10, but they still came out blurry.

 

[jaomul]

Is there a way to convert them without dragging them out. Usually raw converters have an option to export at a size you want and a quality

 

[Shades of Blue]

Is there a way to convert them without dragging them out. Usually raw converters have an option to export at a size you want and a quality

There is in Pixlr, but the images still looked noticeably more blurry than the RAW file.

 

[jaomul]

I'm sure someone who uses same software will chime in...

 

[Shades of Blue]

I'm just wondering if it could be a compression issue. I read on this site that the D5000 has 14 bit lossy compression and the D7100 for example has lossless compression. Could that be the issue?

 

[Ysarex]

I'm just wondering if it could be a compression issue. I read on this site that the D5000 has 14 bit lossy compression and the D7100 for example has lossless compression. Could that be the issue?

Not a compression issue. Standard processing for a raw file includes both input sharpening at the time of conversion as well as output sharpening for the intended target use.

Joe

P.S. Some Nikon cameras support lossy compression of raw data files. This is not an issue for what you're doing or seeing: 12Bit Vs 14Bit Raw And Compressed Vs Uncompressed… Does It Matter? - DIY Photography

 

[SCraig]

There are RAW converters and then there are RAW converters; some are just plain better than others. I used to use some software that had an absolutely horrible RAW converter, which is why I no longer use it.

 

[Shades of Blue]

I'm just wondering if it could be a compression issue. I read on this site that the D5000 has 14 bit lossy compression and the D7100 for example has lossless compression. Could that be the issue?

Not a compression issue. Standard processing for a raw file includes both input sharpening at the time of conversion as well as output sharpening for the intended target use.

View attachment 114334

Joe

P.S. Some Nikon cameras support lossy compression of raw data files. This is not an issue for what you're doing or seeing: 12Bit Vs 14Bit Raw And Compressed Vs Uncompressed… Does It Matter? - DIY Photography

Ok, thanks. Now, I do edit the images with the advanced options as you point out, but how to I adjust the output sharpening?

 

[Ysarex]

I'm just wondering if it could be a compression issue. I read on this site that the D5000 has 14 bit lossy compression and the D7100 for example has lossless compression. Could that be the issue?

Not a compression issue. Standard processing for a raw file includes both input sharpening at the time of conversion as well as output sharpening for the intended target use.

View attachment 114334

Joe

P.S. Some Nikon cameras support lossy compression of raw data files. This is not an issue for what you're doing or seeing: 12Bit Vs 14Bit Raw And Compressed Vs Uncompressed… Does It Matter? - DIY Photography

Ok, thanks. Now, I do edit the images with the advanced options as you point out, but how to I adjust the output sharpening?

You don't as long as you keep using consumer-grade junk software. Sorry, but Photos is not serious software designed for professional use.

Joe

 

[Shades of Blue]

I'm just wondering if it could be a compression issue. I read on this site that the D5000 has 14 bit lossy compression and the D7100 for example has lossless compression. Could that be the issue?

Not a compression issue. Standard processing for a raw file includes both input sharpening at the time of conversion as well as output sharpening for the intended target use.

View attachment 114334

Joe

P.S. Some Nikon cameras support lossy compression of raw data files. This is not an issue for what you're doing or seeing: 12Bit Vs 14Bit Raw And Compressed Vs Uncompressed… Does It Matter? - DIY Photography

Ok, thanks. Now, I do edit the images with the advanced options as you point out, but how to I adjust the output sharpening?

You don't as long as you keep using consumer-grade junk software. Sorry, but Photos is not serious software designed for professional use.

Joe

No need to apologize to me. Thanks though.

 

[Ysarex]

I'm just wondering if it could be a compression issue. I read on this site that the D5000 has 14 bit lossy compression and the D7100 for example has lossless compression. Could that be the issue?

Not a compression issue. Standard processing for a raw file includes both input sharpening at the time of conversion as well as output sharpening for the intended target use.

View attachment 114334

Joe

P.S. Some Nikon cameras support lossy compression of raw data files. This is not an issue for what you're doing or seeing: 12Bit Vs 14Bit Raw And Compressed Vs Uncompressed… Does It Matter? - DIY Photography

Ok, thanks. Now, I do edit the images with the advanced options as you point out, but how to I adjust the output sharpening?

You don't as long as you keep using consumer-grade junk software. Sorry, but Photos is not serious software designed for professional use.

Joe

No need to apologize to me. Thanks though.

Get that copy of LR -- when you export a JPEG there's an option to set output sharpening. You also get the option within LR to apply variable sharpening to different parts of the image which can also be pretty important.

Joe

 

[imagemaker46]

Why not just shoot jpegs and avoid the issue.

 

[Dave442]

I imported my RAW files into the Photos app (actually in the older iPhoto app) one time when visiting my dad. Just went to the Adjust pane and did some of the same changes to the sliders like in LightRoom and then did a File - Export to get the jpeg files (where you can select the quality).
I thought the program did a very decent job.