Shooting in RAW

[mommy22]

I am new here and usually shoot in "jpeg?" I have tried to shoot in RAW bit when I do, my computer won't open up the images and I don't know why. For editing software, I have PSE 8, which I am learning to use and like alot. I guess my question is how do I get my computer to recognize the RAW files?

 

[PhotoXopher]

Have to download Adobe Camera Raw 5.5 I believe it is.
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html

 

[mommy22]

I have PSE on my laptop and PS CS on my desktop... where does that leave me?

 

[Pugs]

What kind of camera are you using? Nevermind, I just remembered you have a D80.

Download Nikon's NEF RAW codec from here: Nikon Imaging | Global Site | NEF Codec Download

And the Adobe Camera Raw 5.5 update from here: Adobe - Photoshop : For Windows : Camera Raw 5.5 update

 

[Nikkor]

What is the difference? Is it better to shoot in RAW?

 

[Pugs]

Shooting RAW gives you ALL of the data that the camera sensor picks up. In post-processing you have far more options in terms of color correction, white balance correction, resolution when you crop, etc...

JPEG's are a compressed format. The camera applies some basic sharpening, contrast, saturation, etc... and then THROWS AWAY any data that the human eye can't see.

So if you have some shadows that are black and show little to no detail, chances are in JPEG, there is no way to recover that detail. In RAW, you're able to.

The problem with RAW is that it ABSOLUTELY requires post-processing on every pic. In RAW the image will appear flat tonally, it will appear soft and in need of sharpening, the colors will seem drab, etc...

If you're serious about photography, though, RAW is generally the way to go. If you're doing event photography and your white balance is off and the bride's dress has a yellow hue to it... you wanna be able to correct that. The more data you have to work with in post, the better off you are.

 

[Big Mike]

What is the difference? Is it better to shoot in RAW?

This has been talked about....many, many times. I'm sure a search will turn up some good threads.
In the meanwhile....Why Raw -- Part I

 

[kylehess10]

What is the difference? Is it better to shoot in RAW?

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but shooting in raw let's you edit millions of colors instead of 256

 

[Amadeo]

Pugs said it all. Those are the differences between JPEG and RAW, and codecs you'll need for your software to read them. I had the same problem as well when I first got my dSLR. Once the codec is installed, you're good to go.

-Amadeo
(On behalf of Panasonic's LivingInHD.com)

 

[Nikkor]

Alright thanks! And thanks for the links!

 

[Overread21]

If you're doing event photography and your white balance is off and the bride's dress has a yellow hue to it... you wanna be able to correct that.

I will say that sometimes it is possible to correct problems such as this with a JPEG shot - however to get the results to look correct and to not have problems where noise or banding start to occure (Because of all the editing needed) you have to do a lot of work. And even then the results can be very hit and miss - this is not something you want to happen if you have a dozen or more shots that all need specific and detailed (read time consuming) editing -- in RAW such changes take a matter of seconds so it proves to be far more efficient and such changes are also less (potentially) damaging to the image so that is also a massive bonus

 

[mommy22]

Thanks, I downloaded it and shot a few pics in RAW. I can see thre advantange already but can see where it might get a bit time consuming editing ALL

 

[mommy22]

Thanks, I downloaded it and shot a few pics in RAW. I can see thre advantange already but can see where it might get a bit time consuming editing ALL the pics. Also, windows doesn't recogize the file format in it's photo gallery. Any ideas on that? Also, is there a way to PP a bunch of pics at the same time? I will sometimes have 3o images of the same shot and will usually go through them and weed out the good ones...

 

[Overread21]

Hmm for windows photogallery I have had no problems - a good measure is to just install all the addons and programs that come with hte camera on CD - one of them (at least for my camera) allowed windows photogallery to show my images (though note that it might take a long while to show the image fully, wait till it says that its finished loading otherwise you are just looking at a quick rendering which will be soft).

As for the batch work you can do this in elements - just open up photoshop elements and go to File and then Open. In the new window find the photos you want to open and highlight all the ones you want to open at once (hold down the Ctrl key whilst clicking on each image to add them one by one if there are images in the series you don't want to open) And then click open. You get a window where you can edit each image indevidually or you can highlt a group to be edited in a batch.

 

[Pugs]

Thanks, I downloaded it and shot a few pics in RAW. I can see thre advantange already but can see where it might get a bit time consuming editing ALL the pics. Also, windows doesn't recogize the file format in it's photo gallery. Any ideas on that? Also, is there a way to PP a bunch of pics at the same time? I will sometimes have 3o images of the same shot and will usually go through them and weed out the good ones...

What version of windows are you running? For any 32bit version of Windows, the Nikon Codec that I linked to earlier should allow Windows Photo Gallery to open and display .NEF files.