Formats.

[pbowler]

I've been experimenting with RAW and editing my pictures in Picassa but not happy with the results, I seem to get better shots with J-PEG Fine. Do I need to get Photoshop.

[Birdsnapper]

I haven't used Picassa, but I'd say that a good RAW converter is important. RawTherepee is good, and free. Photoshop Elements has RAW converter, not as comprehensive as the full-blown Photoshop, but sufficient for an amateur.

[pbowler]

Thanks Mike, I'll download Therepee and give it a go.

[graham harcombe]

Hi, I notice that you have posted using a Canon Ixus. I am not sure if the RAW file format is the same across the Canon range, but I use the Canon 'Digital Photo Professional' software that came with the camera. It is a very nice package for RAW treatment and conversion and I have (after an occasion when I had to reload it without the original CD) managed to download it for free from the Canon site.

Graham

[pbowler]

Thanks for the reply "graham harcomb" I havn't got the Canon Ixus any longer I gave that to my daughter, I now have a Nikon 1. V.1 which has as an option to use RAW and J-Peg Fine at the same time so I can compare the two shots side by side and when I've edited both of them in Picassa 3 J-Peg Fine comes out on top most of the time.

[gordon g]

If you have correctly exposed the image, then the principle things the camera will be doing to produce the jpeg is increasing sharpness, contrast and saturation. All RAW files will need this doing to a greater or lesser degree post-capture - that's simply the nature of digital capture. The advantage of processing from the RAW file is you have the full set of information the sensor captured to play with, not a cut-down file. Keep practising with the RAW files - it will pay dividends in the end.

[pbowler]

Thanks gordon g, I'll stick at it with RAW. Do you think Picassa 3 is up to the task, its the one I like to use, its not complicated.

[graham harcombe]

Picasa seems to give you a fairly wide range of quality adjustment.

It does seems to me that it works by creating a working file and then allows saving in jpeg only. A RAW file cannot be edited in content (hence that reason that they allowed in courts of law as evidence of an original photo (in some legal systems)).

Having said that, it makes no difference to your editing options in Picasa - I'd say, hang on in there, it's pretty effective.

Graham

[pbowler]

I must say graham harcomb, about 70% of the shots I've took in RAW have come out pretty good but on one occasion out of half dozen shots the only one I really wanted turned out rubbish in RAW so its fortunate I'd set my camera to RAW / J-PEG FINE so at least I'd got the shot I wanted in J-PEG.
Anyway graham thanks for the encouragement and info and I'll keep my camera set on RAW / J-PEG FINE and stick with it.