RAW _out_?

N
Posted By
nospam
Nov 1, 2003
Views
389
Replies
5
Status
Closed
So I understand that each manufacturer has its own RAW format. What is the RAW that Photoshop can ‘save as’? What use is it?

(I am prompted to ask by Steve Hoffman’s question. If one can save-as RAW, then perhaps he can use the vendor’s RAW in format manipulation software.)

All wet?

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

T
tacitr
Nov 1, 2003
So I understand that each manufacturer has its own RAW format. What is the RAW that Photoshop can ‘save as’? What use is it?

The RAW format that Photoshop saves has absolutely, positively nothing whatsoever to do with digital camera "RAW format." In fact, it’s unfortunate that digital camera vendors have chosen to call their proprietary formats "raw;" technically speaking, they aren’t.

Photoshop’s RAW image format is just pixel values–red, green, blue, red, green, blue (or red, red, red, green, green, blue, blue, blue), written as a straight series of numbers, with no header information or other metadata. You can not even read the file back in unless you know the pixel dimensions and number of channels the image has.

It’s useful only in certain highly specialized applications. For example, some specialized image processing software uses a raw data format.

In all the time I’ve been using Photoshop (eleven years now), I’ve had call to save files in raw format once–for a special-purpose application on a Sun workstation.


Rude T-shirts for a rude age: http://www.villaintees.com Art, literature, shareware, polyamory, kink, and more:
http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html
J
JD
Nov 1, 2003
I have discovered a number of things about RAW Canon images and PhotoShop 6 (which I have).
1. PhotoShop 6 will not open 10D, Canon Raw images.
2. JPG images from my 10D are roughly 2 – 2.3 meg at their largest.
3. Using Photographers Powertoys to convert a Canon RAW image to a JPG
results in the original 7.4 meg RAW files becoming a 3.4 meg file which has decidedly more detail than the Canon JPG. so editing it in PS6 is quite feasible without buying an upgrade to PS7.

I also discovered that I can copy and paste a RAW image from irfanview into PhotoShop 6 and the ensuing file is as complete in detail as the original RAW file. It ends up a 34 meg PSD file! When this image is saved as a (max file size) JPG it too is 3.4 meg in size BUT… It contains immensely more detail than if I had shot Canon’s JPG in the first place.

My conclusion is that if being able to edit RAW camera images is the only reason for upgrading to PS7, it is quite practical to use Irfanview to open the image and copy it to the clipboard, from which you can past it to PS for editing. Perhaps with the new version’s lean towards digital photographers, upgrading to this version may provide some real benefits. AJ
——————

"jjs" wrote in message
So I understand that each manufacturer has its own RAW format. What is the RAW that Photoshop can ‘save as’? What use is it?

(I am prompted to ask by Steve Hoffman’s question. If one can save-as RAW, then perhaps he can use the vendor’s RAW in format manipulation software.)
All wet?
EG
Eric Gill
Nov 1, 2003
"AJ" wrote in server.bigpond.net.au:

1. PhotoShop 6 will not open 10D, Canon Raw images.

That’s not surprising. PS 6 will not open any Camera RAW images without a plugin specifically for that purpose, for the reasons Tacit outlined. Nor will 7. CS will, allegedly, because that plugin has been rolled in, not because the various Camera RAW formats have anything to do with the older format PS can write.

Thanks for your advice on the 10D+Irfa; my new baby is two weeks old yesterday and I haven’t had time to play with RAW as of yet.
W
westin*nospam
Nov 3, 2003
"AJ" writes:

I have discovered a number of things about RAW Canon images and PhotoShop 6 (which I have).
1. PhotoShop 6 will not open 10D, Canon Raw images.
2. JPG images from my 10D are roughly 2 – 2.3 meg at their largest.
3. Using Photographers Powertoys to convert a Canon RAW image to a JPG
results in the original 7.4 meg RAW files becoming a 3.4 meg file which has decidedly more detail than the Canon JPG. so editing it in PS6 is quite feasible without buying an upgrade to PS7.

So what’s the problem with converting to TIFF? That gives you lossless compression.

<snip>


-Stephen H. Westin
Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.
J
JPS
Nov 6, 2003
In message ,
(Tacit) wrote:

It’s useful only in certain highly specialized applications. For example, some specialized image processing software uses a raw data format.

It used to be useful for importing the data into math and scientific programs, but they almost all import standard graphics files now. I load 16-bit TIFFs into MathCad.


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
John P Sheehy
<<> <>>< <>>< ><<> <>>< ><<> ><<> <>><

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections