Question about RAW

[rad21]

When shooting in RAW mode, aside from being able to adjust the white balance, what other advantages/benefits are there compared to post processing a jpeg photo with photoshop? Also, what is the difference between a RAW file and a DNG file, any reason to use one over the other?

Thanks

 

[herbdb]

I use Lightroom, but I like being able to adjust the exposure.

 

[ScubaWulf]

Biggest advantage in shooting raw is that it is a non-destructive format. You can edit it and resave it without losing any information in your picture. Each time you re-edit and re-save a JPEG the information in the picture is recompressed which destroys data in the picture. It will get progressively worse with each save. Will start showing up as banding in the shadows and more noise all around. As cheap as large memory cards are nowadays I shoot all in RAW. Lightroom is an excellent program to use for editing. Been using it since it was in BETA.

 

[rad21]

I appreciate the replies. I noticed that if I save the files as a DNG, there are less white balance options versus saving as a RAW file. RAW offers all the cameras options (cloudy, tungsten, etc) while DNG offer auto, manual or 1 camera setting.

 

[PatW]

Another big advantage of RAW besides adjusting white balance is the adjustment of shadows and highlights. A RAW file will have something like 10 times the information on shadows and high lights. This information allows the photographer to reclaim detail in the shadows and high lights that would be totally lost in a JPEG.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I appreciate the replies. I noticed that if I save the files as a DNG, there are less white balance options versus saving as a RAW file. RAW offers all the cameras options (cloudy, tungsten, etc) while DNG offer auto, manual or 1 camera setting.

I have always shot in RAW and now save to my computer using DNG Converter. After years of Photoshoping .orf files (Olympus Raw Files) I noticed no difference in the file import window after changing to DNG Converter.

I just compared an old .orf shot with my old 5050 and a new .dng shot with my new S95; for each image, my Elements 4 WB drop down menu has the same 8 options (9 if you count "as shot").

My newer laptop has CS3, but I've noticed no differences with CS3.

Are you talking about a camera that has an onboard .dng option

 

[rad21]

halemano,

I downloaded CHDK to allow me to shoot in RAW mode. If I shoot photos in RAW and open them in UFRaw, I have all the white balance options. However if I save/convert the RAW to a dng file, I can only get 3 white balance options. It must be the software or CHDK limitations.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

What is UFRaw? What PS are you using? What operating system?

I am now on my MacBook, before I was on my PowerBook.

This is Snow Leopard, before it was Leopard.

This machine has Photoshop CS3, that machine has Elements 4.

I took a disk with Olympus raw files (.orf) and opened one in PS CS3; the WB drop down menu has the same 8 options (other than "as shot"). I used DNG Converter to download images from the disk to the computer. Now I have a folder with .dng files on my computer. I opened one of them in PS CS3 and the WB drop down menu is the same 8 options (as well as "as shot").

Somehow I thought your questions had to do with adjusting WB in Photoshop. I am not able to find differences in PS WB adjustments when comparing raw files to dng files.

 

[ben_wilson3301]

Technically speaking you can only change what the program is calling the exposure. The exposure is set by your shutter speed and the aperture of your lens, so its impossible to change the exposure after the fact. What you are talking about is manipulating software to achieve what appears to be an exposure change.

 

[bvanant]

I think there are lots of things you can change that aren't exposure. If you think about what a sensor array sees (as opposed to a single photosite) you can change the intensity and the color profile of the array as well as make a whole bunch of local adjustments, same as in the old darkroom. Exposure, color temperature, white balance, local saturation are all changeable. Now we do it in the computer but it was done for years in the color darkroom.

Bill