[Bigdomino]

I am wondering what file format rouse when using RAW? The Pentax or Adobe format? I plan on using Aperture 3.5 for my image processing. I have really never used RAW with my old Canon. Always JPG. With this great of camera along with Aperture and my iMac I guess it tis time to learn how to use it.

Steve

[Na Horuk]

Any raw processing software usually has a list of supported cameras, and where a camera offers multiple formats, it lists which ones.
I think a lot of us prefer to use dng, because it has slightly wider compatibility than pef. But in terms of quality, there shouldn't really be a difference. (there is probably a bigger difference by just using a different software than switching dng to pef)
The main thing that you must think about is the colour space. You want it to be consistent between the setting on the camera and the settings of your software, so there is minimal chance of kinks along the way. If you are planning on posting photos online, it is probably best to have it set to sRGB instead of AdobeRGB (or ProRGB or whatever else is offered), simply because sRGB is a widely recognized standard and browsers, websites, won't mess with it.
And don't forget that raw files will look worse than jpegs when you first open them - but once you get the hang of processing them, you will get better images than OoC jpegs. And you will always have the option to "reset" the image to its original look, since raw data is not edited, only transformations are saved.

tl:dr; Raw container: DNG, Color Space: sRGB (in camera, as well as in software, if it allows changes at all)

[Miguel]

If you are using a K-3 and Aperture please be aware that Apple hasn't updated the OS profiles to include the K-3. Until that happens, PEF files won't be recognized. DNG files will have issues, but there is a semi-fix. Run your DNG files through Adobe's DNG converter free application and then import into Aperture.
Search the forum for more info.

Re: color space & Raw, the in camera setting is irrelevant. But you then have to choose a color space for final output. sRGB has a smaller gamut than AdobeRGB which in turn has a smaller gamut than ProPhoto. It is better to work downward from the latter and then export in the appropriate color space to the requirements. sRGB for the web and outsourced printing; AdobeRGB for home printing if your monitor and printer can handle it. ProPhoto as a baseline working space.

M

[Bigdomino]

Miguel, I downloaded the converter. How do I download the raw files from my camera card onto my hard drive without them going into the Aperture library?

Thanks

[Franky2step]

Color Space: sRGB (in camera, as well as in

Personally I use Adobe colour profile not srgb particularly when printed as the colour gamut is much broader. For online images it's supposedly better(maybe less important) to just settle for sRGB...JMHO

[Miguel]

Miguel, I downloaded the converter. How do I download the raw files from my camera card onto my hard drive without them going into the Aperture library?

Thanks

I'm not an Aperture user, but I am a 29-year long Mac user. I'd recommend you always us a card reader. Then drag the card reader files into a folder in the Finder. If the image files are still being automatically imported into Aperture, then you have to update a preference or setting, either in Aperture or maybe Image Capture. You should have some kind of folder system in the Finder to store your image files. I use YYYYMMDD that correspond with the date of capture. And them import these into Lightroom. You can use Aperture the same way I believe.

M

[Bigdomino]

Thanks.

[wkraus]

Re: color space & Raw, the in camera setting is irrelevant. But you then have to choose a color space for final output. sRGB has a smaller gamut than AdobeRGB which in turn has a smaller gamut than ProPhoto. It is better to work downward from the latter and then export in the appropriate color space to the requirements. sRGB for the web and outsourced printing; AdobeRGB for home printing if your monitor and printer can handle it. ProPhoto as a baseline working space.

M

Using ProPhoto RGB for any PP after the raw converter only makes sense if you do your edits in 16bit resolution. A wider gamut means that (in 8bit mode) for a given image you will be using less of the 256 steps you have in each channel (R, G, B), so you are more likely to get posterisation effects--that is, visible steps rather than smooth gradients. This should not be a problem in 16bit mode. I always convert my raw files to 16bit mode and do all of my editing in 16bit. For normal images without very saturated colours I use Adobe RGB, for very saturated colours ProPhoto RGB.

[Miguel]

The details depend on your workflow and tool choice. Lightroom's native working space is a variant of ProPhoto RGB so I don't have to pay much mindshare to these matters until exporting. Then I follow my guidance above.

M