[Vonner]

I have a few questions regarding photos from my Pentax k-70. While in Mexico, I tried to photograph some beautiful sunsets on my K-70. The results (colors, etc) where not nearly as nice as the ones my wife got using her Apple I7 cell phone. Her blue skies and clouds where much truer color than what I got on my photos. I was shooting in Jpeg mode and several different settings. So I switched to RAW. Now I am trying to view the raw files on photoshop elements 5. I can't get the RAW files to come up. I get an error message indicating they won't open. The Image indicates "IMGP0636.PEF" Is there another RAW settings that I can open in Elements. Any thoughts and or suggestions would be appreciated. Greg

[Not a Number]

The minimum version of the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in that supports the K-70 is v9.8. The highest version of the plug-in which is supported by Elements 5 is v4.6.

You can use the Adobe Raw converter to convert the PEF to DNG which should be supported by Elements 5.

Or update to Photoshop Elements 15 or higher. 15 supports Raw plug-in up to v9.10.

If the K-70 can save as DNG Raw files you may want to use that format in the future.

[gump]

The minimum version of the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in that supports the K-70 is v9.8. The highest version of the plug-in which is supported by Elements 5 is v4.6.

You can use the Adobe Raw converter to convert the PEF to DNG which should be supported by Elements 5.

Or update to Photoshop Elements 15 or higher. 15 supports Raw plug-in up to v9.10.

If the K-70 can save as DNG Raw files you may want to use that format in the future.

The K-70 does offer the option of PEF or DNG. I would think switching to DNG should solve the problem.

[AstroDave]

The K-70 does offer the option of PEF or DNG. I would think switching to DNG should solve the problem.

That's your answer for the future.

In the meantime, do as Not a Number suggests, and convert your PEFs to DNGs.

[SharkyCA]

Just my 2 cents, I think the "camera utility" program will also allow for conversion from "pef" to dng & jpg comes with the k-70.

[Michail_P]

Just my 2 cents, I think the "camera utility" program will also allow for conversion from "pef" to dng & jpg comes with the k-70.

Yes it will. Best and fastest is the Adobe one. Saving as DNGs is the best option for simplicity and pp. with files a little bit larger (about 20-25mb I think). I have been shooting my k-70 with the 18-55 kit and some prime and tele-zoom legacy glass. Apart from the lens’s unique color characters, chromatic rendition is indeed a bit objective. Especially in RAW. That is actually nice because everybody can get their own stuff going in pp, but I really wonder, why wouldn’t you get an anticipated result shooting jpeg, with all the in-camera processing options available..??

[interested_observer]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Let me fill in some of blanks you may have with jpg and raw files along with dslrs and smartphones.

I have a few questions regarding photos from my Pentax k-70. While in Mexico, I tried to photograph some beautiful sunsets on my K-70. The results (colors, etc) where not nearly as nice as the ones my wife got using her Apple I7 cell phone. Her blue skies and clouds where much truer color than what I got on my photos.

Smartphones and DSLRs - they both are cameras and that's where the similarities end. Smartphones makes extensive use of highly automated computer processing (within the smartphone device), while DSLRs emphasis manual controls to capture the image and allow the photographer to use post processing utilities to process the image in order to bring out their best features. Smartphones on the other hand, emphasis automated processing - where the camera may actually capture a dozen individual images using a range of apertures, shutter durations and ISOs, then automagically stack, slice and dice each of the individual images - extracting their best features and combining them together to form a single image.

Now, you - the photographer can accomplish exactly the same, however you at the time of capturing the image, would need to probably bracket (with 2 to 5 images the scene), possibly focus stack the scene with another 2 to 5 images, and then in post processing - process all of these together to form your perfect image.

I was shooting in Jpeg mode and several different settings. So I switched to RAW. Now I am trying to view the raw files on photoshop elements 5. I can't get the RAW files to come up. I get an error message indicating they won't open. The Image indicates "IMGP0636.PEF" Is there another RAW settings that I can open in Elements. Any thoughts and or suggestions would be appreciated. Greg

Let's talk about JPG and RAW files for a minute. The camera (K70) captures an image, with each pixel containing 14 bits of information (214 = 16,384 color shades and tones). The camera then stores this information out as either RAW (DNG format or PEF format) or as a JPG format. Now the RAW formats store all the data - all 14 bits of information from the camera. The JPG format however only allows for 8 of these bits to be stored (28 = 256 colors shades and tones. So, essentially - the JPG file dumps 98% of the information that the camera captured. Once dumped, you can never recover this information - unless you use the option to save both the RAW and JPG images to the SD card.

This begs the question - why the smartphone JPG images looks so much better than the Pentax JPG images. Well all the automagical computer processing (based on AI and machine learning) combining all the individual images together in the smartphone occurs using the RAW, and then at the very last step - converts it to JPG for storage. In the DSLR (and every brand - Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony, Olympus, Leica, etc.) passes the RAW image through their brand respective JPG processing engine - and just the one image (not the several images combined as with the smartphone) is processed and stored out to the SD card in JPG format.

Can the JPG format be post processed - absolutely, but with some limitations. Let's say you down load your JPG images to your PC, go in with Lightroom or Photoshop and make some changes and then save them (which overwrites the original JPG file). Then tomorrow you want to make yet another set of changes - well you open up the file you saved yesterday, do some additional processing and then save the JPG file (which writes over the first post processing file with the second post processing JPG file). On every set of edits - you are degrading the JPG file. JPG file editing is destructive.

When you post process RAW files, the original RAW files are never touched. Your edited commands are saved to an associated file and every time you open your RAW file, the prior editing commands are reapplied. In this way RAW file (DNG and PEF) editing is non-destructive. You can even reset all of your prior edits and start over from scratch.

Now, you might compare JPG images across the camera brands. They are different, because each camera brand's internal JPG engine performs different levels of processing. Canon and Nikon are the most over processed - Why? Sales. Camera reviewers compare the JPGs from each camera and says this looks great, which translates into sales for that camera brand. Pentax, does the least amount of processing - Why? In order to preserve as much information - e.g., sharpness and details as possible. This lets you post process the JPGs and still retain as much information as possible. Now, as with all the brands - you the photographer can customize the internal JPG processing engines to get your desired output (brighter colors, etc.).

[DWS1]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Let me fill in some of blanks you may have with jpg and raw files along with dslrs and smartphones.



Smartphones and DSLRs - they both are cameras and that's where the similarities end...

That is perhaps the best explanation of the differences between dedicated cameras and smart phone cameras I have ever read. Well done!

[photogem]

I have a few questions regarding photos from my Pentax k-70. While in Mexico, I tried to photograph some beautiful sunsets on my K-70. The results (colors, etc) where not nearly as nice as the ones my wife got using her Apple I7 cell phone. Her blue skies and clouds where much truer color than what I got on my photos. I was shooting in Jpeg mode and several different settings. So I switched to RAW. Now I am trying to view the raw files on photoshop elements 5. I can't get the RAW files to come up. I get an error message indicating they won't open. The Image indicates "IMGP0636.PEF" Is there another RAW settings that I can open in Elements. Any thoughts and or suggestions would be appreciated. Greg

Which modes were you using?
AUTO?

[mikesbike]

Which modes were you using?
AUTO?

That was going to be my question as well. When using this mode, the camera will choose a whole range of settings, such as the Custom Image type, or even "Scene" mode type that will affect many parameters, according to what it "thinks" will be best for your subject. It is not like the processing the cell phone uses, which cannot be changed or manipulated. I imagine trying to post-process a cell phone image would not be good idea.

[photogem]

I think photos taken with my cell-phones can be counted on 1 hand, at the most 2 hands (ever!)
Even SCN is extremly limited and if one dares to study P-Mode one has a better Auto-mode but can start to learn.

[mikesbike]

I think photos taken with my cell-phones can be counted on 1 hand, at the most 2 hands (ever!)
Even SCN is extremly limited and if one dares to study P-Mode one has a better Auto-mode but can start to learn.

Definitely- especially with the availability of the exclusive Pentax Hyper System. Many new Pentax users have not yet discovered this feature.

[interested_observer]

Definitely- especially with the availability of the exclusive Pentax Hyper System. Many new Pentax users have not yet discovered this feature.

I really never thought of it as the Pentax Hyper System - I have just used it as it's a natural extension of shooting - and not having to switch exposure modes. I just went to see what it was - and to me, it's just what I have been doing all along. I will say that the third knob, I just set to ISO and leave it for an easy alternative to pressing the [iso] and thumbing the new iso value. Anyway, I'm glad that there is a name to the approach I've been using all along. Let me also note that in "B"ulb mode, it's really nice to be able (via the front wheel) to dial in a looooong exposure time.

• The PENTAX Hyper Control system: A quick, effortless way to find the optimum exposure settings / explore | RICOH IMAGING

I tend to shoot off a tripod most of the time (night photography) with my K1. The tilt screen (moon lander) for me is indispensable. It has be come an absolutely necessity. I really can't shoot without it - well, I could - but it just makes things so easy.

[haroon88]

Smartphones and DSLRs - they both are cameras and that's where the similarities end. Smartphones makes extensive use of highly automated computer processing (within the smartphone device), while DSLRs emphasis manual controls to capture the image and allow the photographer to use post processing utilities to process the image in order to bring out their best features. Smartphones on the other hand, emphasis automated processing - where the camera may actually capture a dozen individual images using a range of apertures, shutter durations and ISOs, then automagically stack, slice and dice each of the individual images - extracting their best features and combining them together to form a single image.

Second it. In fact I saw one of my friends had a latest Samsung mobile (don’t know which one since I am not an android guy ;-)). His photos had more than needed vibrance and saturation levels which was good at first sight but in reality it was making the photos unrealistic in my opinion. DSLR let’s a person make his own artistic photos not possible with smartphones.

[photogem]

The TO is not used to respond to given help instructions.
Happens all too often... to bad!