[UserAccessDenied]

So shooting in RAW and converting to jpeg in Picasa is going to preserve the RAW data? Unlike jpeg out of camera?

This is my big question I guess. I want to preserve the most info and assist in low light , noise reduction.

I'll just have to go out and test a few shots I guess.

Disk space is of concern though. I take a lot of photos and not all are 'keepers' but I tend to keep then all... If that makes sense...

[hjoseph7]

Maybe you could try ACDSee Professional 8 Photo editing software package. It does everything GIMP does and it is easier to learn and more powerful in my opinion plus you can get it for less than $100. Less than $75 if you catch it On Sale. The in-camera software does a pretty good job on my K-5II so I try to stay away from shooting RAW as much as possible.It is just too time consuming...

[alamo5000]

So shooting in RAW and converting to jpeg in Picasa is going to preserve the RAW data? Unlike jpeg out of camera?

This is my big question I guess. I want to preserve the most info and assist in low light , noise reduction.

I'll just have to go out and test a few shots I guess.

Disk space is of concern though. I take a lot of photos and not all are 'keepers' but I tend to keep then all... If that makes sense...

You could shoot RAW + which gives you both a jpeg and a RAW file.

Can't help you with storage space. You will need it if you plan to take photos. A small external hard drive will work just fine. That's what I use.

[boriscleto]

Maybe you could try ACDSee Professional 8 Photo editing software package. It does everything GIMP does and it is easier to learn and more powerful in my opinion plus you can get it for less than $100. Less than $75 if you catch it On Sale. The in-camera software does a pretty good job on my K-5II so I try to stay away from shooting RAW as much as possible.It is just too time consuming...

ACDsee Mac Pro 3 is $29.95 through the 20th. But minimum requirements are 10.7 or later.

[robgski]

No, you can edit a PEF/DNG in Picasa, but I think you can only save it as a JPEG.

As for saving stuff that isn't a "keeper" I'm very hard on myself, I download the pictures every day, and unless they catch my eye for composition and basic technical standard, like what I intended to focus on is actually in focus, I delete them immediately, I either got the shot, or I didn't. Unless I break my leg or something, I am not going to go back and PP more than a few old shots in a year.

That also means I don't take 12 shots and hope that 1 comes out right. Maybe it's a habit from shooting film, but I try to only shoot when the settings and focus are right, as though I only had 24 shots before I could take no more, just like a roll of film.

I do agree if I could have only one PP tool, Lightroom is the best choice.

[wtlwdwgn]

Some good suggestions here. Have you thought about using Lightroom CC at $10 per month? I don't need PSE or PS any longer for my image work. Just my $0.02.

[paulh]

Get the UFRaw plugin for Gimp. Use it to open your RAW file and export to TIFF, then finish editing in Gimp, or other software such as ACDSee, Picasa, FastStone, etc. (edit - someone else also suggested this) The newest version of Gimp has a single-window mode and is easier to use now.

[stevebrot]

So shooting in RAW and converting to jpeg in Picasa is going to preserve the RAW data? Unlike jpeg out of camera?

Ahh....here is where things start getting interesting. You are essentially on the right track.

• Picasa is OK for viewing, but sucks for RAW conversion and PP
• RAW data is never edited per se. Generally, the original RAW file is not overwritten*.
• The data in the DNG/PEF file is read and interpreted by the RAW converter for display. "Edits" may be then done in memory on the display image.
• Edits are saved either as a new file in a true image format (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, etc.) or as a set of instructions (meta data) detailing the edit steps
• For programs that save the edit steps (example: Lightroom), this may be as part of a larger catalog, a "side-car" file, or as metadata in a DNG derived from the original RAW file
• Eventual output from all RAW converters is a true image file such as JPEG or TIFF. Additional editing may be done on the outputted file. In Lightroom this is done as an image "export" where the editing steps are applied to the RAW data and the resultant image written to a new file.

Sound confusing? It really isn't. You shoot RAW in order to create JPEG or some other type of true image file. Simple as that.


Steve

* Lightroom has the option to "sync" the edit metadata to the file system in addition to writing to its catalog. If the original file is a DNG, that file is overwritten to include the edit information. The resulting "edited" DNG may then be shared and opened by other Adobe products that are able to interpret the metadata. While the new version of the file is the result of an edit of the metadata, the actual RAW data is untouched.

[Volker76]

No, Photoshop CS2 can not be downloaded legally for free unless you own a license for Photoshop CS2. Adobe shut down the activation server for CS2 and provided the download for customers who purchased CS2 and never upgraded.

nope, that is not true.

It is true that you can dowload CS2, but if you did not pay for it: congratulation, you are now a criminal.

@OP, you don't have to convert your pictures to jpeg to process them in gimp.

[Lowell Goudge]

I'm not sure if this is where to post this, so I'm gonna drop it here and hope someone can re-direct me...

A little background:
As an enthusiast I do not have the money for powerful PP software subscriptions (Photoshop...)
So I've downloaded the following on my Macbook:
GIMP
DarkTable
Picasa3
Photos (iOS Software)

I starting out shooting JPEG, but realized I could probably benefit from RAW format.
So now I'm sitting here with my RAW file...

Picasa3 can read the DNG file, but the processing if extremely limited. There is no option for noise reduction and the majority of the modifications are 'auto' buttons. There are sliders for fill light, shadow, sharpening, and highlights. That's about it.
Still I really like it as it's a great organization software and can export to JPEG very fast across entire folders.

DarkTable seems ok, but it tends to crash a LOT on my macbook... This could be the particular version I have or my 8 year old macbook...

iOS Photos is limited as well and cannot read DNG, or atleast I don't think it can... Plus it stores everything in 'Photos Library' which is no accessible in a file/folder format through more websites (PentaxForums to be exact). I just do not like iOS Photos...

Now for GIMP - it cannot read DNG, so it must be converted into JPEG first.
However... This software is closest to PS or LR and is an incredible open source program.

But, if I'm going to have to convert the file to JPEG to edit in GIMP, what's the point of shooting RAW?
I thought shooting RAW was to avoid compression and have access to all that 'data' in editing.

If I compress my RAW in Picasa3 to JPEG, then bring it into GIMP, am I just adding steps to the equation that are not needed? Or is the compression through Picasa3 less detrimental compared to the in-camera compression?

I'm shooting with a K-30 if that has any impact on this conversation.

I use Corel PSP. Costs typically about $100 and can process all you need. Both raw and jpg

[UserAccessDenied]

I re-installed darktable and it's actually working very well now.

This is a great program when it works, one of the perks of paying for software is constant updates and support.

I love working with the open source software out there though. It just goes to prove that you don't need to spend lot of money for quality.



Thanks to everyone for the advice and comments.
Learning to shoot with the DSLR is one thing, but PP is a whole different animal.

[boriscleto]

nope, that is not true.

It is true that you can dowload CS2, but if you did not pay for it: congratulation, you are now a criminal.

@OP, you don't have to convert your pictures to jpeg to process them in gimp.

Umm. I was replying to dms who said you can download CS2 for free.

[interested_observer]

I finally succumbed to LightRoom a couple of years ago. I am pretty terrible at post processing, but its a necessary evil. Several months ago, I came across a member here who purchased a printer with a copy of LR5, and was selling it for $50. There are deals available. The main reason why I finally switched to LightRoom was the large support base of YouTube videos on virtually every topic. If I need to do something off the wall - I search for it on youtube and it is essentially the online video user's manual - plus Adobe has their own videos too. LR is really all you need - Photoshop is way too much for most tasks.

Am I raving about LR - no, not really. I like some aspects of the package - and hate others. But, in the end - I needed to post process my RAW images to finish them off and I need support to learn how to do it. I will not be switching to the new LR6 until they get the bugs worked out and I come across some sort of deal for it. I do need a new printer - come to think of it.

- And you can just purchase it outright rather than pay their $10 monthly fee - and it has a Mac version to boot.

[Vitzthumb]

Another thought on the matter. I just came across this video on youtube: [URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtLF-L-IeV0"] about custom print making. At about 5:00 he explains the color depth difference between jpg and RAW. I found it very informative, in case you're still undecided!

[stevebrot]

I use Corel PSP. Costs typically about $100 and can process all you need. Both raw and jpg

I own PSP X6 and have been very disappointed by its RAW converter. I don't want to dis the product, but my practice is to use it for Photoshop-type tasks and leave the basic photography PP for Lightroom.


Steve