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I just got a new canon rebel T1i, and brand new to the DSLR world. Question: is the canon included software necessary? I already plugged the camera in my mac and the pictures downloaded flawlessly with iphoto, without having installed any of canons software yet. If Im going to eventually get adobe elements, what does the included software do? The instruction manual advises me to install the software, but is it really necessary?
If you are using iPhoto as a tool to sort images that is fine, and I wouldn't really recommend the Canon software to compete with it. The real use of the supplied software is in its raw image converter. One thing you must consider is that Canon makes Digital Photo Professional strictly for its own cameras, making it potentially the best software available. While DPP does a very nice job of working with Raw files, in my honest opinion if you end up grabbing Elements, which is a very capable application, Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) will work just fine for manipulating cr2 files. Despite being an approximation compared to the Canon software, the usability and interface associated with ACR simply puts DPP to shame as a whole.
On the other hand, if you are shooting JPG then I would say DPP is essentially useless. Though you should be shooting raw either way. :P
I will say however, that many capable photographers fully rely on DPP and create beautiful images with it. Plus, its free! My advice would be to install DPP and at least check it out, as well as grabbing the free demo of PSE and seeing which is for you. Its a win-win situation.
Jordan
Others please chime in if I am incorrect on this one.
As I understand it, The one of the real advantages of DPP is that it reads and applies all of the exif data. For example: if you set your camera picture style to custom sharpness, contrast etc, then DPP is the only common software that will apply those settings to a raw format. I'm not sure if it applies those settings to Jpeg or not. I also find that the noise reduction in DPP is far better than ACR (Adobe Camera Raw); which is used in most of your Adobe products.
Confirmation on this is appreciated, it's been confusing for me.
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Originally Posted by bob williams
What is unique about DPP is that it gives you the option to use what your camera has set in it. All other raw converters take the raw image, obviously, and have essentially nothing done to it. While you can make many modifications to the image, it will start out plain. DPP gives users the options to apply the exact Canon picture styles to raw images, just as they would be applied to jpg images shot with the camera.
Jordan
Do you capture images in RAW format? If so, DPP handles them better than iPhoto or Adobe, IMO. If you shoot in JPG, you don't need DPP - but you should install EOS Utility. The EOS Utility allows you to specify the lenses for which optical corrections are stored in the camera - these are applied to JPG images (look in your manual for Peripheral Illumination Correction). If you shoot RAW, the corrections are also applied - but only by DPP, not by any other software which handles .cr2 files.
IMO DPP is the best program for working with Canon RAW files after that if you want to do anything else you can convert to TIFF or JPEG and import them into what ever other program you use. I do 99.8% of all my editing in DPP. The only thing I do in any other program is in PSE 7 take my JPEG conversions and batch process them for the web to include reducing them to 700 or 800 pixels on the long side and add a watermark. I have played around do other things in PSE 7 but like I said most of the time I can do everything I want to do in DPP. As long as youget it right in camera you shouldn't need much else IMHO.
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Originally Posted by jcrowe87
I bet my reply starts some debate as if we have not seen it here already.
Why shoot raw. I never do. If you capture your image with correct exposure you do not need raw. JPEG work flow is easyer and quicker.
I have never loaded DPP. I use PSE 5. My customers love my work.
Check out the 6 lies of photography . Lie #3 is about raw vs jpeg.
Bottom line, the computer, camera, etc.. are all tools. Shooting basics still apply with digital as with film.
Mark
Mark, you definitely will start something with this...[:D]
I've seen that 6 lies of photography before. It has some good points, but "Lie #3" isn't one of them.
RAW shooting gives you latitude that a jpg cannot (since it's a "cooked" image, with the camera throwing away lots of data right out of the box).
Let the debate begin!!
I cannot argue with you saying that under the correct conditions JPGs produce images of any worse quality than raws.
I have a few reasons why I choose to shoot raw I suppose...
1. I am not always entirely sure of exactly what my conditions are, haha. If I was working in a studio situation at all times setting my own lighting conditions and shooting static subjects I would maybe use JPG. As it happens though, I am not, if I am outdoors (or moving from indoor to outdoor and vice-versa) and lighting conditions are changing often I would rather worry about my subject than my white balance for instance.
2. Raws are not compressed. I want to know that I am getting as much out of the camera as possible, I just wouldn't feel right having files that I know are already modified before I even get a look at them.
3. Memory is cheap, and getting cheaper all the time. While it may seem frightening that raw images are often 5-6 times the size of their JPG counterparts, I don't see it as much of an issue. With portable hard drives always coming down in price, we all have TB of data storage at our disposal at a very reasonable price considering what we pay for gear.
4. The recovery of detail from raw images continues to amaze me. Obviously we all aim to get the right shot the first time, but from time to time mistake happen, and I just feel that shooting raw provides a get out of jail free card. Why wouldn't I use it?
I am sure others could add other reasons for their choice, but this is all that comes to mind for me at the moment. Do understand I am in no way against the choice to shoot JPG alone, and I know many images have been and will continue to be captured this way. Maybe you JPG folks are just braver than me. [:)]
Jordan
OK, I'm in the process now of installing the software. However, I am not installing the image browser, since I want to continue using iphoto, is this correct?
I would say thats a good plan. Make sure you pick up EOS Utility though, as mentioned, since it can be used to enhance the functionality of your camera. It can do things such as allow tethered shooting, change picture styles, or just update firmware.
Jordan
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Originally Posted by clemmb
Mark, I should have asked this with my previous post.
PSE is an editing software. What are you editing? Unless, you just use the Organizer to organize your photos....
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Originally Posted by clemmb
OMG I thought I was the only JPEG shooter here. I'm not sure why, I don't think I'm missing anything by not shooting RAW.
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Originally Posted by hawkerman
It won't hurt to install it. I did, and you can still choose to use iPhoto as the default if you prefer.
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Originally Posted by bburns223
There are a lot of jpg shooters out there. Personally, I shoot jpg most of the time, for 'family memories' types of pics that will be printed as 4x6" for a photo album, or uploaded to Facebook, etc. But, when I go 'out shooting' (nature, landscapes, etc.) I often shoot in RAW, in particular for HDR shots.
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Originally Posted by Alan
I am a part time professional shooting weddings and portraits. I shoot only JPEG, organize and edit photos in PSE 5.
Mark
Quote:
Originally Posted by bburns223
There are probably more than you think
Mark
Quote:
Originally Posted by hawkerman
hawkerman, Welcome to the TDP.com forum.
No, the included software is not necessary.
And no, I do not agree with Mark's (clemmb) approach of a jpeg only digital world. By the many fine images he's posted it's obviously workinghim. But, I wouldnot limit my photography to out of the camera jpegs. We might as well go back to film. Notice that most of the famous film photographers "developed" the film themselves or hired specialists to doit for them. They didn't ship it off to Ritz or Walgreens. It's the same thing with digital raw files. DPP allows you to develop the negatives yourself. There will always be the Ken Rockwell like purists. A lot can be learned from them about "front-end" photography (getting it right in the camera when pushing the shutter) but I don't want to limit my equipment (camera + lens+ pp software)just because it's somehow "noble" or "elemental" or "whatever".
DPP, IMHO, is a nice addition to the software provided by Canon. It has many great features and does a very good job of raw proccessing. It is a great place to start when trying outraw format. My suggestion is to shoot CR2 + Jpeg for a while and compare the results. Once you realize the advantage of processing your own photos, exposure compensation (increasing the Dynamic Range), white balance/color deflection adjustment (more accurate color rendering) and 16bit color and noise managed workflow, to mention a few, you will see rather quickly that developing your own raw files trumps the in-camera jpeg convert most everytime.
Once you see this whole new world of post processing control open up there are many fine converters to choose from. If your're looking at Photoshop (CS4 or Elements), ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) is 1st rate. There is also Bibble 5, and my favorite and prefered converter Silkypix Pro. There is Adobe Lightroom for PC and Aperature for Mac which seem to be preffered by most pros. Each converter renders the CR2 file a little different and most if not allhave the adjustability to create images far superior to the in-camera jpegs.
Here's a link to a site I frequent beacause it's such a good repository of digital photo information. Cambridge in Colorlook especially at Understanding RAW Files: Why Should I Use RAW?and Understanding Histograms, Part 1: Tones & Contrastand Understanding Histograms, Part 2: Luminance & ColorThese are some of the most important concepts of digital post processing and can help you create the best photos possible.
The best to you and your craft. [:)]
Thanks all for your help. I realize, photoshop is an editor, and iphoto is an organizer. What I didn't realize is that I needed a RAW photo editor. I went ahead and installed all the software except the canon browser. I really enjoy using iphoto and want to continue using that program as my organizer. At some point I'll pick up Elements 8 to play around with editing, but for now I need to concentrate on learning how to use a DSLR.