<span>There are about a bajillion options for software, so it's hard to choose some times. The easiest method is to shoot reduced-size jpegs and then just put them together in post (e.g. VirtualDub) with no changes whatsoever. But I only ever shoot raw, and I do tend to make a lot of changes.Here's a few examples of raw workflows I have used:
  • Cineform:
    + Convert the raw CR2 files to Cineform Raw with the $300 Neo (use DPX2CF and ignore the name).
    + Optional: Use First Light to tune the raw conversion (white balance, demosaic, etc.)
    + Optional: Generate cineform proxies if your system is too slow to edit the raw files directly.
    + Edit the raw files directly in the editor of your choice at the maximum possible 12-bit quality.
  • Adobe:
    + Open raw files in After Effects
    + Optional: Tune the raw conversion (white balance, etc.)
    + Optional: Render out for an online workflow if your system is too slow to edit the AE sequence directly
    + Open the AE sequence in Premiere Pro at the maximum possible 12-bit quality.
  • Other:
    + Convert all the raw files to TIFF, PNG, or JPEG using the raw converter of your choice.
    + Use a photo-to-video converter (e.g. After Effects or VirtualDub) to make an online video file in some format.
    + Edit the video file in whatever quality you were able to achieve.



The benefit of the Cineform solution is that it's the only compressed raw option. That makes it fast enough to keep the raw through the entire workflow without another intermediate, and the ability to change something and have it reflected immediately. Plus it can be opened in a wide variety of programs. The downside is that First Light may not produce exactly what you're looking for from your raw files, in which case you'd have to render out from raw anyway.

<span>The benefit of the Adobe solution is similar to Cineform -- you can complete the entire workflow without rendering out from raw. The difference is that it restricts you to using only Adobe software and it uses the original uncompressed raw, so it's a lot slower and will probably require you to wait for the cache to re-render after making any changes.


The "other" method usually results in losing significant resolution and/or bit depth before you even get to the point where you can start editing it. If you convert to 16-bit TIFFs, load them in After Effects, then convert to a 12-bit 4K cineform, then you're in good shape for both resolution and bit depth. But if you use something like VirtualDub, which only supports 8-bit, or DnxHD, which only supports 1080p, then you lose a lot of flexibility for zooming, panning, and modifying the sequence in post.


In short, the most flexible workflows that I know of are either Cineform or Adobe. But if you can make do with 8-bit 1080p files, then you can use just about anything.