Hi,
I just bought a Canon 60D. My previous digital cameras have been point & shoot which did not produce raw files.
With the 60D comes various software applications to install on my PC to process 60D photo files. I already have PhotoShop Elements 8 that I've used for years, but I've never used the raw file features. My question is should I install the Canon software, or can I do everything the Canon applications do with PhotoShop?
Thanks,
Mike
I used DDP and hated it! It's just too different from what I was using before (lightroom3Beta). If it were me, I'd stick to using Camera Raw in PS if your already comfortable with the basics rather than learning a new program from scratch and transferrng files around.
The big difference with Raw and P&S files are that the latter aready has been "adjusted", sharpened, and shunk in size. Be prepared for your Raw files to be flat,soft, and huge in size. It's up to you to make that picture sing. As a side note, don't try Lightroom3. Cuz then you'll want it and unless you have a student discount, it's kinda not cheap.
Good luck MikeA01730
Words get in the way of what I meant to say.
andnowimbroke,
That sounds good to me. I
Hi Mike,
I generally shoot in RAW only and would recommend it. I only use JPEG when I am doing something like taking a shot for Craigs list where I take a couple of small JPEGs and post them and do not need them for anything else. Just quick and dirty and save some time. For everything else the RAW files are my negatives and I treat them as such and always make backups in case of computer failure. I would recommend you go with the RAW and process them. To your question, I always used the Canon DPP which came with your camera. I learned to do what I wanted and once you get it down it is not that bad. One important thing for me is that DPP is non-destructive, it leaves your original files as shot and you can go back in five years and start all over with it if you wish. Bryan wrote a guide which you may find helpful:
http://the-digital-picture.com/Photography-Tips/Digital-Workflow.aspx
Having said that, DPP is not as quick sometimes as you may wish. I broke down this year and picked up Lightroom 3.3 on a cyber-week special at Amazon and I am happy with it as I continue to learn it. If you can afford the current best price of @$225 I would recommend it. I was looking at DxO Optic Pro v6.5 also, but I could not pass up the @149 deal for LR3, that is as good as I have ever seen the non-student version. You can export your images to your PSE8 from LR3 for further processing if you so desire. LR3 is also non-destructive.
Enjoy your new 60D,
Chris
Mike,
Originally Posted by MikeA01730
DPP will allow you to apply the camera settings to your RAW for processing to JPEG.
Given the step you have taken from P/S to DSLR, I think the time spent learning will be time well spent. Once you learn what you need for the Canon RAW, you will be able to use it as long as you shoot with Canon.
Chris
Mike
If you shoot in RAW, yes down load DPP for sure. DPP can read all of the in camera settings from the canon camera, where some programs will not.
IMO DPP does a better job at converting RAW files than other programs I have used. If you shoot just JPG it doesn
And then some, and some more and more and more.
How much more depends on which version of Photoshop you get. i.e. PS Elements, PS Lightroom, PS CS5 or CS5 Extended!
For most people PS Elements is enough, and then Lightroom gives you even more power, not just to edit but to much more, and IMHO is aimed more toward the professional photographer. But I still like it and use it quite frequently myself even though I am a photography hobbyist and far from professional.
And then there is PS CS5 which is much much more than just a photo editing application that includes other applications that work hand in hand with PS such as Adobe Bridge to organize all your images, create slide shows and then more. It also comes with ACR(Adobe Camera RAW) which is used to open your RAW files and make most adjustments and corrections to your photos much like Lightroom or and more than Canon's DPP is capable of. IMHO, it is better and more powerful than DPP, and the latest release does a perfectly fine job with Canon CR2 RAW files. Most pictures don't need to go beyond ACR into PS CS5 unless you really need to, or want to, manipulate them like you would for web sites, presentations, panoramas, composites, or to add special effects and so much more. Photoshop CS5 is a very powerful and intensive Graphic Arts application with a long and steep learning curve, but well worth it if you are into that sort of thing. However, most photographers won't need much more than PS Elements or Lightroom. CS5 Extended also allows you to work with 3D, and Animation and Video.
All great software, but can also be very expensive.
Obviously I too am not very fond of DPP. Too Limited!
Doesn't Camera Raw in PS have those type of settings too? I haven't used elements enough to know. I know Lightroom does and they are called Presets. It's good to use to get you going in the right direction, but I usually end up tweaking it a bit more. Once done, you can save that as a preset too. There is nothing in the camera that can't be done in the program generally speaking of course. Neutral, Faithful, Vivid, etc. should be able to be recreated with a click of a button in most programs.
All programs work noise/detail different. I'm okay with how Lightroom handled it if you chose to usethat program and PSE8 should do good also if you want to stick to it. The problem I had with Canon's DDP was it seemed clunky and had no fine tuning. The noiseknob was either at 1 or it was at 2 with nothing between and I had to apply the setting to see what it looked like. Programs like lightroom have a slider with no "stops" on it. You can move it around to whatever you want and see the results full screenwithout waiting. And just like with DDP, it's non-destructive. The one PLUS to using DDP from Canon is it's free! That can be pretty big when your talking about spending potentually another $200 on a program rather than gear or classes. Having said that, Lightroom is a great program and you'll prolly end up getting it and leave cloning to PSE8. That camera you have will be awesome for you for quite some time. Just don't read any posts on 1-series cameras or White/off-white lenses. You'll be taking pictures of pocket lint cuz that's all you'll have left.
Greg
Words get in the way of what I meant to say.
andnowimbroke,
I thought that with raw files NO processing is done in the camera. The camera settings are noted in the raw file for DDP to process, but the processing actually occurs non-destructively in DDP on the PC. With jpeg files the same processing is done in the camera, and it
No Processing is done to RAW Files, All the information is stored within the Metadata attached in the RAW File. It's essentially the Digital equivalent of a negative. A Jpeg is the digital equivalent to a developed print.
Lightroom and ACR all make non-destructive adjustments to raw files just like DPP does. It records those adjustments into a Sidecar file. Photoshop CS can also make non-destructive adjustments to your files, provided you use adjustment layers, and or, open the RAW file as a Smart Object.
It's when you save those adjustments to your image, and or, save as Jpeg they become (pixel level editing) destructive changing the
original RAW image data.
FWIW, I don't rely one what the camera or cameras software thinks a picture should look according to the Metadata. I prefer to rely on my eyes. ACR and Lightroom give you more tools to work with.
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