TIFF is lossless, BUT the files it saves are enormous. Photoshop is OK but very complicated to use properly and is very limited in what it can do with a RAW image (you have to convert to one of the other formats to do a lot of things (most things in fact). The manufacturer's software tends to be - clunky, slow and limited, and that holds for most manufacturers.
RAW offers more detail than jpeg (a lossy method of saving) as well as more control - and that's why you should shoot in RAW. So - look at some of the other third party raw processors, there are a ton of them out there and they all keep the original raw file untouched (PS forces you to take your raw adjustments into another format - nononono). They also range in price from very reasonable (even free) to astronomical - rather like PS. Also do not forget that the best shots are properly exposed, so dont rely on raw to save your hide (although it can do).


patrickh