Help -10d RAW - Converting to PSD

[ACArmstrong]

Need help on this one - how can I convert RAW images from my Canon 10D without having to buy PS CS - I've got PS 7.0, but really can't afford to purchase CS right now. If I can, I'd rather convert RAW images straight to PSD format for editing. Currently, I'm converting RAW images to the highest quality JPG through the Canon Software that came with the camera.

Help? Anyone?

[Photo-John]

What exactly is the problem? Is it a software issue? You can't convert your RAW files to PSD with whatever RAW conversion software you're using? Just convert them to TIFFs instead. TIFF files support almost everything that PSDs do. It used to be that you couldn't have layers in TIFFs, but you can now. I quit using the PSD format about a year ago. TIFFs are more universally accepted and I haven't discovered any reason not to use the TIFF format instead of PSDs. And for what it's worth, I have Photoshop CS, but I end up using BreezeBrowser for most RAW conversions.

[ACArmstrong]

Thanks John - I'm not really familiar with TIFF files, and had thought that you couldn't produce layers using the TIFF format.

Just a question - are there compression issues with TIFF files the way there are with JPG files? OR - I guess I should ask - does TIFF compress RAW files?

[berrywise]

Thanks John - I'm not really familiar with TIFF files, and had thought that you couldn't produce layers using the TIFF format.

Just a question - are there compression issues with TIFF files the way there are with JPG files? OR - I guess I should ask - does TIFF compress RAW files?

I know in Photoshop 7.0 you get a dialog box when saving a TIFF files that allow you to choose different levels of compression. The first option in that menu is no compression.

Can't say I know the answer to your second question about whether there is a loss of quality when going from RAW to Tiff. I would think very little if any.

[Photo-John]

Just a question - are there compression issues with TIFF files the way there are with JPG files? OR - I guess I should ask - does TIFF compress RAW files?

TIFF files do support layers and they're lossless. YOu can save with no compression at all or you can save compressed TIFFs. Even compressed TIFFs are lossless - at least they're supposed to be. The other nice thing about TIFF files is that all software can handle them. PSDs are an Adobe-specific file-type. So using the TIFF format is a better long term solution.

[ACArmstrong]

Thanks to everyone for helping me out - I think I've got the answers I need. I appreciate it.

[mikishots]

Need help on this one - how can I convert RAW images from my Canon 10D without having to buy PS CS - I've got PS 7.0, but really can't afford to purchase CS right now. If I can, I'd rather convert RAW images straight to PSD format for editing. Currently, I'm converting RAW images to the highest quality JPG through the Canon Software that came with the camera.

Help? Anyone?

You may want to check this link. It's a huge improvement over the software that shipped with the camera when it first came out. It's faster and more intuitive than File Viewer Utility.