For Canon Users : How do you convert your RAW Images

[racingpinarello]

Since i'm moving to Canon in a month or so, I wanted to get feedback on how you convert raw images.

Do people use Photoshop 8, Canon software, or PhaseOne, or something else.

I've heard good things about PhaseOne, but the software is the price of a digital back (not quite, but it's up there).

Loren

[Sebastian]

Ylou won't have anything to worry about. Your camera will come with Digital Photo professional, software comparable to C1.

At the same time they are supposed to release an updated version of File Viewer utility for the 10D/D60 users that's supposed to actually be USABLE. Real-time rpeviews and such...

Anyway, I am using Photoshop CS and am very happy. I'll try the new sotware when they release it, but the workflow of CS is just so nice...

[darkman]

Anyway, I am using Photoshop CS and am very happy. I'll try the new sotware when they release it, but the workflow of CS is just so nice...

Interesting, I found that the colors from CS are slightly different than from canon's converter. This is because it uses their own algo for WB. I even confirmed this with Adobe. It also won't read directly in preset WB modes from the raw file. Adobe confirmed this too.

I'm using breezebrowser. It uses canon's converter with some added features in a much better shell. I like this tool a lot for just about everything. You can even set keystrokes so that it will open an image you want directly into PS for editing. I find that for "every day" photos, I don't even need to open PS. It doesn a good job at noise reduction, level adjustments, sharpening, and resizing (with a little practice, of course).

Mike

[Sebastian]

Interesting, I found that the colors from CS are slightly different than from canon's converter. This is because it uses their own algo for WB. I even confirmed this with Adobe. It also won't read directly in preset WB modes from the raw file. Adobe confirmed this too.

I'm using breezebrowser. It uses canon's converter with some added features in a much better shell. I like this tool a lot for just about everything. You can even set keystrokes so that it will open an image you want directly into PS for editing. I find that for "every day" photos, I don't even need to open PS. It doesn a good job at noise reduction, level adjustments, sharpening, and resizing (with a little practice, of course).

Mike

I have heard about that. I compared the two, and they are in fact different, but neither is better or worse in my eyes. I bought CS for much more than just the RAW converter, it's just icing on the cake until the new version from Canon comes out. FVU is simply useless...

So Mike, when will you start posting more in the lighting forum??? You have an awesoem grasp on lighting and n00bs like me need more examples!!

[darkman]

So Mike, when will you start posting more in the lighting forum??? You have an awesoem grasp on lighting and n00bs like me need more examples!!

Since christmas I've been in a photo lull. I do have a shoot tomorrow, and another lined up next weekend. If I get anything interesting, I promised some formal portaits, I'll post them.

Thanks for asking

Mike

[racingpinarello]

I haven't actually been impressed with the Photoshop CS conversion process. Not enough control because you cannot change the channels individually.

I always used the Kodak Photodesk software which I really liked. I've heard that PhaseOne is very similar and they have a demo that I can download in the future. As a backup and for studio, the back up to the Mk2 may be that Kokak full frame camera. Kodak images are very nice.

I can understand why the files would be different (not better/not worse) from software to software. If you have a calibrated monitor then it shouldn't matter. I guess it depends on your workflow that would determine which software is the best.

Loren

[Asylum Steve]

I haven't actually been impressed with the Photoshop CS conversion process. Not enough control because you cannot change the channels individually.

Loren, what exactly do you mean by this? Are you refering to the CS RAW converter?

I have version CS, and the RAW converter allows me to work with the RGB channels seperately if I want to. I'd just like to clear that up...

All I know is, so far the CS RAW converter gives me more control and options than I really need. I think it's great. After all, we're just talking about getting a shot optimized so you can open it in ps. For me, that's pretty simple, as I don't seem to make many changes to the settings from the camera. Ps itself is still my main image editing choice.

Then again, I never had any problems with the Canon File Viewer utility that Seb seems to hate so much, so maybe I just don't try to use these programs to their full capacity. I'm pretty much happy just to get the darn file open in ps so I can start playing with it...

[racingpinarello]

I haven't used the RAW converter from Adobe CS very often. I'll need to go back and find out how to use the channels. Sorry for the confusion, I really didn't know it was there.

I've been using the Kodak Photodesk for all of my conversions and it's been the easiest thing since riding a bike for me.

So, I wanted to know how everybody was converting files, and it looks like Photoshop CS is a viable tool.

Sorry again about the channel mixup, I just didn't know the channel adjustment was available in RAW converter.

Loren

Loren, what exactly do you mean by this? Are you refering to the CS RAW converter?

I have version CS, and the RAW converter allows me to work with the RGB channels seperately if I want to. I'd just like to clear that up...

All I know is, so far the CS RAW converter gives me more control and options than I really need. I think it's great. After all, we're just talking about getting a shot optimized so you can open it in ps. For me, that's pretty simple, as I don't seem to make many changes to the settings from the camera. Ps itself is still my main image editing choice.

Then again, I never had any problems with the Canon File Viewer utility that Seb seems to hate so much, so maybe I just don't try to use these programs to their full capacity. I'm pretty much happy just to get the darn file open in ps so I can start playing with it...

[Peter_AUS]

Loren,

You can download trial copies of Capture One LE, SE and Pro versions from the caputre one website and try them for yourself. I think you can do the same thing with the breezebrowser software as well. To me it seems most of the pro photographers are using Capture One over most other programs for the workflow ease. I might be wrong on that so please everyone don't attack me for that, just what I have gathered from reading other boards over the past 2 years.

I found of the ones I tried with the same RAW image, I got better results from Capture One, I haven't purchased it as yet, it isn't the cheapest and doesn't as yet have RAW conversion for Canon G3 which I would like. Also can't afford it.

[Sean Dempsey]

I use CS for my raws.. I found Canons FileViewer to be absolute crap. I am not sure if my camera (Rebel) came with any other programs, I didn't look. But I am happy with CS, both for RAW conversion and for the file browser.