cooltpmd Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I use PS CS currently and shoot in Canon RAW. I see that CS3 allows working in RAW. Does that mean that all changes PS3 makes to a file are reversible? If not, what do you see as the biggest benefit to editing directly the RAW file vs a TIFF created by the RAW file like I do now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenPapai Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Ever since PS version 7.01 has PS allowed the easy use of Raw file processing. PS 7 was the version prior to CS1. (PS3 doesn't exist) Raw file editing is *non* destructive. All the edits required to open the Raw file into Photoshop editing space are usually encoded in a sidecar XMP (an xml) file. TIFFs are not Raw files -- they are an interpretation of a Raw file image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_daalder Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Furthermore, CS3 allows even greater control over the editing process, by making use of its enhanced capabilities to work with smart objects (Convert for Smart Filters). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltpmd Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 * PS3 is a typo, let's move on. * No, Canon RAW isn't even usable even in CS2, only Adobe RAW. * Yes I know TIFF is not RAW * What would be the benefit to opening Canon RAW in CS3 and editing, verses passing a TIFF and editing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverdae Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 non destructive- it doesn't effect your file at all. After you leave ACR with an image an open it in CS3, you have an interpretation of that file to work on. more editing power- from my understanding and experience, editing a RAF in ACR gives you more latitude in adjusting things like exposure, color balance, black point, etc, than editing a jpg or tiff in CS3 or ACR. There's more information, so more to pull out of an image. Working on a RAF isn't possible in PS. You open the RAF in ACR, do adjustments, then it opens it in PS as the kind of file you specify (tif, jpg, 8-bit, 16-bit, etc). The purpose of working with a RAF is to do as much global editing on the RAF in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) as you can before you convert it to a tiff or jpg for localized editing in PS. Hope that helps.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltpmd Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 I'm thinking about upgrading to CS3 from CS. Currently, I use Canon Digital Pro to pass a TIFF to PS (that's what it does when you say "send to PS"). In CS3, I think it's the 1st version to allow you to open a CANON RAW file in PS and edit. I'm trying to see if there is a benefit to editing a RAW file in PS vs. the way I am doing it now ... in addition to the cool new things the software can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltpmd Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 We were typing at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenPapai Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 ACR 4.31 is pretty much the industry standard for editing Raw files. I don't want to even use Canon Digital Pro for my .CR2 files. Last time I checked, several excellent books ar availble pertaining to ACR and achieving the best possible Raw editing steps possible leading to the start of a 16-bit image file editing session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryrock Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 RAW files always pass through the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in prior to opening in Photoshop CS3. Photoshop alone cannot process camera raw files. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_fisher4 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thomas, I think it's some terminology that's getting you tripped up. Let's try to clarify. What are you referring to when you say "Canon RAW"? Are you talking about a RAW file from a Canon camera or are you talking about software? If it's a RAW file you're referring to then it depends on what camera and what version of Adobe Camera RAW (ACR). ACR isn't one program. Like Photoshop, it's had numerous updates since it first came out a few years ago. As new versions of Photoshop are released, new versions of ACR are released with updates for new cameras. ACR doesn't get updated for all previous versions of PS though. Adobe is up to v4.3.1 for ACR which works in PS CS3. But, you can't use ACR 4.3.1 in PS CS2. It's not backward compatible. It's Adobe's little trick to try to get you to upgrade to a new version of PS. For example, I can't open RAW files from my 40D in CS2 because the last version of ACR for CS2 doesn't include compatibility with 40D files. I can; however, open RAW files from my 5D in CS2 (and CS3). If you're talking about software, there is no software called Canon RAW. Canon's proprietary RAW conversion software is called Digital Photo Professional. It's a standalone program and does not work from within Photoshop. If you don't want to upgrade from CS to CS3, you can download Adobe DNG Converter. It's a program that converts all RAW files to Adobe's DNG format. DNG is Adobe's RAW file format. It retains all the benefits of the original RAW file. When you open a DNG file in PS CS it will open the file with the ACR plugin. DNG files can be opened with any version of ACR. The DNG Converter is free to download and use from Adobe's website. As has been pointed out, once you convert a RAW file in ACR and open it in PS (whatever version), it's no longer a RAW file. If you process the RAW file then click "Open", the file will open in PS and it will still have the .cr2 extension in the file name but it is no longer a RAW file. From that point on, you're working with an actual image file and editing becomes destructive. Please don't jump down my throat about layers and non-destructive editing people. I know that I'm just trying to simplify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltpmd Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Yes, I was talking about the Canon RAW file out of the camera (I think.CR2 extension). Currently, I tweek them in Digital Photo Professional, then pass them to Photoshop CS. They arrive in Photoshop as a .TIF for editing. I have played with converting them to Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) ... but I didn't realize that Photoshop converts out of ACR for editing. I'm certain to upgrade in the near future to CS3, because I have heard good things ... I was wondering whether opening a .cr2 file in CS3, other than convenience, was a benefit to the final product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phule Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Robert Fisher's paragraph on Adobe's DNG Converter is an excellent one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_fisher4 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thomas, having used both Digital Photo Professional and ACR, my opinion (for whatever that's worth) is that ACR is a much superior place to adjust and convert RAW files than DPP. DPP is OK but ACR is much better. Thanks Rob. I appreciate the kind words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenPapai Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 "I was wondering whether opening a .cr2 file in CS3, other than convenience, was a benefit to the final product." Absolutely 100% yes. ACR is the professional industry standard and the most taught and written about Raw Converter software in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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