| Photography Forum: Digital Photography Q&A Forum: |
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Q. RAW vs. TIFF
Asked by Ninfa Z. Bito
(K=245) on 4/9/2003
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I have a Nikon D1X and usually shoot using TIFF or JPEG Fine. I am using MacOSX and download the images directly via the Image Capture applicaiton via firewire or PCMCIA card adapter. Once downloaded onto my hard disk, I open up the files in Photoshop. I am, however, absolutely confused about what the difference is between a RAW and TIFF file.
If I want to print out prints up to 12"x18" which format is better to use - RAW or TIFF?
Can I download a RAW file from a D1X and open it up in Photoshop? Can I then re-save that file as a TIFF file with little loss of quality?
Would appreciate any insights into this.
Thanks, Ninfa
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Chris Lauritzen
(K=14949) - Comment Date 4/10/2003
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Ninfa,
RAW format is just that it is the RAW data of the image. There is no compression, no graphic information embedded in the file. I don?t think Photoshop will open a raw file but I think the Nikon software will convert it to TIFF. As far a making a large print, TIFF format will do that no problem.
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Nita H
(K=548) - Comment Date 4/10/2003
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RAW is the cameras propriety format, you need special software or de-compressors usually to view RAW images, and you can edit such things as white balance after the fact with RAW image editing software (and it would adjust it the same way as if you had taken the shot with the setting ON), whereas TIFF doesn't have any compression, but you can't change the photo without manipulating it using regular photoshop commands.
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William McKenna
(K=82) - Comment Date 4/16/2003
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Ninfa,
There is little difference between RAW and TIFF.
RAW and TIFF are both picture formats that do not compress the information. When information is compressed (as it is in JPEG), there will be a slight degradation in image quality. With RAW or TIFF, there is no compression and therefore no degradation. The problem is that the files are huge.
You could probably convert them to JPEG with imperceptible loss of quality. More important is the resolution of the image. The images should have 200 to 300dpi when you print them.
Anyhow, if you use TIFF, stick with it. All photoediting software will recognize it.
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Melissa Milligan
(K=549) - Comment Date 4/22/2003
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Well, if it helps, I do this for a living and never ever shoot anything but RAW (Nikon NEF files also.) Many other Nikon pros I know feel the same way. There is just no reason to shoot anything else.
Think of a RAW file as the negative, and TIFF as a print.
Once you've taken a TIFF, it's essentially a done deal. You can really only change it with photoshopping.
However, with Nikon NEF files and with Nikon Editor or Nikon Capture, you have almost INFINITE ways to change your photograph. Most importantly the white balance and exposure compensation. If you take a shot w/the wrong white balance in TIFF, you have to do some work in photoshop to fix that. However, with a NEF file, it's a click away to changing it to whatever you like. And the best part is, no matter what you change it to, it retains the ORIGINAL information that you shot with, so you can go back to the original at any time.
One more reason? 9MB per file UNCOMPRESSED. Need I say more?
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Terry V. Haslett
(K=403) - Comment Date 5/17/2003
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Ninfa,
I just purchased a program from Adobe that will open Raw files in PS without changing them. The one nice thing about the program is that you can manipulate the raw data in the program before it opens in PS. You can change the color temperature, white balance and a variety of other features on the data before putting it into PS. The manipulation is different than levels etc. in PS. I just tried it and after I fixed the RAW data it opened in PS and it kept the extension name of CRW which is RAW. I tried it and you can then finish manipulating the photo and then save it anyway you want. I usually save it as a PSD, TIF (cmyk), because I usually want print it large and of course in jpeg for the web.
Hope this helps. Also helps to have large hard drives especially hot swap drives.
The program is about $99.00.
Terry
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Melissa Milligan
(K=549) - Comment Date 5/22/2003
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Nikon View will do the same as - probably more than - the Photoshop plugin, but it comes free with most Nikon digital cameras. When it installs, it also installs a plugin that lets you open Nikon's raw files in Photoshop and make a couple of changes to the photo (altho the choices are limited, and you won't get all that you'd get with Nikon View.)
For those of you who are interested in this new plugin from Adobe and have Photoshop, you may want to wait before dropping that $99. Photoshop's version 8 will have it included. And the upgrade price will probably be less than $200.
If you have Nikon View now, upgrade to version 6 for more features and a faster app.
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