RAW Processing w/ Canon's Digital Photo Professional (Maximize your Canon DSLR Pics)
08-16-2007, 10:47 AM
#1
Senior Moderator
Thread Starter
RAW Processing w/ Canon's Digital Photo Professional (Maximize your Canon DSLR Pics)
Although I don't have an SLR... I thought this was a great write up for noobs. Got this on another car forum:
Originally Posted by ctwentytwo
Did you recently buy a Canon DSLR and not getting the image quality you want or expect? You might ask, is it my photography skills? Or is it my camera? Or scarier yet, do I need a better lens?
Most likely the answer is you have not processed your shots, especially if you are new to DSLRs. Processing your photos (sometimes referred as Post Processing) can be complicated adjustments or alterations done in photoshop, as well as simple adjustments done processing a RAW file.
What is a RAW image file and how does it differ from JPEG or TIFF?
A raw file is data from the image sensor of a camera. These RAW files must be "processed" to a viewable image format like JPEG or TIFF. A JPEG image file is a compressed image file, viewable on your web browser as it has become the standard image file for use on the internet.
Of course, there are other image files viewable on the internet such as GIF (max of 256 colors is a weakness, but animation is a plus), BMP, and PNG. The reason why JPEG and GIF is generally used on the internet are it's compression capabilities. Compression is how much you shrink a file's size. For JPEG, there is usually a slider to adjust compression when using image manipulation software such as Photoshop. The upside with more compression is a smaller file, taking up less room on the hard drive and of course, downloads faster on the web browser. Conversely, the downside is a less detailed picture. Also, more compression introduces what's called "artifacting" as you can see by the blockiness. You might have seen this phenomenon on digital tv when the pictures become blocky at times.
A High quality JPEG (136 kb).
An adjustment slider usually appears when exporting an image as a JPEG.
A Low quality JPEG (64 kb).
This has a ton of artifacting, a sure sign of a heavily compressed JPEG.
The artifacting looks bad, but is less than half the size of the high quality JPEG above,
which is a compromise made to save space, or speed up downloading on the internet.
Image size used to be a major concern "back in the day." Bandwidth and server/hosting cost has improved drastically.
The TIFF file is an uncompressed image file, and being uncompressed is significantly bigger in size terms of memory. But of course, the image quality is not compromised.
So if TIFF is a high quality, uncompressed image file, why shoot in RAW? Well, because RAW is pretty much the DNA of the photo. The RAW file contains a ton of information from lens used, aperture, and exposure time; as well as in-camera settings. You can adjust in-camera settings without losing the original DNA. Using Canon's bundled software, Digital Photo Professional, you can make in-camera adjustments AFTER the shot. Of course, some data is lost with TIFF and JPEG, although most EXIF data is preserved.
In-Camera settings as well as other information displayed by Canon's Digital Photo Professional.
Notice that information also contains the lens used for the shot.
Other information that is further down includes, interestingly, the serial# of the camera body used.
****************************************
Canon's Digital Photo Professional
USING DIGITAL PHOTO PROFESSIONAL
When you open DPP, you must select the location of your RAW files. Once selected, your RAW files will be displayed by a thumbnail of the shot. Make sure you have the "Tools" button selected at the top of the program to display the "toolbar," or you can go the top menu through VIEW>TOOLBAR.
Double Click the thumbnail of the image you want to adjust.
Here is how a shot turned out "out of the camera."
The settings you see in the toolbar is the settings I chose on the camera.
This is the result of adjusting the settings to my liking... a much better photo.
With "RAW" selected on the top of the toolbar, I adjusted the Brightness to "+1."
Adjustments to Brightness can be made by +/- 1/3's or +/- 1/2's.
Brightness can be thought of also as "exposure" compensation.
Moving down through the toolbar... White Balance was kept the same. White Balance lets you adjust the warmness and coolness (temperature) of a picture.
Picture Style was changed to Landscape. You can play around with this setting to view the various boosts in saturation and contrast among the different Picture Styles. I chose landscape because it usually adds a blue tint to the window (an emphasis of the reflection of the sky).
Contrast was adjusted to -2. Contrast is the relationship of light and dark. Adjusting contrast either widens or narrows this relationship.
Color Tone was not adjusted. Color Tone gives the picture a red, green, or blue hue.
Color Saturation adjusts the amount of color in the picture, so you can go from an "unsaturated" picture which is black and white; or a rheavily saturated in color picture.
Lastly, Sharpness adjusts from tack sharp, to slightly blurry pics. Too much sharpening via software can lead to jagginess of some lines that go directy from light to dark or vice-versa. Of course, another thing that affects overall sharpness of your pics is the quality of the shot. You cannont correct "camera shake" via DPP. Either get an Image Stabilized lens, use a tripod, or practice taking shots with a steady hand. Technique (how you hold your camera) is everything!
****************************************
Other adjustments can be made by clicking "RGB" (in between "RAW" and "NR") at the top of the toolbar.
It will let you adjust the same settings possible in "RAW", allowing you to double contrast, saturation, tone, and sharpness. Most importantly, it also does "curves." Curves lets you adjust the luminance of the entire photo, or by RGB (Red, Green, Blue). But you'll have to Google Curves. Sorry... too complicated. Or can someone write the "RGB" section?
"NR" lets you choose the amount of noise reduction done.
****************************************
Other features of DPP lets you copy the settings of the various adjustments you made to a RAW file, and paste those same settings to another RAW file.
Just right click on the thumbnail and select "Copy recipe to clipboard."
Then you can select one or multiple files you want to paste the settings to by holding down the "command" key on your keyboard as you click.
Once you have your files selected, right click again on any of the selected images, and select "Paste recipe to selected image."
And of course, DPP lets you revert to the original shot settings. Any adjustments you make are "non-destructive" to the original file.
****************************************
To export the image as a JPEG, select "File>Convert and save" from the menu.
This pop-up window will appear.
It lets you resize the photo, select the JPEG quality, select the file type (JPEG or TIFF), the output resolution, where the file is saved, etc.
I usually resize my photos to a width of 1050 pixels.
I also have a PC. The PC version of DPP is the same as the Mac version, so all the contained information here, also pertains to the PC version.
You can also use Photoshop to process your RAW's, or other compatible RAW converters. Tweaking your photos to be "perfect" can take hours, but to me, it takes the fun out of photography. For me, these quick and simple adjustments are essential though, to maximize your photos with minimal time.
****************************************
You can download the lastest version of DPP from Canon USA here:
Canon's Latest Software
There is still alot to using DPP that I have not covered. For detailed, animated tutorials; and to learn more about Digital Photo Professional, click here:
Canon's DPP Website
****************************************
What adjustments you make are up to you. Everyone's an individual. Post your pics and let's discuss and critique.
Most likely the answer is you have not processed your shots, especially if you are new to DSLRs. Processing your photos (sometimes referred as Post Processing) can be complicated adjustments or alterations done in photoshop, as well as simple adjustments done processing a RAW file.
What is a RAW image file and how does it differ from JPEG or TIFF?
A raw file is data from the image sensor of a camera. These RAW files must be "processed" to a viewable image format like JPEG or TIFF. A JPEG image file is a compressed image file, viewable on your web browser as it has become the standard image file for use on the internet.
Of course, there are other image files viewable on the internet such as GIF (max of 256 colors is a weakness, but animation is a plus), BMP, and PNG. The reason why JPEG and GIF is generally used on the internet are it's compression capabilities. Compression is how much you shrink a file's size. For JPEG, there is usually a slider to adjust compression when using image manipulation software such as Photoshop. The upside with more compression is a smaller file, taking up less room on the hard drive and of course, downloads faster on the web browser. Conversely, the downside is a less detailed picture. Also, more compression introduces what's called "artifacting" as you can see by the blockiness. You might have seen this phenomenon on digital tv when the pictures become blocky at times.
A High quality JPEG (136 kb).
An adjustment slider usually appears when exporting an image as a JPEG.
A Low quality JPEG (64 kb).
This has a ton of artifacting, a sure sign of a heavily compressed JPEG.
The artifacting looks bad, but is less than half the size of the high quality JPEG above,
which is a compromise made to save space, or speed up downloading on the internet.
Image size used to be a major concern "back in the day." Bandwidth and server/hosting cost has improved drastically.
The TIFF file is an uncompressed image file, and being uncompressed is significantly bigger in size terms of memory. But of course, the image quality is not compromised.
So if TIFF is a high quality, uncompressed image file, why shoot in RAW? Well, because RAW is pretty much the DNA of the photo. The RAW file contains a ton of information from lens used, aperture, and exposure time; as well as in-camera settings. You can adjust in-camera settings without losing the original DNA. Using Canon's bundled software, Digital Photo Professional, you can make in-camera adjustments AFTER the shot. Of course, some data is lost with TIFF and JPEG, although most EXIF data is preserved.
In-Camera settings as well as other information displayed by Canon's Digital Photo Professional.
Notice that information also contains the lens used for the shot.
Other information that is further down includes, interestingly, the serial# of the camera body used.
****************************************
Canon's Digital Photo Professional
USING DIGITAL PHOTO PROFESSIONAL
When you open DPP, you must select the location of your RAW files. Once selected, your RAW files will be displayed by a thumbnail of the shot. Make sure you have the "Tools" button selected at the top of the program to display the "toolbar," or you can go the top menu through VIEW>TOOLBAR.
Double Click the thumbnail of the image you want to adjust.
Here is how a shot turned out "out of the camera."
The settings you see in the toolbar is the settings I chose on the camera.
This is the result of adjusting the settings to my liking... a much better photo.
With "RAW" selected on the top of the toolbar, I adjusted the Brightness to "+1."
Adjustments to Brightness can be made by +/- 1/3's or +/- 1/2's.
Brightness can be thought of also as "exposure" compensation.
Moving down through the toolbar... White Balance was kept the same. White Balance lets you adjust the warmness and coolness (temperature) of a picture.
More about White Balance:
When shooting at night under tungsten lights, the picture usually exhibits a yellowish tint. You can correct this by adjusting the temperature of a picture using White Balance.
To adjust White Balance, you can choose "Tungsten" in the pull-down menu.
Or you can manually adjust it by choosing "Color Temperature."
Choosing tungsten didn't compensate it enough for my tastes, so I manually adjusted the temp to 2700.
When shooting at night under tungsten lights, the picture usually exhibits a yellowish tint. You can correct this by adjusting the temperature of a picture using White Balance.
To adjust White Balance, you can choose "Tungsten" in the pull-down menu.
Or you can manually adjust it by choosing "Color Temperature."
Choosing tungsten didn't compensate it enough for my tastes, so I manually adjusted the temp to 2700.
Picture Style was changed to Landscape. You can play around with this setting to view the various boosts in saturation and contrast among the different Picture Styles. I chose landscape because it usually adds a blue tint to the window (an emphasis of the reflection of the sky).
Contrast was adjusted to -2. Contrast is the relationship of light and dark. Adjusting contrast either widens or narrows this relationship.
Color Tone was not adjusted. Color Tone gives the picture a red, green, or blue hue.
Color Saturation adjusts the amount of color in the picture, so you can go from an "unsaturated" picture which is black and white; or a rheavily saturated in color picture.
Lastly, Sharpness adjusts from tack sharp, to slightly blurry pics. Too much sharpening via software can lead to jagginess of some lines that go directy from light to dark or vice-versa. Of course, another thing that affects overall sharpness of your pics is the quality of the shot. You cannont correct "camera shake" via DPP. Either get an Image Stabilized lens, use a tripod, or practice taking shots with a steady hand. Technique (how you hold your camera) is everything!
****************************************
Other adjustments can be made by clicking "RGB" (in between "RAW" and "NR") at the top of the toolbar.
It will let you adjust the same settings possible in "RAW", allowing you to double contrast, saturation, tone, and sharpness. Most importantly, it also does "curves." Curves lets you adjust the luminance of the entire photo, or by RGB (Red, Green, Blue). But you'll have to Google Curves. Sorry... too complicated. Or can someone write the "RGB" section?
"NR" lets you choose the amount of noise reduction done.
****************************************
Other features of DPP lets you copy the settings of the various adjustments you made to a RAW file, and paste those same settings to another RAW file.
Just right click on the thumbnail and select "Copy recipe to clipboard."
Then you can select one or multiple files you want to paste the settings to by holding down the "command" key on your keyboard as you click.
Once you have your files selected, right click again on any of the selected images, and select "Paste recipe to selected image."
And of course, DPP lets you revert to the original shot settings. Any adjustments you make are "non-destructive" to the original file.
****************************************
To export the image as a JPEG, select "File>Convert and save" from the menu.
This pop-up window will appear.
It lets you resize the photo, select the JPEG quality, select the file type (JPEG or TIFF), the output resolution, where the file is saved, etc.
I usually resize my photos to a width of 1050 pixels.
I also have a PC. The PC version of DPP is the same as the Mac version, so all the contained information here, also pertains to the PC version.
You can also use Photoshop to process your RAW's, or other compatible RAW converters. Tweaking your photos to be "perfect" can take hours, but to me, it takes the fun out of photography. For me, these quick and simple adjustments are essential though, to maximize your photos with minimal time.
****************************************
You can download the lastest version of DPP from Canon USA here:
Canon's Latest Software
There is still alot to using DPP that I have not covered. For detailed, animated tutorials; and to learn more about Digital Photo Professional, click here:
Canon's DPP Website
****************************************
What adjustments you make are up to you. Everyone's an individual. Post your pics and let's discuss and critique.
08-16-2007, 11:48 AM
#2
Senior Moderator
Good info. Thing is, there are many people that feel that when they buy a DSLR, they shouldn't have to do anything to the pics - they want their pics looking like the pics they see at websites and such, straight out of the cam. Well, it's probably not going to happen like that. But I can understand their reasoning, I mean, they have chosen to spend considerably more for a camera that is closer to "professional" level. Why should they have to do MORE work to get the pictures they want out of it? It doesn't make sense, on its face. But, it's a reality. I have a few friends that wanted to get DSLR, they wanted everything to be AUTO - all they have to do is point and shoot. As we know, AUTO is not the optimal setting for a DSLR. Its surprising to them.
ps. I disagree with what they said about PP - to me, PP is more fun and rewarding than taking the pics. Definitely. On a related note, imo one of the most rewarding moments is when you get some good multiple exposures and see your tonemapped HDR for the first time.
ps. I disagree with what they said about PP - to me, PP is more fun and rewarding than taking the pics. Definitely. On a related note, imo one of the most rewarding moments is when you get some good multiple exposures and see your tonemapped HDR for the first time.
08-18-2007, 12:07 PM
#5
Have camera, will travel
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Originally Posted by srika
Good info. Thing is, there are many people that feel that when they buy a DSLR, they shouldn't have to do anything to the pics - they want their pics looking like the pics they see at websites and such, straight out of the cam. Well, it's probably not going to happen like that. But I can understand their reasoning, I mean, they have chosen to spend considerably more for a camera that is closer to "professional" level. Why should they have to do MORE work to get the pictures they want out of it? It doesn't make sense, on its face. But, it's a reality. I have a few friends that wanted to get DSLR, they wanted everything to be AUTO - all they have to do is point and shoot. As we know, AUTO is not the optimal setting for a DSLR. Its surprising to them.
ps. I disagree with what they said about PP - to me, PP is more fun and rewarding than taking the pics. Definitely. On a related note, imo one of the most rewarding moments is when you get some good multiple exposures and see your tonemapped HDR for the first time.
ps. I disagree with what they said about PP - to me, PP is more fun and rewarding than taking the pics. Definitely. On a related note, imo one of the most rewarding moments is when you get some good multiple exposures and see your tonemapped HDR for the first time.
I disagree with the last part. For me PP has become laborious, especially when I have a couple of hundred photos to go through. I much rather devote my time to acually taking the shot and being out in the field. Isn't that what photography is all about?
To the OP, good info on DPP. A lot of people claim it does the best job with Canon RAW's, despite its sometimes clunky interface.
08-18-2007, 12:46 PM
#6
Originally Posted by waTSX
I agree with the first part of your post. It's the reality of DSLR's and the companies that make them make no bones about it.
I disagree with the last part. For me PP has become laborious, especially when I have a couple of hundred photos to go through. I much rather devote my time to acually taking the shot and being out in the field. Isn't that what photography is all about?
To the OP, good info on DPP. A lot of people claim it does the best job with Canon RAW's, despite its sometimes clunky interface.
I disagree with the last part. For me PP has become laborious, especially when I have a couple of hundred photos to go through. I much rather devote my time to acually taking the shot and being out in the field. Isn't that what photography is all about?
To the OP, good info on DPP. A lot of people claim it does the best job with Canon RAW's, despite its sometimes clunky interface.
After taking a B&W film class earlier this year, I really enjoyed controlling both ends (camera and processing) of photography, whether it's in the darkroom or using lightroom.
Last edited by jupitersolo; 08-18-2007 at 12:49 PM.
08-18-2007, 02:14 PM
#7
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by waTSX
I agree with the first part of your post. It's the reality of DSLR's and the companies that make them make no bones about it.
I disagree with the last part. For me PP has become laborious, especially when I have a couple of hundred photos to go through. I much rather devote my time to acually taking the shot and being out in the field. Isn't that what photography is all about?
To the OP, good info on DPP. A lot of people claim it does the best job with Canon RAW's, despite its sometimes clunky interface.
I disagree with the last part. For me PP has become laborious, especially when I have a couple of hundred photos to go through. I much rather devote my time to acually taking the shot and being out in the field. Isn't that what photography is all about?
To the OP, good info on DPP. A lot of people claim it does the best job with Canon RAW's, despite its sometimes clunky interface.
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11-17-2007, 03:04 PM
#8
Senior Moderator
umm.. does anyone know where I can download DPP? All of the places I checked is only to download the updater, which requires a full version to already be installed... which I don't have installed on this comp.. and of course I don't have my cd here atm. Anyone know where I can download the full version of 3 or even 2 so I can run the updater?
11-17-2007, 03:20 PM
#9
Photography Nerd
Originally Posted by srika
umm.. does anyone know where I can download DPP? All of the places I checked is only to download the updater, which requires a full version to already be installed... which I don't have installed on this comp.. and of course I don't have my cd here atm. Anyone know where I can download the full version of 3 or even 2 so I can run the updater?
Just plug in your camera's serial number and it should let you download v1.0, then you can update it to the latest version.
11-17-2007, 03:32 PM
#11
Senior Moderator
my serial isn't working :< maybe because there is no 5d option. but thx 4 the possiblity
11-17-2007, 03:33 PM
#12
Senior Moderator
Originally Posted by Dan Martin
Actually, it looks like you need a Canon 1D serial, so use this one: 009190
11-17-2007, 03:41 PM
#14
Senior Moderator
umm... know where I can download EOS utility? same issue, only the updater is available at Canon.. I am trying to get some RAW images off of this thing and don't have a card reader..
11-17-2007, 03:47 PM
#15
Senior Moderator
alright scratch that... I guess I'm just gonna do this from home. I really need to keep another card reader handy in my bag.. but I wasn't expecting this today. still glad to get DPP installed.
11-18-2007, 02:30 AM
#18
~Da Nocturnal Cheetah~
So, I have a Nikon D80, and I have Photoshop Pro 9.0 CS2 installed on my computer. Isn't this one of the best for manipulating Raw Images from my camera? 
11-18-2007, 12:03 PM
#19
^ 
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