Good raw workflow in Elements 12

Question

What's a good workflow for raw files in Elements 12?  I shoot with a smaller sensor--Lumix FZ150, and wonder if I can get better results than with the camera's built in JPEG engine.

Answer 1

BirdMan wrote:
What's a good workflow for raw files in Elements 12?
If you're forced to use only PSE for editing RAW files, then dj_paige's answer is the workflow to use.
However, the PSE Editor is a very poor choice for editing because it has almost zero support for the 16 bit per pixel images generated by RAW processing software.
BirdMan wrote:
I shoot with a smaller sensor--Lumix FZ150, and wonder if I can get better results than with the camera's built in JPEG engine.
I'm also using a camera with a small sensor -- the Panasonic LF1, so even though it's sensor is larger than the one in the FZ150, the concerns are the same:
"Better results" depends on the end use of your images.  If they're only going to be posted in a Web blog or used in a picture frame or printed as wallet sized pictures, then the PSE workflow (or the camera's JPG image) will be just fine.
If you want to get the ultimate quality out of your RAW images and are willing to spend the time working on them, then the workflow will be like this:
Use the free RawTherapee application to process the RAW file to pull the absolute best quality out of the image.  RawTherapee has a million options and adjustments, so the learning curve is quite steep, but there's no better software for getting the best out of the image.  You'll save the result as a 16 bit per pixel image (in PNG or TIF format) if you need to further edit the image.
Use an image editing application that fully supports 16 bit per pixel images, like PhotoLine or PaintShopPro, to make any final adjustments.
That's the workflow I use and the results are spectacular considering the small size of the camera's sensor -- I have no qualms about producing A4-sized prints or PNG images from the LF1. 
The bottom line is that you have some choices to make.  My experience is that it was only when I mastered this workflow that the resulting images justified shooting in RAW with such a small sensor.