JPEG vs RAW

I am using LR 4.3 - I have been shooting in JPEG and now am shooting RAW. LR 4.3 will not recognize this format. I seem to remember something last year when downloading that it asked about RAW.. I said not now.. and it probably gave me something to go to if I changed my format.. but... I don't remember.. Thank you.

Thank you first of all.
Operating system - Mac OS most current version.
Camera's - Nikon D3100 and D600 - both shooting RAW only
Downloading either to IPHOTO - which they download as RAW and transfer over to an external drive as JPEG... OR -
I download direct to LR 4.3. They are coming in as JPEG I believe even though the camera is set on RAW.
I downloaded LR last March. At that time it asked me if I wanted RAW version and I said no I'd wait... well.... I updated to LR4.3 the other day... it did not ask me for RAW update... and I just started shooting RAW. LR is not recognizing the RAW format and when exporting .... exports as JPEG to the external drive.
Of course you can tell that I evidently don't know the system that well. I do thank you for your time.
Regards

Similar Messages

Trying to make the jump from JPEG to RAW...

Hi all, I'm trying to make the jump from JPEG to RAW, and am hoping you might be able to help with a few questions.
When I open JPEGs in Lightroom's Develop module, the settings are mostly zero by default. But when I open RAW files, some of the settings seem to have non-zero default to values.
Am I correct to think these settings are from metadata saved into the RAW file when I took the picture? eg, the camera saves the White Balance settings as metadata within the RAW file, even though the White Balance settings don't actually affect the image data itself. And so when I open that RAW file in Lightroom, it'll apply the White Balance as recorded within the file, making that a non-zero default.
Is that about right?
Does Lightroom similarly 'pre-set' other values when importing RAW files? (I ask because I seem to have non-zero settings for Blacks, Sharpening, as well as the Color slider under Noise Reduction.)
Meaning: I'm not quite sure "how much work" Lightroom is doing by default when I import RAW files, and how much I need to do to at least reproduce what my camera would do in making a JPEG.
For example, even though Color under Noise Reduction is given a value -- Luminance, also under under Noise Reduction, is left at zero. And the picture looks a bit grainy. Would my camera have processed some Luminance Noise Reduction? If so, is there a way to get Lightroom to help get that pre-set too?
Basically, is there a rule of thumb for how a novice should import a RAW file and have it reasonably "at least as good" as what the JPEG would have been?
Thanks very kindly, -Scott

Given that the camera ships with so many special effect presets -- is there no built-in preset that could be named "Auto Camera" so to speak? Or might it be possible import such a preset that somebody else has made?
Lightroom, nor any other third party raw processing program will not read the camera settings beyond simple stuff such as white balance. So you cannot do this. If you go raw, you really have to change your mindset and completely ignore the in-camera jpeg styles. Just set it to a neutral style and learn what the preview on the camera means for the actual raw data. You will find that this gives you orders of magnitude more creative freedom afterwards as you will not be stuck with a burned in interpretation.
So (for me) even just making my own presets -- let alone making separate presets for every ISO -- all that seems a bit daunting.
There really is no need to at all. I don't use presets for example. I think they are a waste of time as it is extremely rare that two images need exactly the same treatment. You really are just choosing a different starting point. I start all my raw at a relatively neutral setting (but using a camera profile generated from a colorchecker!) and blast through a shoot very quickly. You'll learn how to recognize what modifications to the Develop settings images need and just do it. Then typically I use auto-sync or manual sync to modify similar shots (say a series of head shots taken shortly after each other). I work differently as most of my photography is landscape, but a typical workflow for many photographers that do more people/style/event stuff is to import all the raw and start culling them with pick/reject flags and refine collection. You'll arrive at a subset that is worth looking at more closely and to finetune their development. The conservative default rendering helps you here because you'll quickly see what images are simply badly exposed, not in correct focus, etc. and you can reject them.
Think of your raw as the unprinted negative. It represents a nascent image. One that still has to form completely. A jpeg is like a polaroid. The image style is pretty much chosen for you by the film maker. There is very little you can do to it afterwards without it breaking down. Raw gives you much more freedom but it does come with a learning curve and it is more tasking for your equipment. Many people including many pros are simply not interested (or don't see the pay off) in this part of the creative photographic process and just shoot jpeg, which is a fine approach (just not mine). Lightroom can help you there too to quickly find the best images in a series, keyword, caption, and disseminate.

How is the Raw data used in iPhoto. I currently shoot both jpeg and raw and import them both into iPhoto.

How is the Raw data used in iPhoto? I currently shoot both jpeg and raw and import them both into iPhoto. What do I gain by collecting Raw data?
Thanks

You get more parameters for making adjustments to the image. This is not really an iPhoto question but more a general photography one. In rather simple terms here's how a digital camera works:
You expose an image. A lot of data is gathered in by the sensor. But it's just a bug lump of data and not very useful in that form.
In cameras that shoot jpeg that mass of data is interpreted/processed into an actual image, and the image is stored in a jpeg file. (that's a process broadly analogous to developing a film). The decisions that go into making that interpretation are all made by an engineer somewhere, back when the camera was developed.
If you shoot Raw, then what you do is take that mass of data, and rather than working to the decisions made by that engineer, you develop the shot - you run the digital darkroom.
Why would you do this? Take on all this extra work? Well one of three reasons: a: you think you can do a better job than that engineer. b: you just prefer the result you get when you develop yourself or c: you're a hopeless shooter and raw means you have more options to fix the mistakes you made in the camera. (That's why I do it.)
Here endeth the two dollar tour. So, basically, if you're happy with what your camera produces in Jpeg then there's really no need to shoot Raw.
There's no need at all to shoot Raw+Jpeg as iPhoto creates a jpeg preview when you import, so you're just wasting space.

MANAGING JPEG and RAW in PHOTOS OS X

I shoot in JPEG plus RAW. The files are imported OK to the Photos app and are shown as stacked. How do I DELETE several of the RAW images at once and RETAIN the JPEG version alone and thus save space on my drive.
Thanks

Thanks but that only works for RAW images imported using iPhoto. That is NOT working for stacked images imported to the photos app - for example today I took 6 JEPG+RAW images. They import OK and show as stacked with a J showing in the bottom left corner of the photo. If I do as you suggest and create the new smart album the new RAW photos don't show up - only the older RAW images imported using iPhoto.
Any other thoughts?

Converting jpeg to raw?

So... I am a bit of an amateur and have been shooting all of pictures in jpeg format. I use Lightroom 4 and Photoshop Cs6 for editing them. I am finally making the switch to raw format. I would like all of my pictures to be in raw or dng to work better with lightroom, so here is my question. Is it possible to convert jpeg fies to raw or dng? Would it be a stupid idea to batch convert all of my jpegs into raw format? Is it even possible? I am kind of a new to this subject, so help me out.
Thanks in advance

Just some random thoughts, no real advice here...
As long as you don't save over your original file, all editing is non-destructive.
If you open your original photo from a DNG, even though it may have a JPEG inside it, there's less chance you might accidentally just hit File - Save and write over it, because you can't File - Save into a DNG from within Photoshop proper.
Also, if you would like to open your original photos through Camera Raw but don't want to use it for just any old JPEG, encapsulating the originals in DNG files will give you that distinction.
-Noel

When I use Preview,Photo Mechanic and Pages, all JPEG or RAW images appear corrupted. I thought my hard drive was failing and replaced it and migrated everything over but the problem still exists. Any idea what is going on?

When I use Preview,Photo Mechanic and Pages, all JPEG or RAW images appear corrupted.
I thought my hard drive was failing and replaced it and migrated everything over but the problem still exists.
It felt as if maybe a virus was at work but I ran Sophos and found nothing.
I store images on my Drobo Raid system but when I work from my Macbook Pro I have no issues, just on the tower.
Any idea what is going on?

First of all, why did you say yes to Nero Back up before researching what it does with files already on the HDD? When I install Nero, the Back Up is the first thing I disable, it is a nagging pain, there are much better backup programs available. There are several file recovery programs out there to recover deleted files, that is, if that is what happened. Also, if you haven't overwritten the files, so you should be able to find them.

Can "jpeg+raw" imported single file be split into jpeg and raw files?

I manage to choose to import my jpeg and raw pictures as single jpeg+raw files accidentely. What means with this format? can I split this "jpeg+raw" pictures into jpeg and raw again? If you edit a jpeg+raw picture are you just working with the raw file, I mean I saw that I could change the exposure on the file which you only can do on raw files. Is it a bad idea to import jpeg and raw pictures as a single file? I really don´t understand the properties of this "jpeg+raw"-file
/Magnus Lightroom rookie

With RAW+JPEG, the JPEG is only used for the initial Library view, prior to generating previews from the RAW file. Once you have generated previews and/or developed the image, the JPEG is unused. The edits you make won't affect the JPEG at all. It is, however, still tied to the RAW as metadata, so deleting the JPEG will flag your image as having problems (and list it as "missing" even though it's very clearly in your catalog). Tuning off the option to handle RAW+JPEG together in preferences won't fix past combo images, but it will avoid making this idiotic mistake in the future. After turning it off, export your metadata to the RAWs, then delete them from the library (not the disk) and then reimport them without the JPEGs. Peace will rule the world.

I have CS6. When I fix a JPEG or Raw photo in ARC and send it to CS6 to put finishing touches, the

I have CS6. When I fix a JPEG or Raw photo in ARC and send it to CS6 to put finishing touches, the photo never shows the changes that I have done.

What do you mean by "send it to CS6" ? Do you click on the Open button in ACR to open it in Photoshop?
What platform, Mac or Win? What exact version of Photoshop CS6, of ACR and of the OS?
Please read this FAQ for advice on how to ask your questions correctly for quicker and better answers:
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/419981?tstart=0
Thanks!

How to get thumbnails to indicate whether JPEGs or Raw files?

In earlier versions of iPhoto I could look at a photo thumbnail and immediately tell whether it was a JPEG or a RAW file because the description below the thumbnail indicated such. With iPhoto version 9.2 the thumbnails do not include this information. Is there anyway I can cause this information to be displayed beneath the thumbnails? I shoot JPEG + RAW and would like to distinguish between JPEG and RAW files by merely looking at the thumbnails.
Bob

Try this from a different perspective:
Why are you shooting Raw?
In order to obtain the highest quality images my D700 is capable of producing.
When a camera takes a shot a Raw is generated, this Raw is processed by the camera into a Jpeg and that's goes onto your computer.
High end cameras allow you to step into that process. It stops the Jpeg being processed and allow you to bring the Raw data directly to your computer so that you can do the final step yourself: process and out put the Jpeg.
But the point of the exercise is to produce a Jpeg that can be used/shared/printed etc.
The point of shooting Raw is that you prefer the results when you process the Raw compared to what the camera does.
If you think the job the camera does is good, then don't shoot Raw.
If you think it's not, then shoot Raw and don't shoot Jpeg.
Shooting both makes little sense - excepting the scenario detailed in my para above.
On my iMac monitor I’m looking at the thumbnail of the last RAW file I processed. Since a RAW file is not even an image I presume that what I am actually seeing is the JPEG preview you referred to. Correct?
No. The thumbnail is different again. Usually, it's actually a thumb copied from the one created by the camera and stored in the Raw file.
To see the Preview drag the shot to the Desktop from the iPhoto Window - that's it. Open it in Preview and compare that with the Jpeg version from the camera - just visually, not file sizes etc. (I'll come to that later on.)
I do all of my editing in Photoshop Elements, so in order to convert this RAW file I right clicked on the thumbnail and selected “Edit in External Editor” whereupon the RAW file opened up in Adobe Camera Raw.
In the iPhoto Preferences -> Advanced, have you selected to 'Use Raw when using external editor' ? If not then you're not processing Raw at all, just the Jpeg preview.
Yes, I selected "Use RAW when using external editor."
That workflow is quite convoluted
Camera to iPhoto, iPhoto to ACR, ACR to Elements, Elements to Finder (tiff), Finder to iPhoto (Sharpening), iPhoto to Finder (Jpeg) and then Finder to iPhoto.
At the end of it you're left with the Raw, Camera Jpeg, iPhoto Preview, a tiff and a couple of Jpegs, right?
Only one JPEG.
That's too complex and worse, there is no connection between the Master Raw and the final Jpeg. They're not even linked in the iPhoto database. You can't revert from the Final Jpeg to the master Raw.
I can't think of a reason why I would I want to revert from the final JPEG to the master RAW. The master RAW is already available.
Even though my workflow gives me good results it is more complex than I would like it to be. Since acquiring my new iMac last January I have been seriously thinking about downloading Aperture 3 from the Apps Store for a mere $79 and using it to manage and edit my images. Presumably that would give me a less convoluted workflow. A big question will be what to do with all of the thousands of images I have stored in iPhoto--leave them where they are as referenced files or move them into Aperture where they will be managed files. My initial inclination is to leave them in iPhoto.
To use the iPhoto preview just... use it. If you import a Raw and then try do anything with it, email, upload, print etc then it's the Jpeg Preview that is used.
If you process the Raw in iPhoto then the Preview is regenerated incorporating the decisions you made.
If you export (File -> Export) you can use many settings to set the level of compression, size and so on of the resulting file.
Put it this way: I'd be 99% sure that the iPhoto preview will be good enough for sharing by email or online. It may also be perfectly good enough for printing too - but if it's not that's when you export to the quality you prefer.
This is good to know. Sometimes I just want to quickly e-mail a group of JPEGs without having to go through the process of generating JPEGs by processing the RAW files. I previously mentioned that by dragging the thumbnail labelled RAW to my desktop it becomes a JPEG which can then be dragged back into the iPhoto Library. If I'm shooting only RAW is that the best way to quickly obtain a JPEG? By the way, I just did this with one of my thumbnails labelled RAW. The size of the JPEG thereby obtained was 6.3 MB. This is larger than the size of the high quality camera-generated JPEG which is 5.8 MB. This would seem to indicate that the iPhoto-generated JPEGs are of high quality. In a side-buy-side comparison the two images looked very similar except for the iPhoto-generated JPEG being a little brighter than the camera-generated one.
So if I am understanding this situation correctly it appears that I can cease shooting JPEG +RAW and instead shoot only RAW. Then for best results I will process RAW files to produce highest quality JPEGs and for less demanding requirements and for quick responses I can use the iPhoto-generated JPEGs.
Question: Even though I have been shooting JPEG + RAW for a relatively short time I have managed to accumulate a goodly number of camera-generated JPEGs. How can I most readily delete these JPEGs without having to go through my iPhoto library and tediously deleting them one-by-one?
Regards
TD

LR4 Importing random jpeg and raw

I've had LR 4 for a week now and have a serious problem with the import.
I am usually shooting raw+jpeg so I quickly can send my clients some of the photos on location.
When I get to my office and start importing from the memory card the first 200 images or so will work fine, and show up in LR as raw+jpeg.
After that LR starts importing some of the files as jpeg only - seems to be completely random.
The biggest problem is that earlier both jpeg and raw would be copied to the library. Now that's not happening. If a file is imported as jpeg it is not copied to the hard drive.
They're just gone - and I deleted the memory card for another job before I found out about this. Nothing to be done about that, and luckily I still have enough shots to get the job done.
I'm wondering if anyone else is having this problem.
I'm using a 5dMKII and a 7d - same happens with both cameras.
I use an iMac with OSX Lion.

I'm having the same problem, and I'm curious to see if there will be a solution. I am also working with a 5dMKII and OSX Lion on a MacBook Pro.

Separate JPEG from Raw , IPad4

Hello and sorry for my english
I am an amateur photographer and always store my photos as a jpeg and raw.
If I my pictures from the camera onto the iPad safe, I also see from the photos, the two formats have been saved.
I have an external hard drive, Intenso Memory 2 Move, on which I store my images via Wifi.
If I will now save RAW and Jpeg isolated on my external drive just to keep the jpeg format and deleted the Raw.
Is there a way to send the files before to my External to separate?
greeting
AROJA

I've heard many others raising the issue of an auto-jpeg feature - kinda like auto-write xmp, except auto-write jpeg.
I agree this would be nice, obviously some sort of "stability" check would be needed so it isnt constantly writing jpegs as you edit. Lightroom employs a form of this already for the xmp - meaning it doesn't update xmp every brush stroke, but accumulates several strokes before updating, so its more efficient...
If you could define multiple jpegs to keep - with the raws, or a separate tree - even better. That would obsolete all the tree output plugins and publishers.
The publishing feature was intended to fill this need (albeit manual only), but it suffers from the inability to publish to original directory, and/or an external tree.
I'd like to see a manual mode too, that accompanies a new "Done for now" function - so when you say "Done for now", it saves xmp, jpeg(s), snapshot, and optionally locks the file so unapproved changes can no longer happen to it. Then if you could define multiple "done for now" presets that include initiating publish service and exports, then the work-flow becomes: 1.import, 2.edit, 3.done for now - and thats it (maybe repeat 2 + 3 in the future). i.e. no more manually initiating the exports, publish services, snapshots, saving of xmp, ..., and whatever else you do when you're done.
In the mean time, I may make some of this part of an up-n-coming "Sidekick" app + plugin combo when I get to it.
Presently, I dont use publishing services, and I have ExportManager to consolidate exports (which includes TreeSync), so my workflow is: 1.import, 2.edit, 3.done for now (save xmp+snapshot, and lock via ChangeManager), 4. initiate consolidated exports...
Rob

How can I import only jpeg and not jpeg plus RAW into Photos on iPad?

I capture both on my camera. I do post-shoot processing on computer (Lightroom/Photoshop) but want to see larger previews on iPad (the "new" version with retina display) than my camera LCD allows. I am using the Apple hadware adaptor to load from an SD card. The RAW files are taking up way too much memory on the iPad--it seems Photos imports both files at once. I can't figure our how to tell it to import only the smaller JPEG files.
If there is a better App than Photos for this, please advise. Note I will not be doing any serious editing on the iPad.
Thanks,
Doug

It doesn't matter what App you use it will copy all the photos from the SD card.
But I have a workaround;
All you do is import your JPEG+RAW images using the camera connection kit.
Go to Albums in the Photo App, choose Change, Choose New Album, give name, choose Last import, choose Select all photos, choose Finish.
Now go back into the photos app and delete all the photos from your "Last import" Album. It will say that it is going to delete them everywhere but really it doesnt because it leaves the JPEG in the new album. The result is that you will only have your JPEGs that you imported in your camera roll and the RAW images get deleted.
First try out before you delete photos from SD card!

Automatically export to JPEG from RAW images

RAW images are preferred form of shooting for many photographers. And, Lightroom is great at managing and developing these images. However, we increasingly use/view these images outside Lightroom and away from the PC where we do most of the development. For example, I use a DLNA server which shows off my entire image collection to big screen television (which can act as a DLNA client). The same DLNA server is used to send images to our smartphones (my wife loves to show all kid pictures anywhere she - without having to carry the pictures on the phone).
Most other applications that use these images, do not work on RAW images and JPEG images must be exported manually from Lightroom. This becomes increasingly difficult to manage and keep track of while developing RAW images. How many RAW images need to be exported? How many images did I touch since the last time I exported them?
Currently, I am using the following process to manage this:
1. I created a smartlist which contains images that are edited after "a particular date".
2. I select all images in this smartlist, and use Lightroom3's export function to export them all as JPEG, to the same folder as original.
3. Once the export is completed, I modify the smartlist to change the "particular date" to today's date.
I plan to repeat this procedure every so often (once a week or so).
It would be great if Lightroom had a feature such that it always keeps "JPEGs exported" for all RAW images (with the latest development settings of course). This could be a process that could occur in the background or at a user-specified time/event (e.g. when one closes Lightroom). User should be able to specify where the exported JPEG images should be put to and with what name (I prefer in the same folder as RAW but other users may have other preferences). User should be able to select if this is only done for RAW images or also for JPEG and other formats (in which case, should the exported image override the original or not). The exported images should be (optionally) automatically included in the Lightroom catalogue and stacked with the original RAW image.
Mainly, the entire process should be completely transparent to the user. A collection of JPEG images - corresponding to the latest development settings for the RAW images - should be always available.
Osho

I've heard many others raising the issue of an auto-jpeg feature - kinda like auto-write xmp, except auto-write jpeg.
I agree this would be nice, obviously some sort of "stability" check would be needed so it isnt constantly writing jpegs as you edit. Lightroom employs a form of this already for the xmp - meaning it doesn't update xmp every brush stroke, but accumulates several strokes before updating, so its more efficient...
If you could define multiple jpegs to keep - with the raws, or a separate tree - even better. That would obsolete all the tree output plugins and publishers.
The publishing feature was intended to fill this need (albeit manual only), but it suffers from the inability to publish to original directory, and/or an external tree.
I'd like to see a manual mode too, that accompanies a new "Done for now" function - so when you say "Done for now", it saves xmp, jpeg(s), snapshot, and optionally locks the file so unapproved changes can no longer happen to it. Then if you could define multiple "done for now" presets that include initiating publish service and exports, then the work-flow becomes: 1.import, 2.edit, 3.done for now - and thats it (maybe repeat 2 + 3 in the future). i.e. no more manually initiating the exports, publish services, snapshots, saving of xmp, ..., and whatever else you do when you're done.
In the mean time, I may make some of this part of an up-n-coming "Sidekick" app + plugin combo when I get to it.
Presently, I dont use publishing services, and I have ExportManager to consolidate exports (which includes TreeSync), so my workflow is: 1.import, 2.edit, 3.done for now (save xmp+snapshot, and lock via ChangeManager), 4. initiate consolidated exports...
Rob

How to apply white balance from jpeg to raw version

I always shoot in RAW + jpeg format. Many times the jpeg will work fine and I still have the RAW if I want to take the time to tweak things a bit more.
But sometimes the jpeg stumbles on a white balance that works well for a particular image. If I want to apply that same balance to the RAW version, I would like to be able to read what that color balance setting (in K degrees I assume) is so I can copy it.
Is there a way to find that info somewhere? The exif will only give you the name of the setting (Flash, Auto, Cloudy, whatever...) but not the numerical info needed to apply it in Aperture's White balance adjustment.
I use a Nikon D600.
Thanks very much for any info!
Bo

OK, progress!
I found out from Iliah Borg on the dpreview.com forum that the utility ExifTool (or its GUI version pyExifToolGUI) will provide the R, B, G1 and G2 values for the white balance setting. They are provided as multipliers or absolute vaules. Example:
WB RB Levels : 1.51953125 1.8515625 1 1
WB GRBG Levels : 256 389 474 256
Now does anyone know how you can enter these type of numberic values in Aperture? The standard White Balance brick does not have input fileds for these types.

Any way to NOT import JPEGs with RAWs?

When I import RAW files from my camera, Aperture imports the JPEG images as well but keeps it hidden from view. I dug into the Aperture Vault to check out what was going on, and it stores the 4-5 MB JPEG alongisde each RAW file. I can't see the reason for this. I'm not interested in these crappy JPEGs and they are just taking up room on my hard drive. Is there any way to get Aperture to not import the JPEGs when importing RAW files?

step 1 ... stop shooting RAW+JPG ...
ok, i got that out of the way ... do you import directly from the camera ??? or directly from card reader into aperture ???
me, i NEVER import directly from card to program ... EVER ...
last week i needed to shoot RAW+JPG, only because i needed quick access to some JPGs and didn't have aperture handy ...
when i returned i copied my card contents to a desktop folder (like i always do) and used the search box and entered JPG ... then i deleted every one - they had served their purpose ... then i dupped the folder of RAW files and then imported into aperture ... no JPGs imported ...
seriously the only way to not have aperture import the JPG with the RAW is to weed out the JPGs (or not shoot RAW+JPG - but i already covered that)

Is Lightroom working on jpeg or raw image, if both are available?

Sorry all, I know this is out there somewhere, but my searching didn't come up with an answer.
If I shoot my original images with raw and jpeg simultaneously, and both image types are stored in the saved location, which of these is Lightroom using as it's starting point for editing? Another way to ask this question is, when I save my Lightroom changes, to which image is the parametric data applied? Is this a stupid question? I'm not sure why it matters, even to me, but I would like to know, although if I do an export of the modified image, I'd rather it make the 'changes' to the raw file, even if I'm exporting as jpeg. Or does it even matter? Am I just babbling like an idiot here? Am I totally messed up in my thinking? Please help, or tell me to just go away...

My "probing" question would be: why put both in the Library? If you work on just the RAW file, you'll save space, and never worry about which version of an image is current, etc. (Yes, I am aware that some just prefer to see how the camera converts the date to a JPEG)
Good luck!

JPEG vs RAW

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