Work Flow Question - RAW Files

yustr · 09-24-2009, 06:23 AM

I am now taking all my photos in RAW format. The biggest drawback has been I can’t preview them. So to work on a file I open each one individually. When they were jpg’s I could go to a preview view and choose which one to open.

There has to be a way to do this.

(I use PS Elements Camera RAW as my processing software in Windows XP.)

DonaldG · 09-25-2009, 06:40 AM

I had a similar problem with CS3... I'm not sure if the same applies to Elements but you may need a RAW plugin - check the adobe website.

yustr · 09-25-2009, 04:31 PM

Here's what I figured out.

Option 1: Buy Adobe Lightroom
Seems like a very nice program for managing photos and does provide previews of my RAW files. Price: $300 ===> no thank you.

Option 2: From within PSE go to file>Process Multiple Files>Convert to jpg
This give me files I can preview in my windows preview editor. I can always go back and delete them if I choose to. Price: $0 ===> yeah

BTW: My version of Elements is not supported by the current RAW Camera Plug in that's available for download.

proinwv · 09-30-2009, 09:54 AM

This may be helpful or not. My Canon 450D will shoot in RAW+jpg so I get both each shot. There is more memory usage, but it is not a problem.

I then use the free Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) converter to convert my camera CR2 to a DNG and it can be manipulated there, before going to PS CS2. I just started doing this and find it super.

yustr · 09-30-2009, 11:49 AM

Thanks proinwv and welcome to TSF and the Photog's Corner

My older Pentax *ist does not have that feature. The method I came up with seems to work pretty smoothly. I just transfer all of the RAW files to a folder named by the date (e.g. Aug 28) under my main pictures folder, then create another directory renamed "Aug 28 jpg" and do the mass transfer into that folder. I can then preview the pics and since the individual file numbers stay the same, I can easily go back to the RAW folder and open the proper file in PS. They can also be shared on my network this way.

09-24-2009, 06:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
yustr Asst. Manager, The Conversation Pit Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Connecticut shore Posts: 6,066 OS: XP Pro My System	Work Flow Question - RAW Files I am now taking all my photos in RAW format. The biggest drawback has been I can’t preview them. So to work on a file I open each one individually. When they were jpg’s I could go to a preview view and choose which one to open. There has to be a way to do this. (I use PS Elements Camera RAW as my processing software in Windows XP.) __________________ If there are lawyers or politicians involved, logic may be a very poor tool for reaching a conclusion.

09-25-2009, 06:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,220 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Work Flow Question - RAW Files I had a similar problem with CS3... I'm not sure if the same applies to Elements but you may need a RAW plugin - check the adobe website. __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

09-25-2009, 04:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
yustr Asst. Manager, The Conversation Pit Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Connecticut shore Posts: 6,066 OS: XP Pro My System	Re: Work Flow Question - RAW Files Here's what I figured out. Option 1: Buy Adobe Lightroom Seems like a very nice program for managing photos and does provide previews of my RAW files. Price: $300 ===> no thank you. Option 2: From within PSE go to file>Process Multiple Files>Convert to jpg This give me files I can preview in my windows preview editor. I can always go back and delete them if I choose to. Price: $0 ===> yeah BTW: My version of Elements is not supported by the current RAW Camera Plug in that's available for download. __________________ If there are lawyers or politicians involved, logic may be a very poor tool for reaching a conclusion. Last edited by yustr; 09-25-2009 at 04:33 PM.

09-30-2009, 09:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
proinwv Registered User Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4 OS: WINXP SP2	Re: Work Flow Question - RAW Files This may be helpful or not. My Canon 450D will shoot in RAW+jpg so I get both each shot. There is more memory usage, but it is not a problem. I then use the free Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) converter to convert my camera CR2 to a DNG and it can be manipulated there, before going to PS CS2. I just started doing this and find it super. __________________ GeekInTraining

09-30-2009, 11:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
yustr Asst. Manager, The Conversation Pit Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Connecticut shore Posts: 6,066 OS: XP Pro My System	Re: Work Flow Question - RAW Files Thanks proinwv and welcome to TSF and the Photog's Corner My older Pentax ist does not have that feature. The method I came up with seems to work pretty smoothly. I just transfer all of the RAW files to a folder named by the date (e.g. Aug 28) under my main pictures folder, then create another directory renamed "Aug 28 jpg" and do the mass transfer into that folder. I can then preview the pics and since the individual file numbers stay the same, I can easily go back to the RAW folder and open the proper file in PS. They can also be shared on my network this way. __________________ If there are lawyers or politicians involved, logic may be a very poor tool for reaching a conclusion. Last edited by yustr; 09-30-2009 at 11:50 AM.*