Programs for working with raw files. Which editor is more convenient to work with RAW? How I process my photos
In the days of developing films yourself, you had to use more than one developer. Some had several favorite recipes; most got by with one or two, changing development modes and achieving the required results. Digital cameras are enough high level They do not limit the photographer to “built-in development” in JPEG or TIFF, but provide him with the opportunity to independently convert “raw” RAW files into the required format. Experience shows that the situation with several “developers” is repeated here. (The author has to use at least two different programs constantly, depending on the plot and the task at hand.)
What is a RAW file? This is a set of numbers obtained by “digitizing” electrical signals from sensitive matrix cells. The cell registers only light, and if it is covered with a color filter, then only the light transmitted by it. The tasks of the software that converts RAW into a familiar graphic file:
1) match a specific file number in accordance with its location and, therefore, the location of the cell on the matrix and the filter installed on it, one of "colors";
2) produce interpolation color components so that each cell is represented not by one number of its actual “color”, but by three, making up the usual color representation format, for example RGB;
3) using the metadata of the camera’s shooting settings, correct the image for correct color representation ( white balance), brightness/contrast ( exposition), local contrast ( sharpness);
4) in accordance with the standard for the presentation of a generally accepted graphic file, recode the data, taking into account: nonlinearity of signal transmission in the output file - gamut, color space output file, bit depth presentation of data in the output file, compression in accordance with the output file compression algorithm.
RAW file is hardware dependent. The conversion program must have information on how to convert the brightness of the cell into the color of the output color space and must know under what conditions the shooting was carried out (metadata about the shooting camera settings). In fact, you need to have either “prescribed” filter characteristics on the matrix or camera profiles. Without this information, you can only obtain a very conditional color rendering.
Canon EOS digital cameras are now equipped with two tools for working with RAW files: a module RAW Image Task for the program ZoomBrowser EX and a separate program. As the name suggests, the second program is more “professional”. As an “update” (Digital Photo Professional 1.6.1 Updater, 11.7 MB), you can freely download it from and if you don’t have it included. Next we will talk about the version of Digital Photo Professional 1.6.1 from the Canon EOS 350D camera kit (we wrote about it, so the article can be considered a continuation). As indicated on the website, the program is installed on top of any of the programs: File Viewer Utility 1.1 - 1.3, EOS Viewer Utility 1.0 - 1.2, Digital Photo Professional 1.0/1.1/1.5/1.6.0, RAW Image Task 1.2/2.0. So it can be considered freely distributed.
Functions:
Main window
The main window of the program contains a file selection window, a menu bar and a toolbar, a window in which files with information about them or thumbnails of pictures are displayed (depending on the settings of the “View” menu). The program displays EXIF data not only Canon cameras, but also others (with some restrictions). So, for example, for a JPEG file from a Nikon D70 camera, information about the sensitivity setting is not displayed. The program does not support and does not display in the window preview not only other people's RAW, but some “our own” CRW files (Canon S70, for example).
In thumbnail viewing mode, basic information about the file is displayed in the form of icons in the thumbnail fields and in the information fields of the program. IN in this case By the icons you can find out the following: the RAW file has already been processed (setting the white balance of the “cloud”, cropped and retouched with the “stamp” tool) and has a “recipe” (information line “Recipe data: Yes”).
Main window toolbar buttons:
Menu bar:
The menu bar contains the usual commands for working with files, taking into account the features of RAW - working with recipes. The “Adjustment” and “Tools” sub-items replicate the correction and cropping functions available through the toolbar buttons. The “Bookmark” menu item allows you to specify folders that you often need to work with in order to quickly switch to them.
The concept of a RAW file does not provide for changing the data (the image itself). The correction made is described in terms of a limited set of parameters that can be applied to this or even another file. A set of settings made - the recipe can be stored separately and transferred to another machine as a separate file (“.xmp” Adobe or “.vrd” Canon). “RAW settings” of files can still be stored in the database of the program itself (and then when the RAW file is transferred to another computer, they are lost) or written into the header of the RAW itself. DPP, if a recipe is not explicitly created, writes the recipe to a RAW file. Both on the computer on which the editing was done and on another computer, the file can be “restored” to the “shooting settings”:
But in Adobe Photoshop - no, and the processed RAW file with a built-in DPP recipe is displayed in this program (Adobe RAW) as if it had not been adjusted at all.
Working with the program
Before you start working with RAW or JPEG/TIFF files, you need to configure the program in the “Tools-Preferences” menu section. In the General Settings submenu, it is important to select the level of file processing quality - from “quality priority” to “speed priority”. “Quality priority” also requires significantly more processing time. The program manual states that in this case the file is processed with special filters. In the “Tool palette” section, it is important to select the initial file processing mode (“RGB R G B” mode is effective for those cases when “strong” correction is needed and you prefer to work with separate channels, “Luminance R G B” is preferable if only minor correction of the RAW file is needed) and the type of RGB correction curve (curve or broken line). A program restart is required for some of the settings to become active. In the "color management" submenu, you need to select the file conversion workspace (the widest Wide Gamut RGB allows you to cover a greater range of colors than sRGB or AdobeRGB), Rendering intents and color management settings to match the display and printer (for printing from Canon DPP software). To color profile workspace was written to a file during conversion, you need to enable the “Embed ICC profile in image” recording option when saving the file.
Convert RAW file to JPEG/TIFF without editing and batch conversion
If very fine file processing is not required or you need to quickly convert RAW files to JPEG/TIFF with only slightly or roughly adjusted white balance or brightness, then this can be done directly in the main program window. First, using the “white balance” and “white dropper” and “brightness” tools, you need to adjust the images in miniature(!). Then select them and either select the “convert” option from the “File” submenu, or click the “Batch process” button. The selected files will be listed in the Batch Processing window. Having done necessary settings converting (format, quality for JPEG, degree of sharpening, profile, resizing, naming, application in which to open the file after creating it or folder in which to save) click on the “execute” button and wait for the required images to appear in the folder or the files will be opened with the selected graphic editor.
Correction and retouching of RAW files
More fine-tuning and retouching of RAW files is performed in the Edit Image Window. It is called either double click by the selected file, or using the “Edit Image Window” button. The image can be edited using both the RAW image adjustment tools and the RGB image adjustment tools.
Correction tools of the “RAW image adjustment” window: adjusting brightness, white balance, tone curve and color interpolation. As an example, the image is output with a linear tone curve. These “blacks” are actually the original files of digital cameras without gamma correction.
White balance adjustment tools: standard settings, color temperature, fine-tuning hue using the eyedropper and color wheel. The white balance setting can be "registered" (there are three registers to store settings) and applied to other files.
The tone curve is adjusted either at the midpoint using the “Tone curve - custom” slider, or at the edges of the range (as in the illustration). The editing window can display both the file “before/after” editing or both views simultaneously.
The display of the image before and after processing can be combined in one image.
“RGB image adjustment” tools: “channel correction” using curves and a “neutral” color eyedropper, “brightness”, “contrast”, “hue” and “saturation”. The correction curve can be smooth or broken.
Image editing tools, cropping and stamping, allow you to obtain a “finished” product without additional graphic editors. In this case, the “stamp” tool was used to “remove” a speck of dust from the matrix. The place where the copy for retouching is taken can move synchronously behind the cursor or be fixed. For completeness, the only tools missing are tools for correcting geometric distortions (perspective, distortion) and chromatic aberrations.
The influence of the “quality-conversion speed”, “color reproduction” and “sharpening” parameters on the result
Color reproduction "shot settings" And "faithfull settings":
Sharpening. When converting a RAW file to TIFF or JPEG, the sharpness can be increased (6 levels - “0” - “5”). Unfortunately, the effect can be visually assessed only after the conversion. It may take several attempts before you get a satisfactory result.
Fragments of 1:1 files with different levels of sharpening when converting RAW to TIFF:
It is not difficult to notice that the “high quality” of the conversion (remember that this parameter is configured in the “Tools-Preferences” submenu), along with smoother and clearer (“not velvety”) contours (small letters), is also characterized by the appearance of a colored border around contrasting details (blue border around white letters "hart" on a black background). For some tasks, the “speed” setting is not only faster, but also better. Why is one editor not enough?
One editor, like one developer, probably does not exist for all cases. It is more convenient to do something in one, something in the other. It is possible (but not necessary) to achieve an almost ideal result in any situation, but at a cost great effort and time. It is better to choose another editor in which a specific task is solved more easily.
As noted, DPP enhancement filters can cause color ghosting to appear around high-contrast details. Selecting speed priority and disabling these filters (at the cost of reducing contour clarity and smoothness of contours) corrects the situation. This is perhaps the only serious drawback of the program.
Typically, the “problem” for any conversion, including RAW, is the area of overexposed image details, glare, and light sources in the frame. Where the signal from each cell is maximum, everything turns out white. But at the “border” of the glare, some cells are already beginning to “see” details, and some are still overexposed. Depending on the chosen algorithm for “restoring” details in highlights, different results are obtained. Moreover, it is impossible to say in advance what is better for a particular plot - to leave the image as is (which leads to the appearance of monochrome stains around the highlight) or to “zero” the color and make the highlights and halos monochrome. Both methods can give a more naturally perceived result in a particular situation. Typically, the highlight reproduction method is not explicitly configured in the editor (such as the “shot settings” or “faithfull settings” color reproduction method). You can read about programs that explicitly set the Clip Saturated pixels parameter.
Using the example of “restoring” an overexposed photograph, let’s see how different editors cope with this task. Let's convert the same RAW file using RAW converter Adobe Photoshop CS2, RAW Image Task programs Canon ZoomBrowser EX And Canon DPP. All conversions were made from RAW to a 16-bit TIFF file, the quality setting was “best”, and white balance was adjusted using the eyedropper in the third (from the left) gray field of the Macbeth scale. The images were then scaled and converted to JPEG (sRGB, for WEB) in Adobe Photoshop.
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One could say that what more complex program, the worse the result is. DPP without additional increase sharpness and with quality enhancement filters and Adobe RAW "with the desire" to find color in the highlights (which led to the coloring of the lightest field of the Macbeth target in yellow) lose to the quick and simple RAW Image Task. There is nothing strange in this and the situation with development is repeated - for a “standard” frame a “standard” developer is better (in the sense of faster and more efficient), but if you need something special, you cannot do without alternative recipes. And it has its own subtleties of temperature conditions and its own characteristics of mixing. And all this needs to be mastered.
The extension of RAW files is different for each brand of camera. U Canon- CRW and CR2, y Nikon- NEF, y Pentax- PEF, y Minolta- MRW, etc. The most affordable way to process RAW files is to use the converter that comes with the camera. But often such converters do not shine with speed, quality, or functionality. Therefore, the most universal program used in most free and commercial converters is dcraw.c. This program allows you to convert all official and most official RAW files. One of the most successful graphical interfaces This program supports Unix, Mac and Windows - UFRaw. From commercial universal converters most popular Adobe Camera RAW (ACR), which comes with Photoshop CS/CS2, Capture One (C1) And Raw Shooter. Remember that older versions of converters require updating to be able to work with new camera models.
The most popular programs are listed below.
Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)
This component latest versions of Photoshop, starting with Photoshop CS. It can be updated as a regular plug-in. ACR starts when you try to open a RAW file in Photoshop. Supports a large number of cameras, including new models. So, if you have Photoshop, then you don't need anything else. ACR converts RAW files quite well. I used it for a long time and was quite satisfied, but over time I switched to Capture One (in terms of total points, C1 is still better). When converting files Abode Camera RAW allows you to correct image imperfections. This is not significant for good shots, but pictures that are too dark or too light, blurry, or with a color imbalance can be “stretched out” and turned into candy. Not always, however.
What you can do:
- Fine-tune color temperature
- Adjust brightness, contrast and color saturation
- Pretty good to adjust the sharpness
- Fight the noise
- Correct lens errors (chromatic aberration, vignetting, geometric distortion)
- Monitor the histogram during all manipulations
In general, if you “pull the mustache” of ACR, then you can get out of not too good original extract quite acceptable quality, and then polish the image in Photoshop itself.
Adobe Lightroom
This is a specialized “full cycle” program aimed only at working with photos. It can be used as a photo cataloger, RAW file converter, image editor, and slideshow maker all in one. Some photographers I know are rightfully in love with this program. We can say that this is Photoshop stripped down only for working with photos, supplemented with the functions of a photo library. Price Adobe Lightroom much lower than its older brother - Photoshop, and is about $300.
Apple Aperture
Works only on Apple computers under operating system MacOS. Doesn't work on Windows at all. Therefore, for the vast majority of Russian amateur photographers it is not interesting. One of the most convenient interfaces and very good quality of results (in the latest versions). Plus a reasonable price - about $350. Like Adobe Lightroom, this program is a complete solution for the photographer “in one bottle” - file manager, RAW converter, photo editing and slide show program.
Bibble Labs Pro Bibble
One of the oldest converters, its first version dates back to 2000. Bibble can run on Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Bibble is slightly inferior to Adobe Camera RAW in terms of the number of digital cameras it supports, so check the manufacturer's website to see if your camera is listed. Bibble's signature feature is batch conversion. (Batch conversion or Batch Processing is the processing of a large number of photos with one click of a button). Almost all converters have batch processing, but only Bibble works with large volumes of photos very quickly, producing consistently high-quality results. 90% of photos converted with default settings will look great. I don’t know what the joke is, but according to reviews, the main advantage of Bibble is its intelligent automatic processing algorithm. Bibble works very well with overexposed and underexposed areas of the image, “pulling out” maximum details. Bibble also has one of the best noise cancellers. The price of the Pro version is quite reasonable – $130.
DxO Optics Pro
According to the developer, the advantage latest version(5.0) is a completely redesigned color interpolation technology that delivers “better results in terms of detail and color reproduction.” This is one of its signature features. Other key opportunity DxO Optics Pro v5 is a revolutionary new digital noise suppressor that works early in the conversion process, preserving more detail. Very useful feature converter - technology for removing traces of dust on the matrix and artifacts. It works in much the same way as automatic red-eye correction. It is enough to click the mouse on the area with the artifact, and it is immediately “covered up” by the program. Price Pro versions- $170, Elite version - $300 (the difference between versions is the class of compatible cameras - for cool DSLRs like Canon Mark III Elite version required). Loadable modules for specific lenses are available. This feature of the program increases the efficiency of automatic processing - the converter automatically tracks which lens the frame was shot with and adjusts the conversion parameters accordingly. This leads to one of the main advantages of DxO Optics - good results batch processing. The developers paid Special attention automatic functions, allowing you to achieve high-quality results without user participation (elimination of optical distortions, color parameters, exposure compensation).
Lightcrafts LightZone LightZone
This is a “full cycle” program that provides not only the conversion of RAW files, but also full capabilities for processing RAW, TIFF, JPEG and DNG files. The cost of the full version for Windows and MacOS is $250, and under Linux program distributed free of charge. LightZone uses a “visual” approach to working with images. All operations are carried out in a 16-bit representation, which ensures maximum preservation of information in the image. The program allows you to work with layers and masks, and also has several unique tools that have no analogues in other image editing programs. As an archiver/cataloguer, LightZone is significantly inferior to Aperture, Picasa and Lightroom. But a distinctive feature of LightZone is a set of processing “styles”: High Dynamic Range (HDR processing), Contrast and Pop (pop art style), Lomo Look (lomography) and others. Styles are not just a set of specific parameters. When you select one of the presets, an automatic processing algorithm is launched that takes into account the properties of the source file, even when batch processing is in progress. Styles can be combined into groups (folders) and even exchanged with your colleagues.
Nikon Capture NX
Very good program Converts NEF files and also works with TIFF and JPEG. Supplied complete with Nikon D300 and D3 DSLR cameras. Supports all Nikon digital cameras released over the past few years that have RAW mode. Without a camera it costs about $200.
Capture NX
Allows you to mark individual areas of the image and perform complex masking or layer processing. The program has standard tools for correcting optical distortions (aberrations, vignetting, barrel effect), exposure (curves, levels), color, noise reduction, etc. The functionality of the program can be expanded using the Color eFex Pro filter plug-in from Nik Multimedia. A description of Nikon Capture NX functionality can be found on the manufacturer's website.
Phase One Capture One Pro
One of the most famous converters in pro circles. It costs very little - $500. It is inferior in compatibility to Adobe Camera RAW or LightZone, as it is aimed at “professionals” who have “professional” cameras. Bad news. It does not work too quickly (several minutes to process one photo). With default settings it does not give the best results. Good news. If you work with each image individually, you can get excellent results. The noise filter is quite simple, so it is better to work with noise after converting to good editor, for example, in Photoshop.
Silkypix Developer Studio
Converter from Japanese developers. Supports a lot of cameras, DSLRs and compacts - about 120. License price - $150. U Silkypix a large number of white balance and sharpening presets. Therefore, those who feel unsure about color correction and other manual manipulations will certainly find among those offered ready-made options something suitable. For experts there is an opportunity fine adjustments color, exposure and noise reduction, including separately for color channels and brightness, which often allows you to save small details. Selected conversion parameters can be saved as individual user preferences (Tastes), and then applied to other images. Silkypix version 3.0 is one of the best converters in terms of image detail. Another advantage of the program is consistently accurate color rendering when using default settings.
P.S.: There is no better converter. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. All the converters mentioned here give excellent results in their own way, of course, if you know how to work with them.
Shooting in RAW is one of the the best ways Have full control over your images in post-processing.
A RAW file is an image visible through the eyes of the camera sensor. Think of it like raw photographic film. Instead of allowing the camera to convert the image for you into a JPEG image, shooting in RAW allows you to process the image to your liking.
Applying adjustments in RAW is a non-destructive method of photo editing, unlike JPEG editing.
Want the best of both worlds? Some digital cameras allow you to shoot in RAW+JPEG mode, capturing the raw photo at the same time as converting the image to JPEG for easy use.
What is needed for this?
- A digital still camera that can shoot RAW.
- Image processing software such as Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop or software, supplied with the camera.
If you don't have access to RAW editing software, there are also several web-based tools that can help you, such as WebRaw and Pics.io.
For the purposes of this article, we'll be using Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CC, but the principles should be very similar no matter which version of the program you're using.
Major adjustments.
When you open a RAW image in Photoshop, Adobe Camera Raw launches automatically. The window will look something like this:
From here, you can adjust values such as exposure and temperature. Move the exposure slider to simulate the effect of adjusting it in camera. The results will be automatically reflected in the image.
Note that when you adjust most of these options, the histogram also changes.
Restoration of parts.
One of the most important reasons for shooting in RAW - the ability to restore image details in case something goes wrong. Has the exposure gone so bad that parts of the image are blown out? You'll likely be able to get some of those details back thanks to the RAW file.In the example below, you can see from the histogram that there are blown areas in the sky. If you need help reading your histogram, a little goes a long way.
The recovery slider is key here; moving it to the left will bring back the details that were lost due to glare and flare. Additional image detail can also be restored using the exposure slider.
This same process can be used to bring back shadow detail in underexposed areas.
To restore details in the shadows, use the same technique as for restoring highlights. Just move the slider until you see the part again.
White balance.
Instead of setting the white balance in camera when you shoot RAW, you can set the white balance to any value you want and then adjust it in post-processing. From the Camera Raw interface, select the option from the drop-down menu that best suits your needs.There is another tool available in Camera Raw that provides white balance adjustments - the white balance eyedropper. At the top of the window, simply select the white balance tool and click on the part of the image that you want to be perfectly white. Then, Camera Raw will automatically adjust the color temperature to make that component true white. This happens in the same way as when manually reading the white balance in the camera.
Focusing on the image.
The situations above were mostly examples of image manipulation with fairly obvious errors. Sometimes, there may be nothing wrong with your entire image, but sometimes it looks a little dull. Here's how to make multiple accents simple settings in RAW.Below is an image taken with the camera's metered exposure. It looks ok, but could use a little effort to make it look a little better.
First, let's brighten up the details a bit by increasing the shutter speed. I also increased the contrast a bit.
The image still looks a little cool, so I'm going to change the white balance option to warm up the image a little. For outdoor situations, the hazy white balance preset adds more warmth to the scene. You can also achieve a similar effect by moving the temperature adjustment slider. I also took this opportunity to increase the white value and restore some of the blown out highlights on the wall by lowering the highlight slider.
Finally, to really emphasize the details, let's move the clarity slider a little to the right. The Clarity tool looks for edges and determines the contrast of midtones. Use it carefully for best results.
Here's a comparison of a before and after image to give you an idea of how you can bring out the details in a RAW image:
Once you've applied some basic adjustments, click Open Image, go into Photoshop, and continue editing as much as you like.
Today, almost all SLR and mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses, as well as some point-and-shoot cameras, can shoot in RAW format. This is a digital format with minimal data processing by the camera processor, thanks to which the photographer can get more options when post-processing the captured photos. While JPEG is still the most popular image format, it is still a compressed format, meaning that every time you save a file there will inevitably be an impact on its quality. The RAW format is more in demand among professionals, since it allows you to extract as much as possible from a saved file. more information. Various software tools are used today to work with files recorded in RAW format.
Programs for converting RAW files can be produced by camera manufacturers, and in this case they are “native” for specific photographic equipment. Or such programs are developed by third-party companies such as universal tool, which supports various models of digital cameras and is capable of solving a wide variety of problems when processing RAW files.
Universal converters have wider functionality and good processing speed. Each such program for converting files in RAW format has its own characteristics. For example, it stores its settings, temporary files, and user files in its own way. Converters differ in the quality of settings when processing RAW files, in functionality, and, of course, in ease of use. We bring to your attention an introduction to the most popular RAW converters.
The first on this list is a program designed specifically for the purpose of processing RAW files and cataloging photographs. In addition to full RAW support, the program also works with other common formats - JPEG, TIFF, PSD, DNG. Adobe Lightroom is powerful tool“full cycle”, that is, after processing photographs in RAW format, they can be immediately cataloged and prepared for publication on the Internet or for printing.
The software engine itself used in Adobe Lightroom for processing RAW files is absolutely similar to that used in Adobe plugin Camera RAW for Photoshop. By using of this instrument You can perform regular color correction of a photo, remove digital noise present in photographs, or sharpen the image.
It is important that here, as in many other advanced RAW converters, the principle of non-destructive editing applies: information about all operations performed by the user is recorded in a service file. The original image is saved unchanged, so you can always return to the original when processing files. After processing the RAW file, you can simply save its modified version as a separate graphic file.
Of course, Adobe Lightroom is attractive not only for its fairly comprehensive tools for processing RAW files, but also for its powerful photo cataloging system with separate tools for creating slide shows and web pages. Plus, the program has thoughtful integration with Photoshop, so after processing the RAW file, the image can be immediately, almost in one click, transferred to Photoshop for further work with it.
The program is one of the main competitors of Adobe Lightroom. It is also a “full cycle” program, offering the user not only an advanced RAW converter, but also tools for organizing and storing images, tools for processing and printing photos, creating photo albums and publishing pictures on the Internet. The program saves all images in one place (Vault), which makes the process more convenient Reserve copy on external drives and opens up the possibility of moving all file organization operations to Apple Aperture.
RAW file processing is built on its own engine, which often surpasses the capabilities of Adobe Lightroom in terms of the quality of color recognition and other information from the original digital image. Also Apple Aperture is different greater efficiency from the point of view of the applied algorithms for image sharpening and combating digital noise.
This RAW converter boasts a very thoughtful and user-friendly interface, which makes working with the program comfortable even for beginners. Work with multiple files is well organized: images can be displayed on the screen simultaneously for comparison purposes, moved and scaled within the work area. At the same time, if in Adobe Lightroom it is possible to create presets (working modes of program settings that can later be applied to all images), then in Apple Aperture such an option is not provided. In addition, there is, naturally, no such convenient integration with Adobe Photoshop.
(Corel AfterShot Pro) can be called one of the “oldest” converters, because its first version appeared back in 2000. The peculiarity of this program is that it can work not only under the operating room Windows system and Mac, but also for Linux. The current version of Bibble Labs Pro supports a large number of models of professional digital cameras and, along with RAW files, allows processing of images saved in JPEG. The advantage of this program is batch conversion - Bibble Labs Pro allows you to quickly process large volumes of RAW files with a fairly high-quality end result.
As for functionality programs, they are pretty standard. In particular, there are curves, the ability to adjust sharpness, exposure, white balance, tools for eliminating unwanted shades and adjusting contrast. To correct optical distortions, a special tab BPTLens Correction is provided, and for effective fight With noise in the photograph, the Noise Ninja filter is offered. The program fully supports color management with the ability to create separate profiles for each digital camera. Compared to many of its competitors, Bibble Labs Pro has a relatively low license cost.
PhaseOneCaptureOne
Professional photographers will certainly appreciate a powerful and functional RAW converter that supports a wide range of modern cameras. It is called . This program provides all the capabilities for single and batch processing of RAW files, adjusting white balance, adjusting image sharpness and color temperature, as well as tools for effectively eliminating digital noise. Phase One Capture One supports a wide the lineup modern cameras and even provides the ability to select scene programs, traditional for many digital cameras.
Each camera model has its own ICC profile, designed to significantly improve the quality of processing RAW files while ensuring the highest possible color reproduction. Phase One Capture One is a targeted professional RAW converter that is designed exclusively for working with RAW and is in no way intended to replace a graphic editor or program for creating photo galleries.
Because the we're talking about about a full-fledged professional tool, the program interface, as a result, is more complex and, in general, Phase One Capture One will require the user to have appropriate knowledge about the specifics of color processing. To work with this program, you need to have an idea of what it should be like final result processing and what tools should be used to achieve it.
Phase One Capture One allows you to optimize dynamic range by correcting details that are too dark or too light in an image. Using this program, you can correct chromatic aberrations, distortion, vignetting and other optical defects in the image. Those users who deal with large volumes of photo images will certainly appreciate the batch conversion feature in Phase One Capture One.
In terms of processing quality, work with noise and sharpness, this program surpasses many of its competitors. It should be noted that the best results of processing RAW files are achieved in Phase One Capture One only with serious individual work with images, which requires certain experience and knowledge.
LightcraftsLightZone
Another “full cycle” program. When processing RAW files, it allows you to correct white balance errors, blur an area of the picture or increase the sharpness of the entire image, eliminate traces of dust or digital noise that often occurs when shooting at a high ISO setting. This software tool also provides options for adjusting exposure, saturation, color rendering and white balance. All operations performed in the program are reversible, which always allows you to return to the original image.
Despite the fact that Light Zone is positioned by the developer as a professional tool, the program has a pleasant user interface. Thanks to this, even a beginner can easily understand the settings and functions.
A special feature of Lightcrafts Light Zone is the use of so-called “styles” of processing, each of which is not just a set of preset parameters, but a full-fledged automatic processing algorithm that takes into account the properties of the source file. In particular, there are such “styles” as High Dynamic Range (HDR processing) or Lomo Look (lomography). The program also contains unique tools Zone Mapper and Tone Mapper, developed based on the zone system of the famous American photographer Ansel Adams.
In addition to universal programs for processing RAW files, we can also note the popular “native” converter, which is designed to work with the NEF (RAW) image format created by Nikon digital cameras. This program allows you to carry out the entire process of processing images in NEF format step by step and cancel the changes made at any time while saving intermediate results.
The program interface is based on “control points” (U-point). At each such “point”, the settings selected for this area related to color correction are saved. The degree of parameter change is regulated by sliders located at the same “points”. These sliders allow you to make changes and immediately track them to the appropriate area in the image. " Checkpoints» make it possible to repeatedly change certain parameters without affecting the original data.
Nikon Capture NX has software tools for correcting optical distortion (aberration, vignetting, barrel effect) and combating noise. The functionality of the program can be expanded using the Colore Fex Pro filter plug-in from Nik Multimedia.
Available on many modern amateur and professional digital cameras in which, along with special software on a PC, subsequent processing of RAW files is available.
More exposure control than JPEG files. As a result, when processing a RAW file during editing, the photographer has controls such as sharpness or white balance at his disposal.
When you edit a RAW image, no changes are made to the file. Created separate file, in which all settings are saved.
Shooting in RAW, considered a must by professional photographers, is still not widely used by others. This raw image format can be opened by all image editors and may require more processing time when editing JPEG files.
In 2004, Adobe introduced the Digital Negative (DNG) format, an open RAW file format. Adobe and others want DNG to become the standard digital negative for all digital cameras.
A raw image has a smaller file size than a TIFF, but is significantly larger than a JPEG.
Are you new to photography? Learn how to process and edit raw images from your DSLR for best results.
Shooting digitally negative is one of the best ways to have complete control over your images in post-production.
RAW is the image that the camera sensor sees. Think of it like a raw film. Instead of letting the camera process the image for you, turning it into an image in JPEG format, shooting in raw mode allows you to process the image to your liking.
Applying adjustments to a raw image is a non-destructive method of editing your photos, unlike JPEG editing.
Do you want both? Some digital cameras allow you to shoot in RAW+JPEG, capturing the raw image while simultaneously processing the image into JPEG for ease of use.
Processing RAW files using an example
What you need
1. Digital SLR or mirrorless camera,
2. Imaging software such as Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or the software that came with your camera. Read about tools for processing digital negatives in Lightroom.
Remember that not all source files are created equal, as different manufacturers will likely use their own proprietary file formats. For example, Nikon uses an extension. NEF, Canon uses .CR2 and Sony uses. ARW. Pentax typically uses the more open DNG or PEF format.
If you don't have a raw editing software license, there are also several web tools that can help, such as Darktable, Raw Therapee, GIMP...
For this tutorial we'll be using Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CC, but the principles should be very similar for whatever editing program you use.
basic settings
When you open original image in Photoshop, Adobe Camera Raw will automatically launch. The window will look something like this:
From here you can adjust values such as exposure and temperature. Move the exposure slider to simulate the effect of adjusting exposure in a camera. The results will be automatically displayed on the image.
Note that when you adjust most of these options, the histogram will also change.
Restoring detail in highlights and shadows
One of the most important reasons for shooting in RAW is the ability to restore image detail if something goes wrong. did you overexpose and there are white spots everywhere? You can probably get some of the details back from the raw file.
In the example above, you can see from the histogram that there are clipped highlights in the sky. 
Moving the Highlights slider to the left will bring back detail that was lost from the overexposed sky. Additionally, image details can be restored by adjusting the exposure slider.
The same process can be used to bring back shadow detail in underexposed areas.
This image has a lot of detail in the underexposed shadow areas that can be brought back with a little tweaking.
To restore shadow detail, use the same technique as for restoring highlights. Just move the slider until you see the details appear again.
White balance correction when processing RAW files
Instead of setting the white balance value in camera, you can use any white balance setting when shooting raw data and then adjust it in post-processing. In the Camera Raw interface, select the option from the drop-down menu that best suits your needs.
Camera Raw has another tool that lets you adjust white balance—the white balance eyedropper. At the top of the window, simply select the white balance tool and click on the part of the image that you want to be white. Camera Raw will then automatically adjust the color temperature to make that component white.
The examples above work with images with very obvious flaws. Sometimes there may be nothing wrong with your image, but it looks a little boring. Here's how to make a jpeg with a few simple tweaks from a raw file.
Below is the image obtained by changing all the camera raw parameters in the first tab. It looks good, but could use some tweaking using changes in other tabs (camera lens profile, noise reduction) to make it look even better.
First, let's increase the exposure and increase the contrast a little.
The image still looks a little better, especially when changing the white balance settings. We'll also take the opportunity to restore some of the lost highlights.
Finally, you can move the Clarity slider to the right a little. The clarity tool looks for the edges and determines the contrast of the middle. Use it sparingly for best results.
Once you've applied the basic settings, click "Open Image" to enter Photoshop and continue editing as needed.
This is a basic step-by-step guide to editing raw images—learn more about camera raw settings soon.