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15 questions linked to/from How sharp are RAW photos before processing?
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100 votes
4 answers
18k views

What does an unprocessed RAW file look like?

I know people use fancy software like Lightroom or Darktable to post-process their RAW files. But what if I don't? What does the file look like, just, y'know, RAW?
mattdm's user avatar
mattdm
  • 143k
111 votes
5 answers
9k views

What is RAW, technically?

From a technical perspective, what exactly is RAW and how does it differ from JPG or bitmap images? I'm not asking about the pros/cons versus another format, but rather what constitutes RAW format, ...
Mike King's user avatar
Mike King
  • 1,213
30 votes
6 answers
34k views

Why does my Lightroom/Photoshop preview change after loading?

Everybody who is using Lightroom probably has seen this. After importing RAW files, Lightroom shows a preview, but contrast and color of the preview change after a few short seconds to a slightly ...
Sam's user avatar
Sam
  • 3,146
23 votes
4 answers
6k views

Why should my last post-processing step be sharpening?

I've seen a number of people recommend that you apply sharpening as the last step in post-processing, and some seem to imply you should always do that. Why? I tend to discard pictures that either are ...
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user2559
31 votes
3 answers
65k views

Why do RAW images look worse than JPEGs in editing programs?

I've found that when you load a RAW image into an editing program such as Lightroom/Aperture, the image is usually worse than if you just took the image as JPEG. Now I understand that the camera does ...
erotsppa's user avatar
erotsppa
  • 3,288
9 votes
9 answers
8k views

While shooting in RAW, do you have to post-process it to make the picture look good?

I always shoot in RAW. But I take lots of pictures, when I am out shooting I might come home with 600+ pictures. Many of these pics are copies of the same motive, but with different aperture, shutter, ...
Chris's user avatar
Chris
  • 141
21 votes
4 answers
8k views

RAW files store 3 colors per pixel, or only one?

Ken Rockwell says that camera makers consider the individual R/G/B sensors when they talk about megapixels. So the image below would be a 6x6 pixel camera, not 3x3 as you would imagine. If that's ...
ariel's user avatar
ariel
  • 475
21 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why don't mainstream sensors use CYM filters instead of RGB?

From what I understand most digital cameras have a sensor where each pixel-sensor has three sub-sensors, each one with an R,G and B filter. RGB is obviously the more fundamental colour model since it ...
Robin's user avatar
Robin
  • 342
13 votes
4 answers
13k views

Why is a physical anti-aliasing filter still needed on modern DSLRs?

I understand the purpose of the anti-aliasing (AA) filter is to prevent moire. When digital cameras first emerged an AA filter was necessary to creat enough blur to prevent moire patterns. At that ...
Michael C's user avatar
Michael C
  • 175k
12 votes
4 answers
3k views

Why can software correct white balance more accurately for RAW files than it can with JPEGs?

Why are post-processing JPEG white balance corrections not as accurate as white balance with Raw? My understanding is that when shooting jpeg the camera internally does the following steps: Convert ...
skyde's user avatar
skyde
  • 224
7 votes
3 answers
3k views

Can all colors be described with RGB?

If one could pick ideal sensitivities for the RGB filters of a camera sensor, would it be possible to capture any color as humans see it?
kslstn's user avatar
kslstn
  • 195
5 votes
6 answers
2k views

Why is Lightroom changing all the settings on my imported RAWs?

I'm importing pictures into Lightroom, and the NEF files look great at first glance when imported into Lightroom, but in a while the program changes all my pictures to super bright and just awful ...
ANDREA's user avatar
ANDREA
  • 51
0 votes
2 answers
841 views

RAW in ACR vs JPG in ACR

Photoshop has now given the facility to open and edit JPEGs and other non-RAW file formats using Adobe Camera Raw. One doesn't have to shoot RAWs to do some heavy edits. So is there still any benefit ...
user152435's user avatar
user152435
  • 1,515
2 votes
1 answer
5k views

How can I fix an out of focus photo? Is there an app for that? I don't have Photoshop [duplicate]

Someone else took this picture of me and didn't focus. :( How can I fix this? Is there an app for that? I don't have Photoshop.
Ravit's user avatar
Ravit
  • 31
2 votes
3 answers
637 views

What is white balance in a camera? When and where should I use WB? [duplicate]

I like to do different experiments in my photography. Recently I was experimenting with white balance. Can anyone help me? What is actually white balance and when it is used? Do you have an example?
Parth's user avatar
Parth
  • 151