RAW software

[jb_kennedy01]

Photographers:

I am a bit new to the digital world and I am now getting my feet wet with shooting in RAW. I understand Photoshop is one of the premier softwares for editing RAW. Is there an alternative to those that are starting out with RAW and don't particularly want to spend what Photoshop costs? I wouldn't mind spending a couple hundred. Thank you!!!

[picman]

Photoshop Elements will support Raw processing - about $80.

[Cerbera LM]

If you shoot Canon, one of the cds has DPP (Digital Photo Professional) which is a raw converter. PSE is a good program if you don't already own some editing software.

[Dobick]

You should have gotten a disk with your camera that has all the processing tools that you will need (big difference in the word need and want in this instance) to use to be able to process your raw files. My canon 20d came with two programs that allow me to make adjustments to the Raw files. One is EOS Viewer, and the other is Digital Photo Professional. In EOS Viewer, you will be able to find all of the settings like parameters (B&W, sharpness, contrast, etc...) and change white balance, as well as "Push" or "Pull" your exposure (up to two stops I believe) If you know what each of the settings in the camera does, then you can adjust them with this program. Once you get them where you want them, you can convert all of the selected files to JPG or TIF.

Digital photo pro is a bit different in the way that it handles the file, and you can make more granular changes to color, like boosting the Red, green, or the blue individually, as well as make white balance adjustments, expsure adjustments, sharpness, contrast, saturation, etc...

Both are very good tools, and should be provided at no additional cost.

But if you wanted to get other suggestions, I know of several, like bibble, lightroom, aperture (for the mac) just to name a few. I think picasa will even do raw conversions, which is free from google.

[BlueNoteBelzy]

I just bought a Nikon D80 and only have Photoshop Elements 5.0 and the Adoble Camera Raw doesn't support my camera so I have to use the Nikon software which is pretty elementary. I can't even find a histogram just simple single dials for color, sharpness, etc.. check out Capture NX ?? someone on here told me about that.

[picman]

Camera raw starting with version 3.6 will support your D80.
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloa...jsp?ftpID=3553

[texas-saluki]

Nikon Capture is a good program and not that expensive... has some cool features. There is a 30 day trial online

http://nikonimaging.com/global/produ...x/nxsp/top.htm

Give a a try... should give you a lot more than elements

[zach-e2]

if you can find a student to buy PS for you, you can get the whole CS3 package for like $300

[TimSmithPhoto]

If you have kids in school look into this for software.

http://www.academicsuperstore.com/faq.html?faq_id=1

[texas-saluki]

well that is for just photo shot PS3

$599 for the digital suite

http://www.journeyed.com/itemDetail.asp?ItmNo=60001031

[jblaze5779]

Lightroom?

[rdking91]

10-4 on the lightroom, i just saw somewhere on a search for $94.00 i just can't remember where i saw it!!!

[Peruna]

I think anybody who is interested enough in photography to come to this forum would be well served with a purchase of Lightroom or Aperture. Lightroom is an extraordinary useful piece of software, especially with how it handles RAW files, and is about as much a one-stop photography software program as you'll find.

I haven't actually used Aperture but from what I've read it is similar to Lightroom in how it handles RAW files.

[texas-saluki]

light room is nice... I used it in Beta but decided to stay with iMedia (db) and Photo Mechanic (ingest)

Light room is still a ver 1 software, plus it is trying to do a lot of things... I would recommend it but it is not a replacement for Photoshop or capture NX. You can do some basic adjustments but not what is possible with photo editing software

[Peruna]

You should try it again with a ver 1.1 trial. Adobe boosted a lot of the edit features with 1.1. Though I'd agree that it isn't a complete replacement for Photoshop because you cannot do local adjustments, I think for the serious photo hobbyist who doesn't want to spend a lot of time on a single image it is a Godsend.