when processing RAW images....

[danchez]

... do you save the changes in the RAW file itself or do you use the sidecar .xmp file? What are the pros and cons of either way???

[groovyone]

sidecar. If you save it in the RAW file you may not be able to open it later in other software. All my older A100 and many A700 RAWs were handled in Sony IDC, now DxO and LR will not recognize them.

[kenw]

some editors won't let you "Save" when working in RAW but force you to do a "Save as", making overwriting your RAW file impossible.

[iCe]

ACR doesn't allow saving to the RAW file. CS5 might. I don't remember if I've ever tried. I usually convert to TIF then edit.

[Rson]

Yeah I always have a sidecar.

[kenw]

PaintShopPro and the lowly Picasa won't let you overwrite. It just can't be done. And if you simply write-protect the folder, it is fairly automatic.

[BenE]

I would never change and save anything with a raw file. Actually I never tried it, because that is the original file. I use Photoshop to make any changes, such as density, color, etc, and then save it as a tiff. Some save it as a PSD, I think.
This way you always have the original.

I do all work on a tif, and after everything is complete I save it, then save it once again as a jpg, which is sent via ftp to the lab.

[venchka]

Score a Big Plus for Lightroom's non-destructive editing. Score another Big Plus for Lightroom's Create Virtual Copy. That allows you to process to a certain point and then branch off in various directions. Kinda like "Save & Dare" back in the Dark Ages of computer gaming.

[auddii]

Originally Posted by venchka

Score a Big Plus for Lightroom's non-destructive editing. Score another Big Plus for Lightroom's Create Virtual Copy. That allows you to process to a certain point and then branch off in various directions. Kinda like "Save & Dare" back in the Dark Ages of computer gaming.

Ok, love the non-destructive editing, but I had no idea about the virutal copy. I'm going to have to look into this! (Or if I did know about it, I forgot...)

[groovyone]

DxO does the Virtual Copy too. It is GREAT! I use it when I want to do alternate edits all the time

[Photogdude]

Originally Posted by danchez

... do you save the changes in the RAW file itself or do you use the sidecar .xmp file? What are the pros and cons of either way???

What's the specific setting in the specific program you are talking about? that might be helpful to answer your question for your specific needs.

[ggeen]

Since I use NIkon's CaptureNX2 for my post processing, yes I save my edit directly. That is because CNX2 uses a non-destructive editing process. Even when you save your changes, you are able to back them out. Now if I have to make a edits that I cannot do in CNX2, I save them to a different file name because my other editor does destructive writes.

[kenw]

'non-destructive edting' sounds like marketing-speak for not letting you save the file over itself. like what Picasa does. (it forces you to Save-As, and none of the extension offerings are RAW....hmmmm....).

Which to geeks is just like (ya think?) opening a read-only file. you can't save any changes to the original file. period. no rocket science here.

[venchka]

Originally Posted by auddii

Ok, love the non-destructive editing, but I had no idea about the virutal copy. I'm going to have to look into this! (Or if I did know about it, I forgot...)

Right click on a photo. It's on the pop-up menu. There is also something called a Snapshot. Haven't used that. If you hate where the Virtual Copy is going, right click again and delete it. One thing I find useful: Multiple Virtual Copies, different exposures, stack with LR/Enfuse. Blended exposures. No, it's NOT HDR. Which is why I use it.

[auddii]

Originally Posted by venchka

Right click on a photo. It's on the pop-up menu. There is also something called a Snapshot. Haven't used that. If you hate where the Virtual Copy is going, right click again and delete it. One thing I find useful: Multiple Virtual Copies, different exposures, stack with LR/Enfuse. Blended exposures. No, it's NOT HDR. Which is why I use it.

Very interesting, I'll have to try that.