Coverting RAW files to Jpeg is it complicated?

[cagirlintexas]

If I had 200 RAW files is it time consuming and complicated to turn them all into Jpeg at once or do I have to do it invidiually?

[Dawn U]

What software are you using?

[cagirlintexas]

I got CS4 but DH hasn't put lightroom on it yet.

[Dawn U]

Are you making any changes to them before saving? Or just converting?

I'm running CS3 and have never used Lightroom, but do the basics in ACR in Bridge. It can be used to save as JPEG, too.

[cagirlintexas]

Originally Posted by Dawn U

Are you making any changes to them before saving? Or just converting?

I'm running CS3 and have never used Lightroom, but do the basics in ACR in Bridge. It can be used to save as JPEG, too.

Probally just converting them and maybe later doing edits to individual ones. For some reason I can't seem to take a jpeg and RAW file with my camera right now. Some sort of hardware problem I think. Tommorow I was going to go shoot blue bonnets but want the RAW files and if I just shoot RAW then I can have raw files. But if I shoot both I just get Jpegs. complicated and confusing.

So if I convert a bunch with out editing is it a time consuming process?

[Roy]

If you want easy, your camera should of shipped with a copy of Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP). It's a simple install and the program is very easy to run. You can batch process all or just a few. It's definately worth checking out. I use it to convert ny raw files all the time.

[cagirlintexas]

Originally Posted by Roy

If you want easy, your camera should of shipped with a copy of Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP). It's a simple install and the program is very easy to run. You can batch process all or just a few. It's definately worth checking out. I use it to convert ny raw files all the time.

Thanks!! I will defiantly be putting that on my computer. That sounds easy enough.

[Roy]

You're welcome. Let us know how it works out for you.

[dtscds]

Photoshop ships with a batch converter that is beyond easy and does it for you. I am using Photoshop CS2--I don't know what the process is called in CS4. It used to be called Dr. Brown's 1-2-3. It is under File>Scripts>Dr. Brown's 1-2-3 Process.
(These instructions are for CS2--for CS4 YMMV)
You browse to the folder where your RAW files are. You can tell it to convert to JPG. (You can also choose TIFF, DNG). You select the output resolution. You can even set it to resize them. On CS2 you could do 3 different files at once. So, you could do a 72dpi JPG at 600 pix on the long side, a full res jpg and a DNG all at the same time. You set everything and let it rip. It takes it a while because it has to open each RAW file, do its magic, save the new file and close the RAW file down. If you are doing 200 you could start it and then walk away. Go write a novel and come back when you are finished--it should be done by then...
Seriously, it works really well and is simple. A great timesaver.

[CaroleHayes]

I don't mess with any of that....

I just select everything in Bridge, then open them all in Adobe Camera RAW at once. Then I select them all in Adobe Camera RAW, and click "Save Image," make sure I'm saving them as JPGs, and I'm done! (I do batch edits the same way....)

It's pretty fast, too. I was very surprised the first time I tried it. :)

[doctahjones]

i'll have to put in a plug for LR2. I used to always use PS/CS3 to do it, but i've been using LR2 more and more (i just found out it has a crop!).

If you're looking for a quick non destructive way to convert, i'd suggest light room. you basically you can just drag and drop all the raws into lr, 'select all' and 'export'.

on top of that it gives you a thumbnail view that if you did want to make some edits (color, contrast, crop with aspect ratio lock) you can do that, and when you export those changes will be there. i'm pretty sure you can also make changes to one, and make that the 'default' for all of them (like bump the sharpness and contrast for all).

lr saves what you've done to the raws in a corresponding xmp file, so it doesn't actually modify your raw.

like i said, i used to -always- use cs3 because it did the same things as lr, but then i realized it's not the same. cs3 edits are 'destructive' in that the will modify your raw if you're not careful.

so, give LR2 a whirl, i bet you'll like it!

[fortworthphil]

I'll second that Light Room suggestion. I finally started using LR2 a month ago and since then I'm only shooting in raw. Doing things in mass - like converting all to jpegs or adjusting white balance or exposure is a no brainer. It's also improved my photography because I end up thinking more about what I'm shooting and less about bracketing my exposure levels. I can now easily fine tune everything later. Plus, like Doctahjones pointed out, LR2 prevents you from ever losing your original, unmodified raw file. It's truly a great tool that has a relatively short learning curve.

[photonewb]

In Adobe Bridge go to Toos>Photoshop>Image Processor

then you can convert all your images to whatever format you want, even run an action, rename them and save them where you want. It's a click and walk away type of function.

[epoh]

Originally Posted by photonewb

In Adobe Bridge go to Toos>Photoshop>Image Processor

then you can convert all your images to whatever format you want, even run an action, rename them and save them where you want. It's a click and walk away type of function.

This is what I do as well. I do this at the end of most projects, once to make PNGs to upload to smugmug and once to make JPEGs for flickr that are sized down to 1000x1000 and watermarked.