File converters lose quality?
- Thread starter Moab Man
- Start date
No, TIFF is not compressed unless you request it compressed. DNG is an open architecture file format where as NEF is a proprietary format. But the more I read your questions, the more I see you're interested in the nuts and bolts of digital images. So I'll provide a bit more information. Understanding the formats is only the tip of the iceberg, there is also the issue of color space. You can request your camera and software to utilize sRGB or AdobeRGB or even ProPhotoRGB, all of which can affect the way your image looks. On top of that there is also the issue of your monitor and exactly how it deals with these various color spaces. This bridges directly into the calibrating your monitor. Chances are the image you're seeing on your monitor is not the same as what I'm seeing on my monitor and more importantly, it may not be the same colors you'll see when you print out your image. What many people do in this case is to calibrate their monitors to match the proper color space they're using.
But I digress... what I would suggest at this point is to put these issues on the back burner and instead focus your energy on learning your camera inside out and to being understanding the variables of photography - aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, as well as techniques like panning, avoiding lens flare and diffraction, maximizing bokeh, utilizing the golden hour and reducing hand held camera shake. And once you have a handle on these items you can being studying photographic composition, the rule of thirds, the golden rectangle, color theory, gestalt, etc.
This is why I love the art of photography, there's plenty of room to swim in the deep end.
But I digress... what I would suggest at this point is to put these issues on the back burner and instead focus your energy on learning your camera inside out and to being understanding the variables of photography - aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, as well as techniques like panning, avoiding lens flare and diffraction, maximizing bokeh, utilizing the golden hour and reducing hand held camera shake. And once you have a handle on these items you can being studying photographic composition, the rule of thirds, the golden rectangle, color theory, gestalt, etc.
This is why I love the art of photography, there's plenty of room to swim in the deep end.
I think the guy at this website gives a clearer description than Wiki. Besides, all those blue links if wiki just confuse me further than I already am.
DNG vs RAW
DNG vs RAW
Not sure why bother shifting from NEF to Tiff or DNG, just more files to store. I keep both my RAW and original JPEGs, and of course the edited JPEGs. Most if not all of the primary RAW editors accept NEF.
One pain, is that every time Nikon comes out with a later camera, they change some format internally with their NEF, and you got to get the updates from the software vendors, and sometimes, the older version of the software won't have the updated NEF support, and you have to upgrade to the next version of software ..uummm,, maybe there is something going on there.
One pain, is that every time Nikon comes out with a later camera, they change some format internally with their NEF, and you got to get the updates from the software vendors, and sometimes, the older version of the software won't have the updated NEF support, and you have to upgrade to the next version of software ..uummm,, maybe there is something going on there.
BackdoorArts
Senior Member
Here's my understanding of the "Why DNG instead of NEF" argument. I use Adobe products, primarily Lightroom. When making adjustments to the a DNG file Adobe will store them in the file itself, maintaining all the original data and adding the adjustment information. When making adjustments to an NEF file those adjustments are stored in a separate "Sidecar" file. So you now have 2 files to maintain should you ever need to move the file or pass it off to someone else for work, printing, etc. Granted, most of us never need to do that, and will likely create a Tiff or Jpeg to be sent out for printing, but the idea of making sure that I maintain both the NEF and Sidecar files, keeping them together and making sure they both get moved should I ever change computers/platforms, is the reason I have started converting on my import to Lightroom.
I knew I had remembered it from somewhere, check out this link from Matt Kloskowski. From the article: 'You still manually need to go to the Photo menu to save the settings.'
BackdoorArts
Senior Member
The Kelby/Kloskowski book "Lightroom 3 For Digital Photographers" was my bible for learning how to use the tool, so that's where the information got stuck in my head.