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How-To: Edit RAW Photos on a Budget (or for Free!)

Mark Edward Soper — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:30:00 -0600

Why Shoot in RAW Mode?

RAW mode, a feature of virtually all digital SLR cameras and an increasing number of high-end point-and-shoot cameras, enables your camera to capture all of the image data in your photographs in full quality without distortion caused by JPEG data compression. RAW files enable you to repair white balance and color temperature problems, solve exposure problems, and adjust color intensity and other settings far better than you can with JPEG files. Unfortunately, you must use software that supports RAW files to optimize your picture and export it to a format you can use for other purposes, such as JPEG or TIFF.

Thankfully, you don't need to spend a fortune on software to edit RAW images. In this article, we'll put three popular solutions to the test:

Canon Professional Digital Photo
Google Picasa 3.5
Adobe Photoshop Elements with Adobe Camera Raw

Professional Digital Photo and Google Picasa are free, while Adobe Photoshop Elements v8 runs around $80-100. Can you get by with a freebie, or should you cough up some bucks? To answer this question, we turned all three of our contenders loose on discolored, underexposed and overexposed Canon RAW (.CR2) photos taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XTi camera.

Google Picasa 3.5

Google Picasa is easy to download and uses the same interface for editing RAW images as for editing other supported image types (JPEG, TIFF, and so on). Picasa supports most digital camera RAW codecs (see this reference) and is updated frequently as new digital camera RAW file types are introduced.

Locating RAW Images in Picasa

RAW images are displayed in Picasa's image library window the same way as JPEG images. To determine the image type, click the image, and the file extension, size, and other basic properties are shown in the blue bar between the image browser and the action buttons.

Picasa and Automatic Photo Repairs

As soon as Picasa locates photos, including RAW images, it automatically applies fixes to those photos. This is very handy if you don't want to worry about making a lot of changes yourself, but if you don't agree with Picasa's changes, it can be frustrating, since you can't undo automatic fixes.

Fixing Color and Exposure Problems with Basic Fixes

To make manual changes, double-click the photo in the Picasa image library window. Picasa uses three tabs in its editing space. The Basic Fixes tab opens by default. For a quick automatic repair, click I'm Feeling Lucky. Sometimes you're lucky, but in this example, we've traded dark poor color for lighter poor color. Thankfully, you can undo changes made on this tab by clicking the Undo button

Using the Tuning Menu

For greater control over the image, click the Tuning tab. The Tuning tab enables you to use sliders to adjust Fill Light, Highlights, Shadows, and Color Temperature (the third tab, Effects, provides a dozen special effects). By using the Tuning tab, we achieved better color and exposure.

Once you make changes to a RAW file, the changes are stored in Picasa, but the RAW file itself is not changed.

Applying Changes to Multiple RAW Files

If you have a number of RAW images that have the same color temperature (white balance) or exposure problems, or if you want to apply the same special effects to a group of photos, you may want to make the same edits to each photo. Here's how Picasa does it.

1. Select the fixes desired from the Basic Fixes, Tuning, and Effects tab.

2. Click Edit, Copy All Effects.

3. Click Back to Library.

4. Use Shift-click or Ctrl-Click to select similar photos.

5. Click Edit, Paste All Effects.

Unfortunately, because you pasted the effects to the files, the sliders used to adjust exposure, color temperature, and effects do not show the actual settings on the target files.

Saving a JPEG File in Picasa

To create a JPEG file (which can be used for printing, emailing, websites, and so on) from your edited RAW file, click File, Save As, and select JPEG from the pull-down options. Unfortunately, Picasa does not provide options for file size/quality.

Picasa matches the image quality of the original photo, and uses a quality level of 85% when it cannot determine the quality level.

Saving Other File Types

If you need to convert a RAW file into a file type other than JPEG, current versions of Picasa can't do it (this feature was available in earlier versions).

Picasa 3.5 Summary

Pros: Free, supports most cameras that shoot RAW images, easy to use interface

Cons: Automatically makes changes to photos that can't be undone, more limited controls than others, can only export photos in JPEG, can't control JPEG quality levels.

Our take: Use Picasa 3.5 if it's all you have, but you'll probably be happier with your camera vendor's RAW image editor, or with Adobe Photoshop Elements with Camera RAW.

Canon Digital Photo Professional

Canon actually provides two ways to edit RAW files: ZoomBrowser EX and Digital Photo Professional. ZoomBrowser EX is clumsy, provides very limited editing features of RAW files only through an additional Canon-provided program called RAW Image Task, and is excruciatingly difficult to update. Our advice, after trying both: use Digital Photo Professional instead. You can install it from the CD packaged with your Canon camera, or download it from the Canon website.

Using Digital Photo Professional to Edit RAW Files

Digital Photo Professional (DPP) bears a striking resemblance to Adobe Lightroom. And, you can consider it a sort of "junior Lightroom" for Canon RAW files. Here's how to get started:

1. Open DPP

2. Select a RAW image created by a Canon camera (.CR2 or .CRW).

3. Click Tool to open the Tool palette.

4. From the RAW tab, use sliders to adjust brightness, white balance, picture style, contrast, color tone, saturation, and sharpness.

6. Use the RGB tab to adjust tone curves for RGB or separate channels, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, and sharpness.

7. Use the NR tab to adjust noise reduction.

8. Click Tool to close the Tool palette.

Note: If you prefer to work with full-screen images, double-click the image in Step 2.

Using DPP to Save Changes to a RAW File

1. After editing a RAW file, click File, Save As.

2. Navigate to a different location if desired.

3. If you don't choose a different location and you don't want to overwrite the original file, enter a new name for the file.

4. Click Save.

5. A new RAW file is saved to the specified location.

6. If you have selected multiple files (see "Processing Multiple Files" for details), you will be prompted to save each additional file.

Saving a RAW Image as a Different File Type

1. Click File, Convert and Save.

2. The saved file uses the same name as the original file. Enter a different name if desired.

3. Select the image type (Exif-JPEG is standard; you can also select 8-bit or 16-bit TIFF, with or without JPEG image).

4. If you select an output option that includes JPEG, the image quality defaults to 10 (best). To decrease file size (and reduce quality), use the slider to select a smaller value (1 is smallest/worst quality).

5. Select the desired resolution.

6. Click Save.

7. The file is converted and saved.

Processing Multiple Files with DPP

To work with multiple files in DPP, you can choose from several methods.

Interactive Processing

1. Click each file you want to process to select it.

2. Click a check mark (check 1, check 2, or check 3).

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until all files you want to process have been marked with the same check mark.

4. Click Edit, Select Check Mark x Images Only (x=1, 2, or 3).

5. Click Tool to open the Tool palette.

6. Make adjustments as needed using the RAW, RGB, and NR tabs.

7. Save or convert each file as desired, using File, Save As or File, Convert and Save.

Create a "Recipe" for File Editing

DPP also enables you to create a "recipe" from an edited file and apply it to other, similar files.

1. Make the changes as desired to the photo.

2. Right-click the photo.

3. Click Save Recipe in File.

4. By default, the name of the photo is used as the name for the recipe (.vrd) file. Enter a different name if desired.

5. Navigate to a different folder if desired (recipes are stored in the same folder as the source photo by default).

6. Click Save to save the recipe.

Applying a Recipe to a Different File

1. Select the file you want to apply a recipe to.

2. Click Edit, Read and Paste Recipe from File.

3. Select the recipe desired.

4. Click Open.

5. The recipe is applied to the selected file.

To apply a recipe to multiple files, select the files first as discussed in "Interactive Processing" earlier in this article.

Digital Photo Professional Summary

Pros: Free, powerful interface, able to save changes to a RAW file, doesn't make any changes for you, enables you to output both JPEG and TIFF files in a single operation, can save recipes to make the same changes to similar files.

Cons: Need to read the manual (available on the Canon camera CD or online) to learn all features; only works with Canon RAW files.

Our take: If you use Canon cameras that work with RAW files, DPP is a bargain – but read the manual to learn everything it can do.

Adobe Photoshop Elements with Camera Raw

Adobe Photoshop Elements can't work with RAW files unless you use Camera Raw to process the files first. However, once you install Photoshop Elements and Camera Raw, you're ready to work with Raw files. Camera Raw is available from the Adobe website at no charge.

For Windows

For MacOS

Cameras supported by latest Camera RAW version

Using Camera Raw to Edit RAW Files

You can open any RAW file recognized by Camera Raw with Photoshop Elements, once you install the appropriate version of Camera Raw. Here's how to get started:

1. Open a RAW image file from File, Open in Photoshop Elements, or drag the file to the Photoshop Elements window.

2. Camera Raw opens.

3. Use the Basic tab to adjust white balance, color temperature, exposure, fill light, contrast, and other settings.

4. Click the Advanced tab if you need to adjust sharpening or noise reduction.

Using Camera Raw to Create a Digital Negative

Adobe's digital negative (DNG) format provides an industry-standard file format that retains all image information, making it a useful replacement for proprietary RAW files. In fact, a few digital cameras store their RAW files as DNG files. Here's how to save a DNG file with Camera RAW.

1. To create a digital negative (DNG) file, click Save Image.

2. Enter the image name and select other options, then click Save.

Saving a RAW Image as a Different File Type with Camera Raw and Adobe Photoshop Elements

1. After making changes with Camera Raw, click Open File.

2. The file opens in Photoshop Elements.

3. Use File, Save as to save the file as a JPEG, TIFF, PSD, or other file type.

4. If you select JPEG, you will be prompted to select the desired image quality (1-lowest, 12-highest).

5. Click Save to save changes.

Processing Multiple Files with Adobe Camera Raw

To apply the same changes to multiple files, you should open the files at the same time:

1. Select the files you want to edit with Camera RAW.

2. Drag the files to the open Photoshop Elements window.

3. Click Select All to select all files.

4. Use the Basic and Advanced tabs to make editing adjustments as needed.

Adobe Camera Raw Summary

Pros: Great preview, makes most changes with a single interface, works with both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements (which provide the most flexible file output options of any program in this roundup, can make the same changes to multiple files, works with virtually all RAW file types.

Cons: Requires you to buy Photoshop Elements (or Photoshop); if you buy a new camera, you might need to upgrade Photoshop Elements/Photoshop, as the newest Camera Raw versions support only current Photoshop Elements/Photoshop, can't save settings for reuse later.

Our take: If you already use Photoshop Elements (or Photoshop), Camera Raw is a no-brainer; it's also the best of the three solutions if you plan to make a lot of additional changes to your photo afterwards. However, if you are looking only for a RAW converter, your camera vendor's software may be satisfactory – and it's usually free!

Mark Edward Soper is the author of The Shot Doctor: The Amateur's Guide to Taking Great Digital Photos.

New Lossless Zip Algorithm Compresses JPEGs by 20%! Exclusive Interview Explains the Process

Norman Chan — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:32:00 -0500

The ubiquitous Zip file compression format has been a staple of PC users since it first made its debut as PKZIP in the early 90s. Back then, the size limitations of floppy disk media and the painfully low-bandwidth dial-up connections made file compression a complete necessity. The Zip format today, while still popular, has largely been eclipsed by RAR compression, which has offered slightly better compression at the cost of archiving speed. That’s why we were so surprised to hear that WinZip 12, which launched yesterday, boasted an unbelievable 25% compression ratio for JPEG images – without sacrificing image quality. Ever the skeptics, we put the new software to the test, and grilled WinZip’s VP of Development about how this new algorithm works.

We decided to test WinZip 12 on a large folder of high-resolution JPEG photos, each ranging from three to four MB, and totaling 1.13GB (or 1,217,671,445 bytes). This photo gallery (taken at this year’s PAX), was made up of 301 photos, each at 3888x2592 resolution, and taken straight from our Canon 40D camera.

Dragging the files into the WinZip program window, we were shown a pop-up with typical configuration settings, including the target destination and encryption options. The one notable difference was the presence of a “Change Compression” button. This opened a new window with two distinct compression options: “Legacy Compression” and “Best method for each file type”. We decided to give both a try.

With Legacy Compression, our newly compressed file ended up as 1.13GB, or 1,214,464,603 bytes. The total space savings displayed was 3.10Mb over 300 images, or about 1%. Looking at each individual file in the archive, we saw an average of 10KB reduction for each photo. Not particularly impressive, though at least the zipped file wasn’t larger than the original folder (which we’ve seen occur with poor compression algorithms).

“Best Method Compression” faired much better. Changing the compression setting to the new optimized algorithm churned out a 927MB file (972,699,916 bytes), or an approximate 20% size reduction. Color us surprised. We unpacked the new Zip file to examine the JPEGs and couldn’t find any difference between those and the originals – no new compression artifacts.

But here’s the catch (and there always is one). Compressing with the new algorithm took almost four times as long on a dual-core Pentium D machine than with Legacy Compression. Also, the new Zip file was only compatible with WinZip 12 – it wouldn’t open with Windows XP or Vista’s native archive browser, let alone on OS X’s built-in Zip app. That means that these files are useless unless you pay for WinZip 12. We contacted WinZip to find out exactly how the algorithm works, and how they expect to get the internet community adopt it.

Interview with WinZip’s Bill Richard (VP Development) and Shawn Cole (Director of Product Management)

WinZip 12 is able to significantly compress JPEGs. How is this possible?

Bill Richard: Essentially, we reduce the file size of the JPEG file when we zip it by recompressing the JPEG file’s lossless compressed data using advanced compression methods that do a better job than the original compression methods defined by the JPEG specification.

A very important point is that WinZip 12 will compress JPEG images with no loss in image quality or data integrity. This means that image files you put in a Zip file will be exactly the same, bit-for-bit when they are extracted. This is a critical feature for an archive tool and WinZip takes lossless compression very seriously. Full details of our new lossless JPEG compression method will be posted on our web site shortly.

What’s different about the compression algorithm this time around? Is it a new algorithm?

BR: Zip file compression has always used multiple compression methods. With WinZip 12.0, we added support for two new compression methods. The first is JPEG compression which has been developed by WinZip working in partnership with one of the original authors of the JPEG standard. The second is the LZMA compression algorithm and is good for many types of files we tested including DOC, XLS, PPT, EPS, CDR, DWG and many more. This was already defined in the Zip format appnote.txt file (the open specification for Zip).

These methods join others that we have introduced in past versions of WinZip like PPMd, bzip2, and WAVPACK to give WinZip a comprehensive tool kit that can now make smaller Zip files than ever before. To use these in WinZip 12, select ‘Best’ from the compression method options when adding files to a Zip file and WinZip will pick the optimal compression method for each file type you zip.

Does Winzip 12 only make improvements for JPEG compression? Are other image or document formats compressed better as well?

BR: WinZip 12 adds the LZMA compression method which provides significant compression improvements in both size savings and speed for many common file types.

Better compression seems to require a lot more computational power. How does Winzip approach the tradeoff between compression efficiency and heavy CPU usage? Which is more important?

BR: Our benchmark is the end user tolerance threshold. This is the point in which most people feel the additional compression savings is no longer worth the time it takes to achieve the extra savings.

How compatible are the new Zip files with other compression software? How about older versions of Winzip?

BR: This is always a good question and one users need to think about when making Zip files. The newer compression methods available in WinZip and other compression utilities are not backward compatible with older Zip tools or tools that have not kept up with the Zip file specification. All versions of WinZip will inform you when a Zip file is compressed with a method that WinZip version is not familiar with. We publish the specifications for new compression methods we introduce so that other compression utilities can add support. In summary, recipients of Zip files that include state-of-the-art compression methods will require a compatible Zip utility to extract the files.

Are there plans to release a shareware version of Winzip 12, or a version that’ll let users decompress (but maybe not compress)?

Shawn Cole: WinZip is and always has been shareware but it has never been free beyond the evaluation period. Anybody can download WinZip and use it for free for 45 days while they decide if it is useful to them. We are always evaluating the best ways to package the amazing features in WinZip but won’t be making any changes here in the foreseeable future. So far, our users seem pretty happy with their investments in WinZip.

Does Corel [the owners of WinZip] have any plans to license its algorithms or any proprietary software?

BR: It has always been and remains WinZip’s philosophy to promote Zip as an open archive. In that spirit, we have already published all our compression and encryption methods along with any enhancements we have made to the Zip format. This ensures that the Zip file format and the community that support it can benefit from these improvements. This in turn, benefits users around the world. An example of one benefit of this openness is that Zip files have become ubiquitous on the internet and because it is an open format, many virus scanners and search indexers have added the capability to “look” inside a Zip file. Proprietary or little-used archive formats don’t have that advantage.

The 3rd party zip market has been pretty stagnant since Windows started incorporating native Zip compression and as internet bandwidth gets cheaper. How is Corel changing WinZip’s business model to adapt to the new computing environment?

SC: The market for robust, reliable Zip utilities like WinZip has not been affected as much as you might think. We don’t see a stagnant Zip market and you can see that we have released several major versions over the years since Microsoft added built-in zipping to Windows. Think of it like this, Windows’ Zip compression and decompression features are like WordPad. It’s there, it’s free and sure you can write documents with WordPad but who chooses it as their primary word processor?

For people that need compatibility with all the archives they are likely to receive, or who need advanced compression methods or strong AES encryption, WinZip has clear advantages. To compare compression performance, just try zipping up your documents with Windows and then do it with WinZip 12.0 using the ‘Best’ compression method and see the difference. For even more power, check out our WinZip Pro Edition to see additional tools designed to automate many of the tasks that occur before or after zipping.

How much more compression do you think is possible with further R&D? Are we close to or have we reached the limits of file compression?

BR: One should never say never. There are a lot of really smart people in the compression industry continually working to improve existing ideas and develop new ideas. And, as computer performance continues to improve, so does the possibility to use new compression methods that only a few years ago would have exceeded the end user tolerance level. We do not feel the limits have been reached and we will continue to seek out ways to benefit the Zip format and the people that use it.

Is There a New JPEG in Your Future?

By Mark Soper — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:58:52 -0500

Although the HD Photo format (previously known as Windows Media Photo) has been primarily used as part of the internals of Windows Vista, Microsoft has convinced the guardians of highly-compressible imaging formats, the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), to consider making HD Photo the basis of a new member of the JPEG family, JPEG XR.

HD Photo Features and Benefits

HD Photo offers support for high dynamic range (HDR) images, stores varying amounts of image information to make displaying lower-quality thumbnails easy, performs both lossless and lossy compression, provides better support for lower performance systems, and better image quality and better compression.

Discovering HD Photo

Will HD Photo join the JPEG family? The balloting for JPEG members lasts until October 2007, but you can learn more about HD Photo right now from HD Photo project manager Bill Crow's blog, or by downloading the HD Photo specifications. If you have Adobe Photoshop CS2 or CS3, you can save or open HD Photo images wtih the HD Photo plug-in from Microsoft's downloads center.