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I'm taking a Photoshop class and am using a book called Photoshop Artistry. We are using RAW photo files that are on the cd that came with the book. Some of the photos are 40-90 mb. My question is is that normal for RAW files? I ordered more ram for my computer but I can only add 1 more gb which will give me a measly 2gb. I cant even move these files around in the folder let alone open most of them. for example when I open a folder and change the view so I can check the size of a photo the comp. freezes and I need to close photoshop. Even if I use the comp browser with no other program running the comp freezes, then it takes a minute to get the desktop icons back. Any feed back. I do hope to get a more powerful comp. just not right now. Could there be something wrong with the cd or is 90MB normal for RAW photos?
posted
My digital camera can save the images in RAW format; which is the best format and has the largest file size. I still use .jpg format even though I have a lot of memory. My only experience with RAW formats is when I try to save a .psd that is above a GB in size. For some reason it won't save it as a .psd that big so I have to reduce the rez to under a GB. Probably not much help for your question but maybe someone will find it useful.
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"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Dana, Camera RAW is essentially a "digital negative" and needs to be processed in Camera Raw before using it in Photoshop. Why any class would include 40MB files is absurd. The time wasted for most computers to process your work would be a huge time waster in a classroom situation. Are you sure that there isn't an additional folder with smaller versions of the files? If not, I'd hit up the instructor or whatever to trim them down to a useable size.
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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There's a few professional digital cameras that produce a 40MB RAW file, but they're MASSIVE 45 megapixel images. That's just an absolutely absurd amount of resolution for images used in classroom tutorials though.
RAW images from cameras are usually smaller file sizes than even TIFF images, because the RAW format has a high degree of lossless compression. Once a RAW image gets converted into a standard raster image format though, the file size literally EXPLODES.
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Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Accully Mike acording to the book the Raw files are bigger because other files compress the image to say 8 bit or 256 colors were as a Raw file is 12 bit or 4095 colors. Bill the reson we are using them in the class is to understand using raw as it gives you a lot more control over your images. My problem really is the file freezes the browser before I even get an image open. I was able to use some of it in the begining. Maybe I need to empty the cashe in bridge.
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Still Dana, camera RAW is about pulling all you can out of the highlight and shadow areas of a shot and resolution has little to do about learning to use it's capabilities. I shoot RAAW with an 8 MP Nikon myself, I can print a 24x30 inch print from those files that is absolutely beautiful. They shouldn't be using that large of files for teaching. It's pointless as to your education.
-------------------- Bill Modzel Mod-Zel screen Printing Traverse city, MI modzel@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1357 | From: Traverse City, MI | Registered: Nov 1998
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The instructor claims that the images have a lot of layers and that is why they are so big.It isn't the resolution at all. I think there is a problem with the cd myself, so she is sending me a new cd.
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RAW formats don't support layers. Even the Photoshop Raw format doesn't support layers.
Re: file sizes, an 8 megapixel camera RAW file is approximately 8MB in size, while a TIF, PSD or Photoshop Raw file converted from that same RAW image is 47MB.
Camera Raw images have no color information assigned to the individual pixels. The image sensor only records brightness and color information is recorded by color filters. The color information gets appended to the RAW image header so the RAW converter software can produce the color image, or give the user total control over color balance without degrading the image quality.
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Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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You are undoubtedly right about the layers as there are other image formats included in the folders that are on the cd perhaps that is where she got the layers explanation from. The book however does claim that Raw files are generally bigger. The Raw file does contain meta-data files with all the info about about exposure and also it contains all the data that the camera sensor captured. You are of course correct in saying that it is not a color image the basic image part of the file is gray scale. Not looking to out smart anyone here just hoping someone will know why I cant even load these file into a folder from the cd. Also if some one who shoots raw can tell me how big the average raw file is. Judging from what has been said so far the problem isn't the raw files. It is probably the cd.
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Even though Raw Files are larger in size than a jpeg file and similar in size to a LZW compressed tiff (they are smaller than .psd files) of the same resolution and pixel count, there is no reason why those files are that large just to show you how to use them. My 12.2 MP Canon only shoots a 14 MB image in raw.
Raw Format is the way to go when shooting quality images. That is all I shoot in. They do not support layers but raw files are the best quality when you want to fine tune the image before actually opening it in Photoshop (allows for tonal and color editing, sharpening,changing the temperature and white balance, as well as reducing fringe and noise and many other editing that really can't be done to a Jpeg or tiff (at least as easily). They also store Meta Data information including date, exposure parameter, camera and lens used, bit depth, color mode....
Raw files as previously mentioned, are like the original negative and are a perfect way to archive your photos and you should always keep your original Raw Format as raw format so you go back to that original any time you want and basically start from scratch.
One problem with Raw is that many of the Camera manufacturers use different parameters for Raw format images. That means that if they change to different parameters down the road, you may not be able to open those older raw format files.
That is where Adobe DNG Converter comes in, which is a converter that will convert all raw formats into a consistent raw format that can be industry wide and still retain all the raw data as well as the meta data. This is updated regularly for new cameras (computer updated automatically when Adobe Updater is used) Check out the Adobe User Forums and Knowledge Base info. There is plenty of info about both.
-------------------- Bob Noyes Digital Graffiti 310 Main St NE Mapleton, MN 56065 Posts: 130 | From: Mapleton, MN | Registered: Nov 2007
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check your video card...redraws take a lot of power. Opening a RAW files is video intensive. If you have an old vid card (and i would guess it is) it will cause a stall out too.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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How do I check that video card? I've downloaded u tube videos etc. no problem. My computer is about 4 years old 1 gig soon to be 2 gig ram. The only other thing that freezes my computer is this movie theater site, that has tons of pop ups and graphics annoyingly jumping around. I cheched the specs and I have a 256MB vidio card. Nov 2005 was the manufacture date of my comp. Its gotta be the CD.
[ July 10, 2008, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Dana Stanley ]
posted
yep- it sounds like a glitch in the CD. You may be able to move or copy the CD contents to your hard drive or a external drive, then try to open from there.
-------------------- Michael Clanton Clanton Graphics/ Blackberry 19 Studio 1933 Blackberry Conway AR 72034 501-505-6794 clantongraphics@yahoo.com Posts: 1736 | From: Conway Arkansas | Registered: Oct 2001
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Well my instructor sent a new cd and that was it. I couldn't even touch the folders in the other cd without it freezing. I got the new one and it downloaded fine. I opened each file to make sure. After that I put the other GB of ram in that I had ordered, but I don't see a big deference yet. Thank you all for your input as I have learned some more about RAW and now that I know it isn't all that cumbersome my eventully try shooting in Raw. After a camera upgrade! Does the Nikon D80shoot RAW it didn't look like it in the Spec. sheet.
[ July 14, 2008, 08:22 AM: Message edited by: Dana Stanley ]
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