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RAW editing Q

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  • 10-09-2019 12:20pm
    #1
    Notch000
    Registered Users Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    Stupid question maybe, After years of ignoring it I'm interestd in trying to edit some RAW files. I just downloaded GIMP freeware and it cannont open my Nikon NEF RAW file.s I'm a bit puzzled that some of the guides tell me I need to convert my RAWs to JPEGS to edit but this seem to go against my understanding of the whole process, can anyone explain what I'm missing out on here ??? what converter do I need or what do you convert the RAW files too ????
    Thanks


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    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,480 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    i don't know much about GIMP but you might have more luck if you can convert them to DNG - that's adobe's attempt at creating a universal standard for RAW files.


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    #3
    Heebie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭Heebie


    Conferring to DNG should allow you to work with them in gimp.
    One thing to remember about workflow with raw files, though, is that you don't edit them.
    In something like Lightroom, you make changes, but what is "saved" is metadata about the changes you've made.
    There's no modification of the original file. When you to to export, Lightroom reads in the metadata and renders the changes into a new file.

    To use something like gimp or Photoshop to do "non-destructive" editing, it's best to make a copy of the original shot and work on that, and further to only work on duplicates of the background layer, so that you can always erase or mask back to the original image.

    It sounds like a lot of extra work, but it can save you having to repeat steps etc.., and you'll thank yourself when it's saved you from disaster even once.


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    #4
    CabanSail
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 9,047 CMod ✭✭✭✭CabanSail


    To be accurate you cannot edit RAW files. They are a data set from which you can make a photograph.

    This means that any editing package will need to first have the data acquired by a RAW Converter of some sort. This will take the information and present it to the Editor in a form it can use.


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    #5
    sheesh
    Registered Users Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭sheesh


    you might need a plugin check the gimp website.

    https://expertphotography.com/open-raw-images-gimp-ufraw/

    this might work?

    https://howtogimp.com/raw-photos-in-gimp/


    Before I got light room i used to convert raw files to tiff using infraview


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    #6
    dom100
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭dom100


    You need Raw Therapee - a powerful and sophisticated (and free) RAW editor. It has a bit of a learning curve as some things are not where you expect them on the screen. If it was a car it would have the parking brake on the ceiling and indicator switch on the door.

    It will certainly open and edit your NEFs very nicely, and is also backwards-compatible with older NEFs such as those from a D70 (15 years old). I use it to edit both Nikon and Canon RAWs (D70/D100/D5000 and EOS 10D).

    In RAW editing, always sharpen LAST. All the other stuff first.

    I probably can't put links in this, being a new user, but Google it and you'll see the RT home page almost immediately.

    Any problems with RT please post here, and I'll try to help.


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