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Archive 2013 · what size to save files???

  
 
roniamarie
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · what size to save files???


I just bought the 6D (loving it). The RAW image size is HUGE!! especially compared to the size of my 40D images. Just wondering if I should save the files as original sizes when converting to JPEG or if there is a standard (smaller) size I should use. I'm not doing anything with the files except uploading to facebook and/or Flickr. Thanks in advance.


Oct 07, 2013 at 07:05 PM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · what size to save files???


Yes, keep the originals and investigate data management/digital asset management.

Harddrives are cheap in comparison to the value of your images.



Oct 07, 2013 at 07:36 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · what size to save files???


Save the full RAW originals, any intermediate full size and high quality versions that you edit (such as Photoshop filed), and any smaller jpg versions that you think will be useful.

Do not delete your RAW files. That is the equivalent of throwing away your negatives in the old days.

Don't delete full resolution edited files. If you do, you'll have to repeat the editing process whenever you want to use the images again in the future.

Get some big hard drives - one primary drive for storing the files at your computer and at least one more that you'll use to make backups of your files. Compared to the costs of losing all of your photographs when a disk crashes, the cost of hard drives is very, very cheap these days.

Dan



Oct 07, 2013 at 09:39 PM
EB-1
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · what size to save files???


6D has only 20 megapixels, so the raw file size is still small. You should be able to get about 130,000 on a 4TB drive, so the cost is about 1/8 of a cent per image or 1/4 cent for two copies. That is really cheap if you think about it.

EBH



Oct 07, 2013 at 09:54 PM
roniamarie
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · what size to save files???


Thanks. Very helpful. I always save the RAW originals. I'm using Lightroom to edit.


Oct 07, 2013 at 11:09 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · what size to save files???


roniamarie wrote:
Thanks. Very helpful. I always save the RAW originals. I'm using Lightroom to edit.


If you set it up correctly, Lightroom will manage your RAW files within the file system of your computer using its own database.

Dan



Oct 08, 2013 at 12:37 AM
John_T
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · what size to save files???


roniamarie wrote:
Thanks. Very helpful. I always save the RAW originals. I'm using Lightroom to edit.


Ligthroom leaves your original RAW files untouched and only demonstrates your processing in LR. What you actually export is a copy with the LR processing executed, so you can make that whatever is needed for the purpose of the export. I have various export presets for various forums, emails, etc. according to their prerequisites and a folder for each preset I export under, FM, POTN, whatever, so I also can review what I have posted where. Study up on Exporting, it's worth your time.



Oct 08, 2013 at 04:27 AM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · what size to save files???


After basic tweaks, I usually convert RAW to 16-bit TIFF for further work in PS. If you convert to JPEG you lose color gradation and detail in high lights and shadows. I'd only save as JPEG after all adjustments (save for sharpening) are made and you need a low rez file to email or post online. The final step is resize for the venue and optimize sharpening for file size.


Oct 08, 2013 at 11:57 AM
garyvot
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · what size to save files???


You probably know this, but... always, always save your RAWs.

And never shoot sRAW unless you really know what you are about. (I used to shoot sRAW on some client gigs, but abandoned that practice after I made one of my best portfolio images unexpectedly at a "routine" client event. I still kick myself that I don't have a full resolution RAW capture every time I look at that image.)

JPEGs, on the other hand, you can make any size that's convenient for sharing with family and friends. Even some clients don't want full 20Mp files, and are happy with 10-12Mp (make sure to verify their requirements first). I've had images from 6Mp cameras published as 2-page double-truck spreads in magazines and they look fantastic.

Exhibition printing is another matter, of course. You don't want to use JPEG for that; full resolution TIFF is the best practice.



Oct 08, 2013 at 12:36 PM
Bsmooth
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · what size to save files???


Personally I think 20Mp image size is huge, I'm sure they'll get bigger too. Then again I'm only using 8Mp images from my 20D and 1DMkII.
Not to get too far off the thread, but how are those 20Mp images as far as using them in Photoshop or Lightroom? Do you notice a big slowdown going from your 40D files to these ?



Oct 08, 2013 at 02:02 PM
John_T
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · what size to save files???


Depends on RAM, the power of your computer, more than anything else, graphic card plays a role too. Obviously I notice the difference between viewing or processing 5MB vs. 30MB files, but the difference is negligible and acceptable.


Oct 08, 2013 at 03:05 PM
Dono T
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · what size to save files???


I have a 5d3. I shoot mostly weddings and family portraits. I set the 5d3 to shoot mRaw and it shoots in 10 megapixels. this is still enough to print quite large on canvas. The nice thing about cutting down file size in the camera is it does this in camera through binning. this means that the quality of the pixels is better and actually increases focus accuracy. Plus, if you shoot several thousand pictures per shoot, it cuts down on download times, and processing time.

I still shoot in large RAW files if I am doing landscape photography, as I don't shoot as much and dont need better autofocus nor will I be editing as many pictures per shoot.



Oct 08, 2013 at 03:24 PM
roniamarie
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · what size to save files???


That's interesting Dono T. Thanks. I might do that as I'm only shooting for myself and only posting to the web.
I enlarge photos here and there but that's very rare.



Oct 09, 2013 at 12:38 AM
Lasse Eriksson
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · what size to save files???


Dono T wrote:
I have a 5d3. I shoot mostly weddings and family portraits. I set the 5d3 to shoot mRaw and it shoots in 10 megapixels. this is still enough to print quite large on canvas. The nice thing about cutting down file size in the camera is it does this in camera through binning. this means that the quality of the pixels is better and actually increases focus accuracy. Plus, if you shoot several thousand pictures per shoot, it cuts down on download times, and processing time.

I still shoot in large RAW files if I am doing landscape photography, as
...Show more

You Don't get better AF and more quality of the pixels when shooting mRaw



Oct 09, 2013 at 12:42 AM
Squirrely Eyed
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · what size to save files???


Since you are shooting RAW and using Lightroom for PP, and it sounds like you're not doing any editing on the JPEG themselves, then you should export them from LR in some size that is convenient for uploading to the likes of Flickr, etc. Most people only have a monitor resolution somewhere between 1024x768 and 1920x1080, so there is little value to the viewer for a full-size 20MP image unless you want them to be able to pixel peep or download & print.

If you were taking the JPEG into Photoshop or some other JPEG editor, then you would probably want to export as full-size, edit, then scale it down for the web.



Oct 09, 2013 at 07:33 AM
retrofocus
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · what size to save files???


My personal preference is to keep the original RAW file and save a high resolution copy of its post -processed JPG file. For online web-based postings, I reduce this JPG's dpi-size down to 72 and photo size around 1600 pixels on its widest size, add my watermark logo and save it as JPG under a different name. For large prints, I save an additional copy of the post-processed RAW file in TIFF.


Oct 09, 2013 at 07:49 AM
arbitrage
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · what size to save files???


The reason I try to stay out of Photoshop and other plugins and just stick to Lightroom is that I don't ever have to save jpegs. I export at specific sizes to upload to forums and my online sites but I can just delete those jpegs after the upload. The great thing about LR and Aperture is all you save is the RAW and then you can have many versions of a file with different edits but you aren't saving the actual jpeg, just a bit of data in the LR catalogue file or Aperture catalogue file.


Oct 09, 2013 at 08:11 AM
LCPete
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · what size to save files???


retrofocus wrote:
My personal preference is to keep the original RAW file and save a high resolution copy of its post -processed JPG file. For online web-based postings, I reduce this JPG's dpi-size down to 72 and photo size around 1600 pixels on its widest size, add my watermark logo and save it as JPG under a different name. For large prints, I save an additional copy of the post-processed RAW file in TIFF.


that's pretty much what I do
its definitely important to rename the downsized jpeg that's for the web so you don't accidently overwrite the large file with a small one



Oct 09, 2013 at 08:41 AM
Shutterbug2006
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · what size to save files???


Dono T wrote:
The nice thing about cutting down file size in the camera is it does this in camera through binning. this means that the quality of the pixels is better and actually increases focus accuracy.


"Binning allows charges from adjacent pixels to be combined and this can offer benefits in faster readout speeds and improved signal to noise ratios albeit at the expense of reduced spatial resolution."

http://www.andor.com/learning-academy/ccd-binning-what-does-binning-mean



Oct 12, 2013 at 12:09 AM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · what size to save files???


arbitrage wrote:
The reason I try to stay out of Photoshop and other plugins and just stick to Lightroom is that I don't ever have to save jpegs. I export at specific sizes to upload to forums and my online sites but I can just delete those jpegs after the upload. The great thing about LR and Aperture is all you save is the RAW and then you can have many versions of a file with different edits but you aren't saving the actual jpeg, just a bit of data in the LR catalogue file or Aperture catalogue file.


I also virtually never save jpg files, at least not of any high quality. I export them when I need them and in the sizes I need, always working from my full quality original files, which for me are Photoshop files. If you use Photoshop and you wish to have the highest quality archived images along with the ability to return to files later on to optimize them or interpret them different, I recommend saving two forms:

1. Original RAW files with the "sidecar" files that store any edits you make in your RAW conversion/editor program. (Such as ACR)

2. Full Photoshop files with all layers intact.

Some like to save flattened "print" versions of files, but I prefer to just do that process from the Photoshop files when I print.

YMMV.

Dan



Oct 12, 2013 at 12:50 AM





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