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1. Re: How much data is lost on a 16 bit tiff import compared to a dng import into CS5?
JimHess-DIrcbP Aug 6, 2010 11:08 AM (in response to dpick2)In reality you are probably adding data to your images. Depending on your camera, the raw files and subsequent DNG files are either 12 bit or 14 bit images. The TIF is a 16-bit image. But my guess is that you will never be able to make a determination on any data loss issues. You simply cannot tell.
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2. Re: How much data is lost on a 16 bit tiff import compared to a dng import into CS5?
Pete Marshall Aug 6, 2010 12:49 PM (in response to dpick2)DNG is a container format. It will hold all the data of the original file it was made from. If a RAW file is converted to DNG it will contain all the RAW data and likwise if a TIFF file is converted to DNG it will contain all that data. When a file is opened from LR into PS LR creates a new file with the LR settings or opens the original file itself, dependent on your settings.. For best quality always work with the RAW file wether DNG or propriatory exporting final files from LR in the required format for final use as required.
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3. Re: How much data is lost on a 16 bit tiff import compared to a dng import into CS5?
Jao vdL Aug 6, 2010 2:04 PM (in response to dpick2)Again, am I losing observable image qualtiy with this workflow?
You need to realize that when you send the dng (I am assuming you are talking about a normal dng created directly from the original raw?) to Photoshop, it does the exact same thing as you do in Lightroom when first rendering a tiff file manually. Photoshop will use ACR to generate a bitmapped image (typically in 16 bit prophotoRGB) and will open that in Photoshop. Then when you save, you will see a tiff file (or psd depending on your Lightroom external editing preferences) being created by Photoshop. So you end up with the exact same quality, whether you manually export a tiff or simply send the file to Photoshop by "Edit in Photoshop". The quality that you end up with is by definition always lower than the original raw image. You always discard data by going from raw to demosaiced linear. This manifests for example in no longer to as effectively being able to recover highlights, or to raise shadows (that might have been cut off in the "blacks" edit, or to change white balance as you are when working with a raw file. You are also no longer able to sharpen and reduce noise as effectively as when working directly with the raw data as you normally do in Lightroom. As soon as you render out a raw file by exporting or doing an "Edit in Photoshop" you basically bake in all changes you made and you cannot go back on them anymore. When you stay in Lightroom, you can go back on anything you did as it is completely non-destructive.
Whether you notice this is another question. If you did all the basics in Lightroom already as far as you can then probably not. The best strategy for highest quality is to stay in raw in Lightroom all the way and only go to Photoshop when you really really need it and only as the very last step of your workflow. I rarely use Photoshop anymore.
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4. Re: How much data is lost on a 16 bit tiff import compared to a dng import into CS5?
dpick2 Aug 6, 2010 3:33 PM (in response to Jao vdL)Jao vdL wrote:
Whether you notice this is another question. If you did all the basics in Lightroom already as far as you can then probably not. The best strategy for highest quality is to stay in raw in Lightroom all the way and only go to Photoshop when you really really need it and only as the very last step of your workflow. I rarely use Photoshop anymore.
This is the way I do it. I use OnOne software after all my edits and tweeking in LR. Probably 90% of my work is in LR, but that 10% with OnOne really is the cherry on top. I wondered if I was losing photo quality saving a batch than one at a time bringing them into CS5. What I might do is send them into CS5 without saving.
Thanks for the replies.


