Canon DPP - is there a workflow guide?

[vvputin]

I'm starting to shoot in RAW and looking forward to the fun and challenges. (Now I just have to find the time.) I've watched the Canon webpage video tutorial on DPP and I'm ready to go. My question is: Is there somewhere a sort of workflow guide or checklist for:

-- converting from RAW in DPP
-- PP in RAW in DPP
-- moving to Photoshop Elements or other software
-- saving, printing, emailing smaller files, etc.

All of this is very much a jumble in my head still. For example, after you process a RAW file in DPP, is the original saved untouched and a new file created?

Would love to see a step-by-step guide for a PP noob.

Thanks!

 

[Jkoether649092]

My routine is bascially this, I download files direct from camera (if I don't do this I end up places with no card...) once DPP comes up I select all and go to "image edit window" so I can flip through larger sizes with the arrow keys and I use check marks (alt+1,2,3) to mark certain ones. this way when I go back to the main window i can go have it select all check-mark 3 and delete them, select all check-mark 1 and apply NR and do a batch process. The raw file is untouched by DPP, it just saves the setting for whatever adjustments were made with the file, you can always get back to the original with the little arrow buttons on the right.
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkoether/

 

[Doug Pardee]

after you process a RAW file in DPP, is the original saved untouched and a new file created?

Neither. If you do a "save" operation, the "recipe" for your desired conversion is added to the metadata contained in the Raw file.

The original Raw data is untouched, but the Raw file isn't.

If you do a "convert" operation, a new JPEG or TIFF file is created to hold the converted image. The Raw file isn't touched unless you save the recipe into it.

 

[Y0GI]

I'm starting to shoot in RAW and looking forward to the fun and challenges. (Now I just have to find the time.) I've watched the Canon webpage video tutorial on DPP and I'm ready to go. My question is: Is there somewhere a sort of workflow guide or checklist for:

-- converting from RAW in DPP

Make this your final step. Use File> Convert & Save, or use "Batch Process button at the top if you have more than 1 to convert.

-- PP in RAW in DPP

First, select am image or a set of images then click on the "Edit Image Window" button. Once in the Edit Image Window, I use the settings in the "RAW" tab mostly and the "NR/Lens/ALO" tab. Edit until you are satisfied and click on File> Save, which saves your adjustments but does not alter the RAW image.

-- moving to Photoshop Elements or other software

Under the "Tools" heading, select "Transfer to Photoshop" and it will automatically open PS and transfer your images there.

-- saving, printing, emailing smaller files, etc.

This is done using either File> Convert & Save or Batch Process button. Be sure to select the location for the saved JPGs or you may be surprised at where DPP saves them. Select the quality level (1-10). I usually use 6-8. The resizing option is very handy. I usually enter 1024 for the width of anything that I am posting here, and 800 for something that I want to e-mail. If you have "Lock Aspect Ratio" ticked, DPP will automatically fill in the missing dimension for you. After converting to JPG, go to your newly saved JPGs and open them in the Edit Image Window. There will be some slight loss of sharpness in downsizing so click on the RGB tab and sharpen your images to your taste. Be sure to do a File> Save after sharpening to retain the adjustment.

All of this is very much a jumble in my head still. For example, after you process a RAW file in DPP, is the original saved untouched and a new file created?

Would love to see a step-by-step guide for a PP noob.

Thanks!

--
Yogi

When you get down to the nuts and bolts of photography, the results depend on the 'nut' behind the camera!

See the 'Plan' in my 'Profile' for my current equipment.

 

[richj20]

My question is: Is there somewhere a sort of workflow guide or checklist for:

Everyone will have a different way of doing things. I suggest you test in this way:

-- converting from RAW in DPP

Load all files into DPP. In Preferences in the EOS Utility, you can designate a destination folder. Start with naming your folders with Date/Subject or location. This is one way to set up a filing system, and you can change things later. You want a system that lets you retrive an original file later, quickly!

-- PP in RAW in DPP

Pick one image, load into the Editing Window and call up the tool Palette. In the RAW tab, play around with the White Balance Options. Experiment with the Color Temperature Slider. Do some other manipulations with color, contrast, brightness, sharpening, whatever. There are also processing tools on the RGB Tab. Compare what you can do with each. When finished with processing, convert as a 16bit TIFF. This will be a large image and will be lossless so that for printing, you will have the best image. At this point you can also convert to a JPG for email or web posting.

... after you process a RAW file in DPP, is the original saved untouched and a new file created?

It's best not to save changes to the RAW file. This is so that you will always have an untouched original to go back to. So, close DPP and decline to save any changes to the RAW file.

Now, go back to the same RAW image in DPP, adjust your White Balance, and do no other manipulations/processing.Then import into Photoshop as a 16bit TIFF with a different filename (version 2 or something) and do all of your processing there. You can save your processing changes to the TIFF file with no loss or destruction for best printing image. At this point you can also save as a JPG for email or web posting

Compare what you processed in DPP with that in PS and decide which you like better.

Once you decide this, you can begin to build a routine that works for you. You may do just White Balance manipulation in DPP and everything else in PS, or a little processing in each!

regards,

-rich

--
Careful photographers run their own tests.

 

[vvputin]

Excellent. Thanks, all, for your thoughts. Very helpful. It's snowing like crazy here in Paris and maybe we'll all be snowed in this weekend and I'll be able to spend some time in front of the computer!

 

[mpix345]

vvputin, thanks for this thead. Very relevant info for me right now. Like you, I am struggling with the time it takes to do this. I'm sure I need a faster computer, but I can't upgrade my own speed or free time very easily.

I'm thinking I will transfer my photos as I have always done to my computer then view in Picassa and figure out which ones I should run through the DPP workflow. All though I don't delete many photos, they certainly aren't all true "keepers".

 

[AnthonyL]

Excellent. Thanks, all, for your thoughts. Very helpful. It's snowing like crazy here in Paris and maybe we'll all be snowed in this weekend and I'll be able to spend some time in front of the computer!

No! Get out in the snow - you'll get some unique pictures. Shoot raw - worry about the rest afterwards.

For what it's worth this is approx my workflow:

1. EOS utilitly - raw to computer filed by shooting date

2. DPP - quick review. Delete those that I definitely don't want. Batch rename those that I do. I add to the existing image number so that I have an easy reference back to the original raw eg Robin_IMG_2679.JPG.

3. Edit in DPP. Usually bring sliders in a bit on raw histogram, noise and lens if necessary, and any cropping. Default DPP noise is set 2 for luminence and 1 for chroma. Add a bit of sharpening depending on which lens. If a lot of similar conditions I'll copy/paste recipe. Occasional white balance correction.

4. Batch process into my pictures\processed folder. Quality usually 6.

5. I move the dd\mmy\yy folder now to c:\raw4archive folder which I eventually add to my RW DVD and also copy to external hard drive. Once I've done this I delete all the subfolders under c:\raw4archive and also reformat the SD card.

6. The \processed folder now contains a number of possibly disparate jpg images. If there is any rotation required I use GIMP (corrective rotation). I rarely do anything else in gimp. I move the images as appropriate in my \sharedfolders\images under suitable subfolders relating to subject or event. I might do a batch resize using Irfanview to the appropriate \sharedfolders. Irfanview allows long side to be specified and for instance no re-sizing of small images.

I could probably optimise a bit but then I have to keep checking where things end up whereas here I know, and I always know what is left to do eg finish DPP processing anything in dd\mm\yy folders, move anything in processed folder and backup anything in c:\raw4archive folders.

 

[sparkey2]

It's best not to save changes to the RAW file. This is so that you will always have an untouched original to go back to. So, close DPP and decline to save any changes to the RAW file.

I disagree on this point, do a lot of adjustments in DPP and want to save those changes. If you ever need to return to a unedited version of the file then it's easy to do with a few clicks of the mouse. It can take some time originally to tweak a file to how you want it so I save it that way.

 

[richj20]

After making your changes to the RAW and then saving as TIFF, why save changes to the RAW? You will have no untouched original to go back to.

regards,

-rich

It's best not to save changes to the RAW file. This is so that you will always have an untouched original to go back to. So, close DPP and decline to save any changes to the RAW file.

I disagree on this point, do a lot of adjustments in DPP and want to save those changes. If you ever need to return to a unedited version of the file then it's easy to do with a few clicks of the mouse. It can take some time originally to tweak a file to how you want it so I save it that way.

--
Careful photographers run their own tests.

 

[AnthonyL]

After making your changes to the RAW and then saving as TIFF, why save changes to the RAW? You will have no untouched original to go back to.

RAW is not an image. It is sensor data together with certain parameters which are then used to form an image. Only the parameters (metadata) are saved/changed. It is not like changing a TIFF or JPG where the image file is changed.

 

[sailonset]

LOL!

I did this a lot when I forst got my XSi. Just yesterday someone in the elevator said, "There's something open on your camera." I pulled out my wallet and extracted the spare SDHC card I carry just for this!

 

[richj20]

RAW is not an image.

I realize this, but didn't know that you could revert back to the RAW w/o the changed metadata.

thanks,

-rich

--
Careful photographers run their own tests.

 

[dsmcl77]

I usually transfert data from my card and I left it one day in the PC Fortunatlly I had a slower HDSC in the camera bag

vvputin I guess that if you leave in Paris you speak french.. so thare is a good book about dpp (download only) called "DPP pour les photographes" from Sébastien Abric ed. EYROLLES.
It is a good
There is more and better information and trics than in the files on CD by Canon.

PS: I do not get any money out of this. (I only wish)
--
dsmcl77

 

[iancbradley]

Echo all the good advice above. From my experience, you can always revert a 'changed' RAW file back to its original settings using DPP, so I have no problem with saving the changes. It's non-destructive.

Let's say you shoot a bunch of pictures indoors at ISO800 under tungsten and you forgot to set the white balance. in DPP it will take you just seconds to pick one photo, correct the WB, run some NR to get rid of noise, apply your preferred saturation & sharpening, and then apply the same recipe to all the other photos in the shoot.

Why would you want to keep a bunch of RAWs in their off-colour noisy-looking state just for the sake of it? You can adjust or undo the settings any time, so just go for it.

My other big bit of learning (as a newb) was to do as much image adjustment as possible in DPP. That is to say, anything that affects the whole frame, such as NR, sharpening, exposure adjustments (ESPECIALLY exposure adjustments), WB, cropping, etc etc. Not only does DPP (imho) do a great job at these, but it works with the full bit depth and without losses. Open a photo as a JPG in PS, reset the exposure and crop it, and boom you are losing data.

Anything that needs you to select a particular area of the picture (cloning, dodging & burning, spot colour, etc) is what you need to do in PS. Plus any processing that has to end in a JPG, such as re-sizing for the web etc.

Hope this helps,

 

[Fred McLean]

Hi

I recently looked at the DPP tutorials as I use DPP (and Helicon Filter), so they may be useful for you.

http://www.usa.canon.com/content/dpp2/index.html

--
Regards.
Fred (Essex, UK). Canon 500D/Tamron 18-270mm/Canon 50mm 1.8
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fred_bear/

 

[pablo_smith]

Hi: I own a XSi and have been shooting in RAW/JPG mode. But when I download to may computer using the EOS Utiility, all shots are desiginated jpeg. I cannot use the RAW editing tools. I am assuming operator error, so any helpful suggestions would be must appreciated.

thanks

 

[RuleroftheThirds]

I never download files direct from the camera. Using a card-reader and importing the files as if from any removable storage device is a much better idea and does not rely on a special software.

If I remember correctly, the raw conversion has to be done with DPP - the EOS utility, however, is for tethered shooting or for uploading picture styles to the camera (I had an EOS 450D some months ago).
--
Regards,
Wolfram

Visit my homepage
http://www.ruler-of-the-thirds.de

 

[AnthonyL]

Hi: I own a XSi and have been shooting in RAW/JPG mode. But when I download to may computer using the EOS Utiility, all shots are desiginated jpeg. I cannot use the RAW editing tools. I am assuming operator error, so any helpful suggestions would be must appreciated.

Which mode are you shooting in? The camera only shoots RAW in P Tv Av and Manual modes. Auto and the other modes will give you JPG whatever you set.

 

[sparkey2]

RAW is not an image.

I realize this, but didn't know that you could revert back to the RAW w/o the changed metadata.

thanks,

-rich

Absolutely you can revert and it's pain free at that. This is one of the major advantages of raw. I a 100% raw shooter do a lot of work on them in DPP so I want to keep those changes in the event I need to revisit the file for another minor tweak then I don't have to start all over from scratch. Especially when working on white balance.

Should you ever need to go back to "zero" then it's just a push of (3) back buttons on the raw tab and 2 or 3 on the jpeg tab if you adjust there. Same with the NR tab. So easy even a caveman can do it. Oops, did I just steal an insurance commercial????