iPhoto - Copying RAW files to External Hard Drive

ChandlerKevin

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When I drag RAW files on my iMac into folders on my external hard drive to have a backup of each file, the files on the external drive appear as jpegs. How can I make sure the copied files remain in RAW format rather than jpegs?
 
When you drag files from the UI they will be exported as jpg's so it's the way it's supposed to happen. Dragging raw files wouldn't work anywhere if you for instance wanted to drag it to an email.

Look under File > Export and select Original as format for a file export.
When I drag RAW files on my iMac into folders on my external hard drive to have a backup of each file, the files on the external drive appear as jpegs. How can I make sure the copied files remain in RAW format rather than jpegs?
--
Mikael
 
same here I just tried it. Also how do you even know which one is RAW ? Mine both say IMG-234 nothing about RAW ? Can you open the RAW one in RAW ? I can't.
I don't even know what that mean. RAW is not an image format that you can edit. It's a a RAW dump of data from the sensor in the camera. It will always be processed into a format that you can view on screen or print to paper. Such formats would be TIFF, JPG's etc.

iPhoto will process the RAW files on import and create jpg's for viewing. If you edit a image it will result in a new process step and the result will be a new jpg. The raw file is never touched.
Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
 
When I check the information for each photo on my iMac, it shows as a RAW image. But when I drag and drop each image onto my external hard drive, the external hard drive directory shows the images as a jpeg. Will changing the preferences\format to original result in the RAW info being copied to the hard drive? I just want to make sure that the external hard drive (as my backup) has the RAW info and not jpegs, especially since I haven't processed the photos yet. Thanks.
 
webfrasse told you how to export the RAW files. Go back and re-read this post:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1017&message=36457867

When you drag them into folders, you are exporting them as Jpeg files, since that's how iPhoto works. It automatically processes the RAW file into a Jpeg file, leaving the RAW file untouched in the iPhoto library package, and saves the new file as a Jpeg.

You are trying to back up your files by dragging them into folder, you are doing it the hard way!

You could copy the entire iPhoto library package by dragging it to your external drive from time to time, but that could take a long time with a large library. Or you could just use Time Machine.

Other options would be to use SuperDuper! to periodically clone your entire internal drive to an external fire wire drive.

The best thing would be to use Time Machine with one drive, and clone to several other drives on a rotataing basis. And keep one off site if you're really thorough about back-up.

Whatever you do, DON'T open the iPhoto libray package and mess with its contents. If you do, you risk corrupting your entire iPhoto library.

--

There are 10 kinds of people in the world: Those that understand binary, and those that don't.
 
Thanks TestEng. Unfortunately, you are taliking over my head to some extent. Plus, I am fairly new to Mac, so I am not sure the best way to do this until I get Lightroom or Aperture. You said to review Webfrasse's post. OK, I did but it doesn't help me. He said:

"When you drag files from the UI they will be exported as jpg's so it's the way it's supposed to happen. Dragging raw files wouldn't work anywhere if you for instance wanted to drag it to an email. Look under File > Export and select Original as format for a file export."

Fine, but how do I export the RAW data to my external drive to reside there in an organized way? Do I click on each Event and press File> Export? I am not in front of my iMac - I am posting from a PC.

Plus, I don't have Time Machine. What I want to do is every time I create a new Event in iPhoto, say my daughter's birthday party pictures this Saturday, I also want to copy those from my iMac, but also to my external drive. (I don't want to have to clone the entire drive each time I create a single event. I don't even know how to clone - remember, I am a newbie on this stuff). I thought dragging that Event into the external drive would accomplish that, but obviously it didn't. So for each of the Events on my iMac, how do I get the RAW data to the external drive? Thanks for your help.
 
Thanks TestEng. Unfortunately, you are taliking over my head to some extent. Plus, I am fairly new to Mac, so I am not sure the best way to do this until I get Lightroom or Aperture. You said to review Webfrasse's post. OK, I did but it doesn't help me. He said:

"When you drag files from the UI they will be exported as jpg's so it's the way it's supposed to happen. Dragging raw files wouldn't work anywhere if you for instance wanted to drag it to an email. Look under File > Export and select Original as format for a file export."

Fine, but how do I export the RAW data to my external drive to reside there in an organized way? Do I click on each Event and press File> Export? I am not in front of my iMac - I am posting from a PC.
Yes, select an event, an album, any number of photos you want.

See here: http://screencast.com/t/OTFlYzVlY2
Plus, I don't have Time Machine. What I want to do is every time I create a new Event in iPhoto, say my daughter's birthday party pictures this Saturday, I also want to copy those from my iMac, but also to my external drive. (I don't want to have to clone the entire drive each time I create a single event. I don't even know how to clone - remember, I am a newbie on this stuff). I thought dragging that Event into the external drive would accomplish that, but obviously it didn't. So for each of the Events on my iMac, how do I get the RAW data to the external drive? Thanks for your help.
See the movie...or read the manual, it's in there too.

--
Mikael
 
That's one of the reasons I don't like iPhoto
Jules
iPhoto will process the RAW files on import and create jpg's for viewing. If you edit a image it will result in a new process step and the result will be a new jpg. The raw file is never touched.
Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
 
Since you asked. PS, LR, ACR6, ACDSee, Qimage, iTunes, iPhone4,Epson 4800, Epson CDPrint, chocolate, skiing, Nikons and Canons, Norway, bitter. Happy now Webfrasse? What do like?
Jules
iPhoto will process the RAW files on import and create jpg's for viewing. If you edit a image it will result in a new process step and the result will be a new jpg. The raw file is never touched.
Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
 
I like people that doesn't whine and constantly harp the same story like a broken record.

The way that iPhoto treats raw files aren't very different from what LR, AP and others do. None of the tools you like will edit the raw file. They will all process it...as iPhoto. The difference is that iPhoto can't easily do different versions of the same raw original. There is a feature for it but it will physically make a copy of the original wasting some disk space but the actual processing is more or less the same. Not as advanced as LR, AP etc but it's not target for that user group either.

Didn't expect you to really know or understand any of this, just telling you anyway...
Since you asked. PS, LR, ACR6, ACDSee, Qimage, iTunes, iPhone4,Epson 4800, Epson CDPrint, chocolate, skiing, Nikons and Canons, Norway, bitter. Happy now Webfrasse? What do like?
Jules
iPhoto will process the RAW files on import and create jpg's for viewing. If you edit a image it will result in a new process step and the result will be a new jpg. The raw file is never touched.
Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
 
How kind you are to set me right webfrasse. I didn't realise that views and opinions that differ from yours weren't allowed on DPR. I shall try to conform in future. I still don't like iPhoto and never will having used it for about a year.
Jules
I like people that doesn't whine and constantly harp the same story like a broken record.

The way that iPhoto treats raw files aren't very different from what LR, AP and others do. None of the tools you like will edit the raw file. They will all process it...as iPhoto. The difference is that iPhoto can't easily do different versions of the same raw original. There is a feature for it but it will physically make a copy of the original wasting some disk space but the actual processing is more or less the same. Not as advanced as LR, AP etc but it's not target for that user group either.

Didn't expect you to really know or understand any of this, just telling you anyway...
Since you asked. PS, LR, ACR6, ACDSee, Qimage, iTunes, iPhone4,Epson 4800, Epson CDPrint, chocolate, skiing, Nikons and Canons, Norway, bitter. Happy now Webfrasse? What do like?
Jules
iPhoto will process the RAW files on import and create jpg's for viewing. If you edit a image it will result in a new process step and the result will be a new jpg. The raw file is never touched.
Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
 
How kind you are to set me right webfrasse. I didn't realise that views and opinions that differ from yours weren't allowed on DPR. I shall try to conform in future. I still don't like iPhoto and never will having used it for about a year.
Interesting that I come here to the mac forum for some info and conversation, and here's old bird-brain jules being condescending and boorish as usual. Death, taxes and bird-brain jules.
Jules
I like people that doesn't whine and constantly harp the same story like a broken record.

The way that iPhoto treats raw files aren't very different from what LR, AP and others do. None of the tools you like will edit the raw file. They will all process it...as iPhoto. The difference is that iPhoto can't easily do different versions of the same raw original. There is a feature for it but it will physically make a copy of the original wasting some disk space but the actual processing is more or less the same. Not as advanced as LR, AP etc but it's not target for that user group either.

Didn't expect you to really know or understand any of this, just telling you anyway...
Since you asked. PS, LR, ACR6, ACDSee, Qimage, iTunes, iPhone4,Epson 4800, Epson CDPrint, chocolate, skiing, Nikons and Canons, Norway, bitter. Happy now Webfrasse? What do like?
Jules
iPhoto will process the RAW files on import and create jpg's for viewing. If you edit a image it will result in a new process step and the result will be a new jpg. The raw file is never touched.
Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
 
How kind you are to set me right webfrasse. I didn't realise that views and opinions that differ from yours weren't allowed on DPR. I shall try to conform in future. I still don't like iPhoto and never will having used it for about a year.
Jules
If you just for once could come with some constructive feedback and help instead always whine and complain me and others would be ok. We know what you don't like and we.don't.care!
I like people that doesn't whine and constantly harp the same story like a broken record.

The way that iPhoto treats raw files aren't very different from what LR, AP and others do. None of the tools you like will edit the raw file. They will all process it...as iPhoto. The difference is that iPhoto can't easily do different versions of the same raw original. There is a feature for it but it will physically make a copy of the original wasting some disk space but the actual processing is more or less the same. Not as advanced as LR, AP etc but it's not target for that user group either.

Didn't expect you to really know or understand any of this, just telling you anyway...
Since you asked. PS, LR, ACR6, ACDSee, Qimage, iTunes, iPhone4,Epson 4800, Epson CDPrint, chocolate, skiing, Nikons and Canons, Norway, bitter. Happy now Webfrasse? What do like?
Jules
iPhoto will process the RAW files on import and create jpg's for viewing. If you edit a image it will result in a new process step and the result will be a new jpg. The raw file is never touched.
Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
--
Julesarnia on twitter
--
Mikael
 
Maybe you can explain it to me again. If I have a RAW and jpg and upload it from camera to iPhoto. Shouldn't one of them say CR2 and one jpg? Or do you mean the CR2 gets converted to jpg as it's uploaded? So that's why both the pictures are jpgs? If this is the case I have double jpgs on every shot in my iPhoto and can delete one and have more hard drive room. Usually I just upload the shots to a folder on a drive and they are RAW and jpg.
Thanks in advance, Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
 
They will upload as two files in iPhoto, one jpg and one CR2. What I said was that the CR2 is not an image file. It's a raw dump of data from the sensor. It needs to be processed into an image file, jpg or tiff are most common, so that you can see it on the screen. This is done also for the jpg. These are called previews. Smaller jpg files with lower resolution for fast viewing on screen. You will not really notice any reduced quality since the screen will hit the limit before the jpg file does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format

You can right click on any file in iPhoto and select show original or show in Finder (or something like that). That will show you the original file. iPhoto will always render a copy with your edits. It will never touch the original file.
Maybe you can explain it to me again. If I have a RAW and jpg and upload it from camera to iPhoto. Shouldn't one of them say CR2 and one jpg? Or do you mean the CR2 gets converted to jpg as it's uploaded? So that's why both the pictures are jpgs? If this is the case I have double jpgs on every shot in my iPhoto and can delete one and have more hard drive room. Usually I just upload the shots to a folder on a drive and they are RAW and jpg.
Thanks in advance, Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
 
There are several reasons why you should use RAW and also reasons why you might not need it.

Lots to read...

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/why_use_raw.html

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/u-raw-files.shtml

http://chrisduffel.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/about-editing-raw-in-iphoto-and-general-image-modification-and-workflow/
Maybe you can explain it to me again. If I have a RAW and jpg and upload it from camera to iPhoto. Shouldn't one of them say CR2 and one jpg? Or do you mean the CR2 gets converted to jpg as it's uploaded? So that's why both the pictures are jpgs? If this is the case I have double jpgs on every shot in my iPhoto and can delete one and have more hard drive room. Usually I just upload the shots to a folder on a drive and they are RAW and jpg.
Thanks in advance, Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
 
Thanks, that did indeed show the RAW shots in a list as well as the jpg. But when I see all my pix in iPhone there are two of every number, none show as CR2. two just the same IMG_1234 and IMG_1234. So I must have some setting messed up. I just know that the first one is the RAW. But thanks for the right click tip now I can open them to PS with ease.
Katz
They will upload as two files in iPhoto, one jpg and one CR2. What I said was that the CR2 is not an image file. It's a raw dump of data from the sensor. It needs to be processed into an image file, jpg or tiff are most common, so that you can see it on the screen. This is done also for the jpg. These are called previews. Smaller jpg files with lower resolution for fast viewing on screen. You will not really notice any reduced quality since the screen will hit the limit before the jpg file does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format

You can right click on any file in iPhoto and select show original or show in Finder (or something like that). That will show you the original file. iPhoto will always render a copy with your edits. It will never touch the original file.
Maybe you can explain it to me again. If I have a RAW and jpg and upload it from camera to iPhoto. Shouldn't one of them say CR2 and one jpg? Or do you mean the CR2 gets converted to jpg as it's uploaded? So that's why both the pictures are jpgs? If this is the case I have double jpgs on every shot in my iPhoto and can delete one and have more hard drive room. Usually I just upload the shots to a folder on a drive and they are RAW and jpg.
Thanks in advance, Katz
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
--
Mikael
--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog,
but it can't buy the wag of his tail...
Josh
Billings
http://www.petfinder.org/
 

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