Advice on handling Olympus Raw on a Mac

Hi,

I have an E-PL1, but am posing this here because I assume the format and workflow would be the same.

I have moved up from a P&S recently, and have started shooting in RAW and JPEG. My main aim at present is that RAW is a back-up and there in case I want to really get to the heart of an image (I am using Art filters a bit, it will be good to be able to undo them if needed).

I have always used only iPhoto for pp. My version is not importing the raw at present. I may want to keep it that way, as my wife shares the computer, I wouldn't want her playing with the raw files by mistake.

I intend using Olympus Master to store the raw images: ie, I will dock the camera, allow iPhoto to automatically load the jpegs, delete the jpegs, then import the raw into Master for future reference. The two reasons for this choice are:
-it's the only free way of getting the raw into my computer that I know of!

-I read somewhere that only Master will do the lens corrections automatically, using a native Olympus m43(kit lens), otherwise my raw images may have optical distortions.

Can anyone suggest a better system for me? I want to start as I mean to continue, at present all my raw images are still on an SD card.....

I don't really want to spend money on LR3, Aperture or similar at the moment, as by the time I get round to learning to "drive" the package, it will be obsolete. My time at present is better spent with my kids, and I am generally happy with the jpeg output from the camera. I guess I will use Master to convert the raw into something I can use in iPhoto if I need to.

Thanks in anticipation,
TOM

Try to install Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.3. Iit updates OS X to handle E-PL1 ORFs

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1072

Martin

Thanks for the suggestion Martin. I checked the update, I am running iPhoto '08, which isn't compatible with the update 3.3 (I haven't loaded Snow Leopard yet).

Also, if I was to update iPhoto to handle the raw files from the E-PL1: what happens when I load them into iPhoto? Does it show both images in the same event, or does the RAW go into another folder? I am trying to avoid confusing RAW & JPEG in iPhoto. Particularly when we travel, my wife does a bit of pp on jpegs for uploading to Picasa for friends. She would be confused as to which to play with, and might do some random deleting in her "frustration"......

Tom

Salamcz said:

Try to install Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.3. Iit updates OS X to handle E-PL1 ORFs

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1072

Martin

Click to expand...

Shoot RAW, develop in LR and forget about in camera JPGs.

(Unless you need art filters, etc)

--
Good shooting.

• Adam

Equipment in plan

Thanks Adam:
But to me the reverse is what I am after:

-shoot jpeg so that I can share with friends without having my children/ wife die from boredom while I'm doing pp
-use art filters cos they are there, but have the raw in "reserve"

-have raw available and stored for the few exceptionally good shots that I'd like to get more from (for printing, publishing, HDR, etc)

Most of my images are situational (family, friends, holiday memories). But sometimes an exceptional shot sneaks in by accident/design, or I actually get a couple of hours by myself to "do" photography! I do often find myself in wonderful landscapes, I would like to get more from them, but I don't want to be engaged in endless post processing.

Here's an example where I wish I had bracketed in RAW (low res sample from Picasa)

iPhoto seems to import two separate images so there is potential for confusion. Perhaps you could set up two libraries? If they are genuinely a back up you could also keep the raws in separate folders.

Aperture doesn't have this problem as it stacks the images and you can decide which image is the 'master'. You can use projects as events. It is more money though...

Does Adobe make Photoshop Elements for the Mac? If so, that's what I'd get in your position. It's perfect for the once in a while raw conversion, when you want to experiment with PP. Plus it has a ton of other useful features for creating graphics of all sorts. Fairly affordable too.

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John Krumm
Juneau, AK

I am working 50% PJ, 40% commercial and 10% experimental. I only shoot RAW. Here's how I've got my Macs rigged:

Aperture for archiving, previews, batch conversions and minor tweaks - if I have a big workflow ahead, Aperture is a blessing. I got it because a) it's developed by Apple and b) it's cheaper. I am not fussy about what shape my pixel is, so if there's a debate over Aperture vs. Lightroom I don't really care. I'm here to make money. Besides, ORF's just worked in Aperture: bang!... and I'm in business.

Photoshop CS3 (or Elements) for in-depth processing, together with an array of filters. CS3 because a) it's lighter on my systems, b) I got it for a good deal, c) I'd rather spend on an E5 and lenses than on CS5.

Various other little tools (de-noisers, post-processing etc.) when the budget allows.

Instinctively I steered away from Oly's software. Dunno why, but later reading this forum I kinda figured it out.

YMMV.
andy
--
indecision may or may not be my problem...
MacBook 13" 1st gen, iMac 24" last gen, iBook G4, iMac 21" last gen

Thank you for all the advice. I'm digesting it, for sure..........

One question that I'm really not clear on: correcting distortion using the Olympus package "Master 2". This will I assume only apply to an Olympus lens? The only Olympus lens I am likely to use is the kit (14-42 E-PL1). I intend to get the 100-300 Panny, maybe the 20mm Panny.

Do these other packages (Elements, Aperture, LR3) also perform these distortion corrections (based on lens profiles)? I am thinking my main use of this would be for handheld panoramas and architecture photography.

Thank you, Tom

I'll explain my current system (always subject to change, of course!). I'm using Snow Leopard, iPhoto '09, LR3, and shooting RAW + JPEG.

I use iPhoto to import all my photos, do triage, and manage my library. The events/faces/places structure is really good, and it's fast. (I'll do quick adjustments to JPEGs in iPhoto as well.) After importing, I cull the images of duds and duplicates. For images that aren't anything special but I don't want to delete, like snapshots, I'll delete the RAWs, keeping only the JPEGs. For images where the JPEGs are no good but the RAWs are usable, I'll delete the JPEGs. Then I filter for the ORF (RAW) files, select them and use iPhoto's "Hide" command to keep them from accidentally being messed with.

Then I switch to LR3 for working with the RAWs. I have LR set up to access the Originals folder from the iPhoto library. LR can't see into the iPhoto Library directly, but you can work around that. To do this, select the iPhoto Library in the finder and choose "Show Package Contents" from the contextual menu; then select the Originals folder from inside the iPhoto package, make an alias of it, and drag the alias out of the iPhoto package (you can put it wherever you want; I keep mine in the Pictures folder). This only needs to be done once. The Originals folder is organized by year and date of import into iPhoto. In LR, I activate the import module, navigate to the Originals alias, and then select the desired folder to "add" the RAW files from that import into LR ("adding" them to LR leaves the originals in place in the iPhoto Library; moving them would mess up iPhoto). When I'm done editing in LR, I use an export preset to send finished JPEGs back to iPhoto; the preset appends '-LR' to the file names do I know that they came from LR when looking at them in iPhoto.

Here's my advice:

1) upgrade to the latest iPhoto (2011), just released last week, and use iPhoto to manage all your images;

2) make an alias of the Originals folder form the iPhoto Library as described above, and use Olympus Master/Viewer to process the RAWs -- make sure to save your finished JPEGs outside of the iPhoto Library and then drag them to iPhoto to add them to your library;

3) download a trial of LR3 and see if you like it -- it's really quite easy to use (though not quite iPhoto easy), and made dealing with RAWs pleasant enough that I do it a lot more now.

DonTom said:

Do these other packages (Elements, Aperture, LR3) also perform these distortion corrections (based on lens profiles)?

Click to expand...

Good question. I never bothered with that... I'll look into it and reply here later.

--
indecision may or may not be my problem...

When they officially support the camera, the lens corrections are performed, I think. It's part of the M43 specification. You aren't really supposed to ever see an uncorrected raw.

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John Krumm
Juneau, AK

You are asking for simplicity and everyone wants to make things complicated for you!

Download Olympus Viewer 2 from Olympus - it is free and does more than Master does. It should get you everything you want. And yes, Viewer 2 will automatically perform the lens corrections for you.

Not sure why you haven't upgraded to Snow Leopard yet, but you can get package with both snow leopard and iLife 11 ----- and also iWork (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) ---- for only $129. That would really simplify things for you and is an incredible deal.

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Roberto M.

I also use iPhoto for archiving and processing, even though I have Aperture, which I use mainly for Raw processing. Prior to that I was using photoshop or the Oly software. I just haven't gotten around to learning Aperture properly enough to feel really comfortable with it, iPhoto is just so easy.

Like you, I'm happy to stick with OOC jpegs and save the RAW files for when I really need them. I've found having both the RAW and jpegs in iPhoto a pain, so I don't import directly into iPhoto - I have developed my own workflow, and it works pretty well for me:

I create a folder on one of my hard drives (I have a collection of external units). I import all the files directly into the folder. You can do do this by opening up the camera folder which appears on the desktop/side bar and selecting all the files and dragging.

I then open this folder in list view, select the "kind" tab - now all the RAW and jpegs are separated. All the jpegs can easily be shift/selected and dragged into iPhoto - onto the iPhoto icon in the dock - iPhoto doesn't even have to be already open for this. Or you can open iPhoto, and drag into the library, or create an album and drag directy into an album. If you need to you can use the cmnd+tab key to toggle between finder and iPhoto once you have selected and 'picked-up' your jpegs.
Once I have 4Gb or so in my hard drive folder, I burn to a DVD.
Now you have all your jpegs in an iPhoto folder, and no duplicate RAWs.
The RAW's are in a folder ready to access if you need.
And there is a back-up.
If you wish you can now cull the jpegs from iPhoto and your Hard drive.

AFAIK, iPhoto won't allow you to have multiple libraries.

If you don't want see both the ORF (RAW) and JPEG files, iPhoto has a hide command. It keeps the files in the library and allows you to get at the easily, without having two of every image all over the place. If you want to hide all ORFs, just do a search for 'ORF', select all, and hit hide.

Personally, I find LR's default stacking of JPEGs and RAWs to be quite annoying, but thankfully it can be disabled in the preferences.

Because of the library limitation I'd advise against storing ORFs you don't need in iPhoto, it is just going to take much more memory. I'd say apart from anything else, this makes backing up less easy.

However, it IS possible to have multiple libraries in iPhoto. Sort of. Just hold the option key when opening iPhoto. You get a dialogue allowing you to set up a new library, or to browse and open any one of multiple libraries. But you can only work on one library at a time, and to select another library you first have to quit and re-open (with option key). I have several libraries, and I create a new one each year. I keep the current year on the internal HD and everything else external.

dddesign said:

Because of the library limitation

Click to expand...

Which limitation are you referring to?

dddesign said:

I'd advise against storing ORFs you don't need in iPhoto, it is just going to take much more memory.

Click to expand...

In my experience what slows iPhoto down is displaying images. Keeping RAW files you aren't using hidden avoids that. I have noticed no slowdowns since I started keeping RAW files in iPhoto.

dddesign said:

I'd say apart from anything else, this makes backing up less easy.

Click to expand...

In what way? iPhoto's library is just a folder (disguised as a package), so backup programs will handle image files individually. For manual backups, searching by 'ORF' or 'JPG' allows you to deal with each file type individually.

Overall, using one program to organize/catalog all your images is extremely convenient.

dddesign said:

However, it IS possible to have multiple libraries in iPhoto. Sort of. Just hold the option key when opening iPhoto. You get a dialogue allowing you to set up a new library, or to browse and open any one of multiple libraries. But you can only work on one library at a time, and to select another library you first have to quit and re-open (with option key). I have several libraries, and I create a new one each year. I keep the current year on the internal HD and everything else external.

Click to expand...

Interesting, I didn't know that.