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Importing TIFF files into Aperture.


jason

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Hi there,

 

I have read on Apple's Aperture Discussion boards that it is possible to import TIFF files into Aperture. I am using a D-LUX 2 which can shoot in TIFF format. Could anyone please confirm if this is possible (specifically on the D-LUX 2).

 

Would the quality of a TIFF file be similar to that of a RAW file and could I still post-process in a similar way (i.e - would there still be options not available for TIFF?)

 

I would really appreciate some advice here as I plan to pick up Aperture and use TIFF files until RAW support for the D-LUX 2 becomes available.

 

Kind Regards

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TIFF files, not suffering from compression artefacts, are generally of better quality than JPEG files. TIFFs can also be 16-bit. However, neither format is like a RAW file in terms of post-processing possibilities and Aperture does not offer any greater functionality with TIFF files than it does with JPEGs.

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Yesterday I wrote the following in another thread;

 

A few months ago I started to use Apple's Aperture and this program does not support the RAW files that come out of my D Lux 2. This forced me to start shooting TIFF files. These files are 3 to 4 times bigger than the RAW's I used to convert in PS.

 

BUT:

 

I get fantastic results! In the past I would look at the JPG that accompanied the RAW file, and it would have the 'Leica Glow'. Nevertheless, in PS it was impossible for me to get the same look and feel from the RAW file. Now that I let my camera do the calculating my photo's look like Leica photo's again! Maybe the firmware in the D Lux 2 does a better, or more dedicated, job 'converting' than PS...?

 

I don't think you can do less adjustments to your TIFF's in Aperture BTW.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

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I get fantastic results! In the past I would look at the JPG that accompanied the RAW file, and it would have the 'Leica Glow'. Nevertheless, in PS it was impossible for me to get the same look and feel from the RAW file. Now that I let my camera do the calculating my photo's look like Leica photo's again! Maybe the firmware in the D Lux 2 does a better, or more dedicated, job 'converting' than PS...?

 

I don't know about this particular camera but I have also found that DSLR in-camera processing can sometimes do a 'better' job (even with large JPEG quality) than converting RAWs using ACR/Photoshop. The latter provides scope for non-destructive post processing but it can involve a lot of time farting around with the sliders to get the right look (I generally hate the 'default' ACR RAW conversions).

 

I don't think you can do less adjustments to your TIFF's in Aperture BTW.

 

That's true, but making Aperture (or Photoshop) adjustments to TIFF files is, generally speaking, more destructive than making adjustments to RAW files. This is particularly so with adjustments like colour balance alterations.

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That's true, but making Aperture (or Photoshop) adjustments to TIFF files is, generally speaking, more destructive than making adjustments to RAW files. This is particularly so with adjustments like colour balance alterations.

 

But, that's the whole point about Aperture. It's non-destructive.

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No, the original is preserved. What I meant when using the term destructive is that more pixels are 'mashed' when making changes (such as colour balance or exposure alterations) to a TIFF file than they are compared to making similar changes to a RAW file.

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But, that's the whole point about Aperture. It's non-destructive.

 

Yes, but it is only non-destructive in the sense that it leaves the original unaltered. When making changes - especially major changes such as exposure alterations - it is generally much less destructive (in terms of losing dynamic range, etc.) to make changes at the RAW conversion stage than it is to do it with a TIFF file (which is already a 'finished' file format). Aperture is no different in this regard than is Photoshop.

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A few months ago I started to use Apple's Aperture and this program does not support the RAW files that come out of my D Lux 2. This forced me to start shooting TIFF files. These files are 3 to 4 times bigger than the RAW's I used to convert in PS.

 

Just a thought. Why not continue shooting RAW, but convert them to DNG's using Adobe's free DNG Converter, and then input the DNG's into "Aperture"?

 

You'll save on camera disc space and also produce an archive of your RAW images.

 

You can download the DNG converter from the following link:

 

Adobe - Digital Negative (DNG)

 

My workflow, using an Olympus E-500 (with Leica R lenses thankyou!), is pretty much similar: shoot RAW; archive as DNG; process using whatever RAW converter suits.

 

FWIW, YMMV etc.

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Just a thought. Why not continue shooting RAW, but convert them to DNG's using Adobe's free DNG Converter, and then input the DNG's into "Aperture"?

 

You'll save on camera disc space and also produce an archive of your RAW images.

 

You can download the DNG converter from the following link:

 

Adobe - Digital Negative (DNG)

 

My workflow, using an Olympus E-500 (with Leica R lenses thankyou!), is pretty much similar: shoot RAW; archive as DNG; process using whatever RAW converter suits.

 

FWIW, YMMV etc.

 

I didn't think that worked because Aperture won't recognise any DNG file if it doesn't have support for RAW from that camera. At least it seems so from reading this thread.

 

Apple - Support - Discussions - Question about work flow for those that ...

 

I may be wrong though. Can anyone confirm/deny this?

 

Is anyone on here actually using a D-LUX2 with Aperture?

 

Good discussion btw.

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I didn't think that worked because Aperture won't recognise any DNG file if it doesn't have support for RAW from that camera. At least it seems so from reading this thread.

 

Apple - Support - Discussions - Question about work flow for those that ...

 

I may be wrong though. Can anyone confirm/deny this?

 

 

Yes, it looks like my idea won't work.

 

I dug around on the Adobe DNG discussion forum and found the following remarks by a UK photographer. I can't link to the URL, so I'll quote it instead:

 

Aperture is the problem. It doesn't provide full support for DNG. It appears only to support DNG for cameras it supports other ways.

 

Every DNG file is "self-contained" - it not only has the raw image data, but also details about the camera needed to do a raw conversion. It appears that Aperture only reads the raw image data, not those details. Therefore, it has to get those details elsewhere, and it does this using its own data. But that only happens when Apple have used the camera to perform tests and built the results into an upgrade.

 

In contrast, Photoshop CS, released years ago and replaced over a year ago, using ACR 2.4, released in January 2005, handles DNGs from the E-500. (I've just tested this to confirm it).

 

Hmm, back to the drawing board.

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Is anyone on here actually using a D-LUX2 with Aperture?

 

I use both on a daily bases. Works very well for me. I just use TIFF files and I find that if I want to, I can do a lot of image manipulation without seriously degrading the over-all image quality.

 

Peter

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